50 best colleges on the West Coast
According to the latest report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, released in January 2024, undergraduate enrollment grew 1.2% in the fall of 2023. Enrollment was up in every region of the country, save for the Northeast, but colleges in the West saw the biggest bump— 2.3%, to be exact.
With thousands of colleges and universities in the United States, narrowing down the field can seem impossible for prospective students. The West Coast in particular has a bevy of top-rated state schools and excellent private universities, ranging in student-body size from a few hundred to tens of thousands.
Using Niche's 2023 Best Colleges in America list, Stacker found the best 50 schools on the West Coast. Niche's rankings use data from the Department of Education on academics, admissions, and student life, along with reviews from current students and alumni. Four-year colleges in California, Oregon, and Washington state are included.
Whether you dream of spending the next four years lolling on a Southern California beach, spending weekends in trendy Seattle, or exploring nature around Portland, this list provides a wealth of options. You can pick your best fit based on categories like location, net price, and median earnings range. College search: handled.
#50. University of Puget Sound
- Location: Tacoma, Washington
- Acceptance rate: 87%
- Net price: $38,127
- SAT Range: 1110-1330
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $52,700
- Overall rank: #403
#49. Willamette University
- Location: Salem, Oregon
- Acceptance rate: 80%
- Net price: $37,913
- SAT Range: 1100-1330
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $51,100
- Overall rank: #394
#48. University of Washington - Tacoma
- Location: Tacoma, Washington
- Acceptance rate: 86%
- Net price: $10,113
- SAT Range: 960-1180
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $57,700
- Overall rank: #389
#47. Azusa Pacific University
- Location: Azusa, California
- Acceptance rate: 94%
- Net price: $31,367
- SAT Range: 1030-1260
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $51,100
- Overall rank: #378
#46. DigiPen Institute of Technology
- Location: Redmond, Washington
- Acceptance rate: 38%
- Net price: $36,832
- SAT Range: 1140-1340
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $80,200
- Overall rank: #374
#45. Northwest University
- Location: Kirkland, Washington
- Acceptance rate: 93%
- Net price: $21,825
- SAT Range: 1010-1230
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $41,300
- Overall rank: #342
#44. The Master's University
- Location: Santa Clarita, California
- Acceptance rate: 60%
- Net price: $29,567
- SAT Range: 990-1250
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $41,700
- Overall rank: #335
#43. California Baptist University
- Location: Riverside, California
- Acceptance rate: 80%
- Net price: $27,883
- SAT Range: 990-1210
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $42,600
- Overall rank: #327
#42. University of the Pacific
- Location: Stockton, California
- Acceptance rate: 71%
- Net price: $32,780
- SAT Range: 1080-1340
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $71,700
- Overall rank: #319
#41. Seattle Pacific University
- Location: Seattle
- Acceptance rate: 91%
- Net price: $28,367
- SAT Range: 1010-1160
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $49,100
- Overall rank: #315
#40. Stanbridge University - Orange County
- Location: Irvine, California
- Acceptance rate: 35%
- Net price: $24,969
- SAT Range: —
- Median earnings six years after graduation: No data available
- Overall rank: #309
#39. Vanguard University of Southern California
- Location: Costa Mesa, California
- Acceptance rate: 50%
- Net price: $21,667
- SAT Range: 950-1140
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $41,800
- Overall rank: #306
#38. Whitworth University
- Location: Spokane, Washington
- Acceptance rate: 91%
- Net price: $25,785
- SAT Range: 1050-1270
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $42,100
- Overall rank: #304
#37. University of California - Riverside
- Location: Riverside, California
- Acceptance rate: 66%
- Net price: $11,948
- SAT Range: 1080-1280
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $49,700
- Overall rank: #277
#36. Gonzaga University
- Location: Spokane, Washington
- Acceptance rate: 73%
- Net price: $36,880
- SAT Range: 1160-1350
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $56,100
- Overall rank: #273
#35. Biola University
- Location: La Mirada, California
- Acceptance rate: 64%
- Net price: $34,713
- SAT Range: 1070-1290
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $44,500
- Overall rank: #268
#34. Seattle University
- Location: Seattle, Washington
- Acceptance rate: 83%
- Net price: $36,843
- SAT Range: 1130-1330
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $56,500
- Overall rank: #259
#33. Whitman College
- Location: Walla Walla, Washington
- Acceptance rate: 54%
- Net price: $38,989
- SAT Range: 1230-1430
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $51,300
- Overall rank: #247
#32. University of Oregon
- Location: Eugene, Oregon
- Acceptance rate: 84%
- Net price: $17,646
- SAT Range: 1090-1290
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $44,800
- Overall rank: #246
#31. University of San Francisco
- Location: San Francisco, California
- Acceptance rate: 70%
- Net price: $42,801
- SAT Range: 1140-1330
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $62,300
- Overall rank: #207
#30. Chapman University
- Location: Orange, California
- Acceptance rate: 58%
- Net price: $44,327
- SAT Range: 1170-1350
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $54,500
- Overall rank: #196
#29. Washington State University
- Location: Pullman, Washington
- Acceptance rate: 80%
- Net price: $17,931
- SAT Range: 1020-1210
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $50,600
- Overall rank: #193
#28. Lewis & Clark College
- Location: Portland, Oregon
- Acceptance rate: 80%
- Net price: $37,478
- SAT Range: 1210-1380
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $46,200
- Overall rank: #187
#27. San Diego State University
- Location: San Diego
- Acceptance rate: 37%
- Net price: $13,192
- SAT Range: 1090-1300
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $51,000
- Overall rank: #184
#26. Oregon State University
- Location: Corvallis, Oregon
- Acceptance rate: 82%
- Net price: $21,444
- SAT Range: 1080-1310
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $49,600
- Overall rank: #179
#25. Point Loma Nazarene University
- Location: San Diego
- Acceptance rate: 84%
- Net price: $34,644
- SAT Range: 1100-1290
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $50,900
- Overall rank: #175
#24. California State University - Long Beach
- Location: Long Beach, California
- Acceptance rate: 42%
- Net price: $10,568
- SAT Range: 1020-1240
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $48,100
- Overall rank: #168
#23. University of Portland
- Location: Portland, Oregon
- Acceptance rate: 77%
- Net price: $37,317
- SAT Range: 1130-1320
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $58,800
- Overall rank: #159
#22. California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) - San Luis Obispo
- Location: San Luis Obispo, California
- Acceptance rate: 38%
- Net price: $20,491
- SAT Range: 1240-1440
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $66,900
- Overall rank: #152
#21. University of San Diego
- Location: San Diego, California
- Acceptance rate: 59%
- Net price: $37,547
- SAT Range: 1190-1370
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $60,000
- Overall rank: #146
#20. Loyola Marymount University
- Location: Los Angeles
- Acceptance rate: 50%
- Net price: $48,758
- SAT Range: 1210-1390
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $61,300
- Overall rank: #145
#19. Occidental College
- Location: Los Angeles
- Acceptance rate: 41%
- Net price: $41,102
- SAT Range: 1270-1460
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $50,600
- Overall rank: #129
#18. Pepperdine University
- Location: Malibu, California
- Acceptance rate: 42%
- Net price: $46,550
- SAT Range: 1200-1410
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $65,500
- Overall rank: #116
#17. Reed College
- Location: Portland, Oregon
- Acceptance rate: 42%
- Net price: $33,980
- SAT Range: 1320-1520
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $42,200
- Overall rank: #107
#16. Santa Clara University
- Location: Santa Clara, California
- Acceptance rate: 51%
- Net price: $48,284
- SAT Range: 1270-1450
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $72,600
- Overall rank: #106
#15. Scripps College
- Location: Claremont, California
- Acceptance rate: 35%
- Net price: $40,259
- SAT Range: 1320-1480
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $54,100
- Overall rank: #102
#14. Pitzer College
- Location: Claremont, California
- Acceptance rate: 17%
- Net price: $30,095
- SAT Range: 1300-1450
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $48,700
- Overall rank: #91
#13. University of California - Santa Barbara
- Location: Santa Barbara, California
- Acceptance rate: 37%
- Net price: $17,223
- SAT Range: 1230-1460
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $55,300
- Overall rank: #89
#12. University of California - Davis
- Location: Davis, California
- Acceptance rate: 46%
- Net price: $17,026
- SAT Range: 1160-1400
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $58,200
- Overall rank: #85
#11. University of California - San Diego
- Location: La Jolla, California
- Acceptance rate: 37%
- Net price: $15,222
- SAT Range: 1270-1480
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $59,900
- Overall rank: #76
#10. University of Washington
- Location: Seattle
- Acceptance rate: 56%
- Net price: $9,661
- SAT Range: 1200-1470
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $57,700
- Overall rank: #70
#9. University of California - Irvine
- Location: Irvine, California
- Acceptance rate: 30%
- Net price: $13,106
- SAT Range: 1230-1430
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $58,400
- Overall rank: #66
#8. University of California - Berkeley
- Location: Berkeley, California
- Acceptance rate: 17%
- Net price: $19,329
- SAT Range: 1310-1530
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $64,700
- Overall rank: #48
#7. Claremont McKenna College
- Location: Claremont, California
- Acceptance rate: 13%
- Net price: $22,004
- SAT Range: 1330-1500
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $72,900
- Overall rank: #29
#6. University of Southern California
- Location: Los Angeles
- Acceptance rate: 16%
- Net price: $39,759
- SAT Range: 1340-1530
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $74,000
- Overall rank: #28
#5. University of California - Los Angeles
- Location: Los Angeles
- Acceptance rate: 14%
- Net price: $16,474
- SAT Range: —
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $60,700
- Overall rank: #24
#4. Pomona College
- Location: Claremont, California
- Acceptance rate: 9%
- Net price: $30,392
- SAT Range: 1390-1540
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $58,100
- Overall rank: #20
#3. Harvey Mudd College
- Location: Claremont, California
- Acceptance rate: 18%
- Net price: $37,192
- SAT Range: 1490-1570
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $88,800
- Overall rank: #18
#2. California Institute of Technology
- Location: Pasadena, California
- Acceptance rate: 7%
- Net price: $26,591
- SAT Range: 1530-1580
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $85,900
- Overall rank: #7
#1. Stanford University
- Location: Stanford, California
- Acceptance rate: 5%
- Net price: $20,023
- SAT Range: 1420-1570
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $94,000
- Overall rank: #2
