According to the U.S. News 2022–2023 best universities ranking, the top 10 universities are found in the United States except for the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, which occupy the 5th and 8th positions, respectively. Let us see some best colleges in West Coast.
However, our focus is not to look at the global ranking for colleges but to identify the best-rated colleges on the Western coast of the United States.
Then, we should ask, which part of the United States is made up of the West Coast? There are three major states identified as the West Coast states, including California, Oregon, and Washington, with the addition of Alaska and Hawaii under certain conditions. Therefore, we’ll be discussing the universities in this region. Most of the universities on our consideration list are world-class universities. Many topped certain niches in the recent global university rankings conducted by U.S. News and World Report.
Best Colleges West Coast
The best colleges on the West Coast include Stanford University, the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, the University of California, Santa Barbara, Pomona College, Reed College, the University of Washington, Pitzer College, and so on.
There are many world-class colleges located in this part of the country. Hence, we’ll only focus our efforts on the few of them that meet certain criteria. Now, let’s dive into the discussion in full detail.
List Of Best colleges on the West Coast
Stanford University:
Stanford University has a long-standing history of being ranked among the top 10 best universities in the world. In the 2022–2023 global universities ranking, Stanford University is occupying the 3rd position out of over 2000 universities. That is not cheap.
Stanford University was established in 1885 with the rationale of providing excellent academic services. It’s not a surprise this citadel is rated among the top three both at the national level and at the global level.
Admission to Stanford University is highly competitive and selective. The rate at which students can be accepted is just 4%. The tuition and fees are around $56,000, and the school program is quarter-based. The enrollment for 2021 is around 7,600.
Attending Stanford University has high prospects for your future career. The average salary of an alumnus of Stanford University is around $73,900. It’s a source of pride to be a graduate of Stanford University.
California Institute of Technology:
California Institute of Technology is a privately owned university that is located in Pasadena, California. This college was established in 1891.
The California Institute of Technology runs a quarter-based academic program that makes Caltech one of the high-rated universities located on the West Coast. California Institute of Technology is the 9th-best national university. As the name of this college suggests, its academic focus is on science and technology, with a specific emphasis on biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and so on.
The fee and tuition at the California Institute of Technology are around $60,000, and the average starting salary for alumni of the California Institute of Technology is around $82,000.
To apply for admission to the California Institute of Technology, you have to look at the school’s requirements and ensure that you meet all those requirements because the chances at which a student can be accepted are just 4%, like that of Stanford University’s counterpart. There is an application fee of $75.
University of California, Berkeley:
UC, Berkeley, is primarily known for its student activism, and it’s one of the best universities on the West Coast of America.
It was established in 1868 and is home to over 30,000 undergraduates drawn from all parts of the world to study across more than 130 departments. UC, Berkeley, has space for everyone. The university has more than 1000 students groups and fraternities, campus Greek life,
UC, Berkeley, was rated number 20 among the best national universities. The school program at UC Berkeley is based on semesters.
The chances at which a student can be accepted to California’s Berkeley are 15%. The deadline for applications is November 30th, and the application fee is $75. The tuition and fees for students from within the state are around $14,000, and for those from outside the state are around $43,000. The average starting salary for an alumnus of UC, Berkeley, is $66,000.
University of Portland, Oregon:
The University of Portland, Oregon, is a university-owned by Roman Catholics. It was founded in 1901. Interestingly, this university is regarded as the best regional university in the West. It offers over 40 majors that students can choose from.
The average student enrollment for undergraduates is about 3,500, and the school’s program is semester-based. The tuition and fees are around $51,000. The chances at which a student can be accepted to the University of Portland, Oregon, are 81%. An application fee of $15 is applicable. The medium average salary for the alumni of the University of Portland, Oregon, is around $56,000.
University of Washington:
This university is one of the oldest universities established on the West Coast of the country. According to the U.S. News report on the recently released best universities in the world, the University of Washington, Seattle, has been ranked the 6th best university in the world.
The University of Washington has campuses situated in Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma.
The University of Washington is a blend of a top-notch academic curriculum and extracurricular activities. It’s no surprise that it has over 800 student groups and fraternities.
The chances at which a student can be accepted to the University of Washington are put at 60% for residents of Washington and 51% for non-residents of Washington.
University of California, Los Angeles:
This university was established in 1919, and the setting of the school is city-wise. It’s standing as the 20th-best national university.
This university is known as a hub for theater, film, television, dentistry, and so on. Academic work and extracurriculars are at their peaks.
UCLA has more than 1,000 student groups and fraternities. It has well-rated campus Greek life and organized media groups. The school program is quarter-based.
The chance at which a student can be accepted to UCLA is around 11%. An application to the school costs $75. The tuition and fee are $14,000 for in-state applicants but $44,000 for out-of-state applicants. The medium salary for UCLA alumni is $58,000.
Pomona College:
Pomona College is located in Claremont, California and it was founded in the year 1887.
Pomona College specializes in 48 majors, and some of those courses include history, political science, economics, English, physics, biology, computer science, and so on.
According to the U.S. News ranking, Pomona College was ranked #4 among the best national liberal arts colleges. #1 most diverse college in America; #3 best small college in America; #13 best college for political science in America; and #15 best college for public policy. The list continues.
The tuition and fees are roughly $52,000. The average annual earnings for alumni of Pomona College are around $44,000. The chances at which a student can be accepted to Pomona College are 7%.
Conclusion
There are many prestigious colleges all over America, and the West Coast is the homeland of some of those colleges. From California, Oregon, and Washington to Alaska and Hawaii, many colleges in this region can compete favorably with their counterparts in other parts of the nation.
In this article, we have only mentioned and discussed a few of the best colleges on the West Coast of America. The colleges and universities mentioned include Stanford University, the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Portland, Oregon, the University of Washington, the University of California, Los Angeles, and Pomona College.
Yet many other prestigious colleges on the West Coast could not be mentioned in this article due to space and time constraints. Some of them include the University of Southern California, the University of California, Santa Barbara, the University of California, San Diego, Harvey Mudd College, Santa Clara University, Soka University of America, and so on.
If you live in the West, forget to travel east or the in search of the best college. You have many of the world-class, renowned universities on the West Coast ready to fulfill your aspirations.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which of the West Coast colleges is the overall best?
Obviously, according to the U.S. News global university ranking, of all the colleges located on the West Coast, Stanford University is the overall best. It’s the third-best university in the world, coming after Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
- Which West Coast College is a comparison to MIT?
Accordingly, it’s the California Institute of Technology. Caltech is one college on the West Coast that has distinguished itself in the area of science and technology. By all standards, it’s the only representation of MIT on the West Coast.
- Which College on the West Coast is Hard to Enter?
Perhaps it’s Stanford University. Stanford University is one of the universities on the West Coast with the lowest acceptance rate – only 4%.
