
The Consensus Best Colleges and Universities in the West applies the College Consensus methodology to ranking the best higher education institutions in the Western United States. Compiling the most reliable published rankings and legitimate student reviews, College Consensus gives students a comprehensive picture of the top colleges.
The Western US is home to some of the greatest research universities, public university systems, and private institutions in the world. It’s their colleges and universities that do so much of the heavy lifting in higher education, training a workforce and educating professionals where they are. Our ranking of the Best Colleges and Universities in the West recognizes the top schools offering undergraduate and graduate programs to the region.
How Do We Rank the Best Colleges in the West?
College Consensus rankings combine the results of the most respected college ranking systems with the averaged ratings of thousands of real student reviews from around the web to create a unique college meta-ranking. This approach offers a comprehensive and holistic perspective missing from other college rankings. Visit our about page for information on which rankings and review sites were included in this year’s consensus rankings.
The Best Colleges & Universities in the West category is limited to schools in AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, HI, MO, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, and WY.
What’s Different About the College Consensus Ranking?
There’s never been a college ranking quite like the College Consensus, simply because no one has built a ranking on all other reputable rankings before. By taking the long view, College Consensus can become an invaluable part of a prospective college student’s research process. We eliminate methodological bias by cutting to the chase – what are the numbers, all the numbers, and how do colleges measure up with all rankings and reviews combined? There’s nowhere to hide and no way to game the system with College Consensus.
The Best Colleges & Universities in the West are listed in descending order by their Consensus score.