The Consensus Best Regional Colleges-West applies the College Consensus methodology to ranking the best 2-year and 4-year colleges in the western US. Compiling the most reliable published rankings and legitimate student reviews, College Consensus gives students a comprehensive picture of what colleges will meet their needs most effectively. The aggregate ranking formed by the Consensus method is like no other ranking.
How Do We Rank the Best Regional Colleges in the West?
The College Consensus method takes two sides of an equation and puts them together. On the one side, the Publisher Rating compiles all of the relevant rankings from national ranking agencies like U.S. News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, and WalletHub. The other side combs student review sites for the most reliable reviews to form the Student Review Rating. Those two ratings are then combined to form the overall College Consensus. Read more about our rankings methodology and sources at our about page.
The west includes some of the biggest contrasts in America, from the most populous state (California) to some of the least populated wilderness. Each of those extremes creates a particular need for regional colleges. On the one hand, some must meet the huge demand for career training and professional education for a large urban and suburban population. On the other, others must reach rural and remote populations far from urban centers. The Consensus Best Regional Colleges-West looks for the most trustworthy, least biased ranking of the bachelor’s and associate’s colleges doing the invaluable work of preparing the west’s workforce. It’s a big, complex job, and the College Consensus method helps students make the right decision for their future.
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 Consensus Best Regional Colleges-West are listed in descending order by their Consensus score. In the event of ties, schools are ranked in alphabetical order with the same rank number.
1
Texas Lutheran UniversitySeguin, TX
2
Howard Payne UniversityBrownwood, TX
3
Southwestern Adventist UniversityKeene, TX
4
Carroll CollegeHelena, MT
5
William Jessup UniversityRocklin, CA
6
San Diego Christian CollegeSantee, CA
7
McMurry UniversityAbilene, TX
8
Oklahoma Baptist UniversityShawnee, OK
9
Oregon Institute of TechnologyKlamath Falls, OR
10
Arizona Christian UniversityPhoenix, AZ
11
The University of Montana-WesternDillon, MT
12
Rocky Mountain CollegeBillings, MT
13
East Texas Baptist UniversityMarshall, TX
14
Montana Tech of the University of MontanaButte, MT
15
Brigham Young University-HawaiiLaie, HI
16
Southwestern Christian UniversityBethany, OK
17
Colorado Mesa UniversityGrand Junction, CO
