2026 Best Best Schools in the Far Western Region
Best degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools to find the best for best students.
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Best Schools for Best in the Far Western Region
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the best degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Best
Our analysis ranked California Lutheran University the best school in the country for a degree in best. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Thousand Oaks. Roughly 70% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 21 best students who graduated with this degree at California Lutheran University in the most recent data year. Best graduates of California Lutheran University earn a median of $53,271 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $22,727.
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California Baptist University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in best, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Riverside, California Baptist University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 62% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 19 best degrees were awarded at California Baptist University in the most recent year. Students who receive their best degree from California Baptist University earn around $49,165 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $22,718 to complete this degree.
See the full best program report for California Baptist University
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 4 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.