by our College Data Analytics TeamThere are lots of options to choose from today when trying to decide which school to attend. College Factual has developed its Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking as one thing you can use to help make this decision. Due to the amount of income-based financial aid available, many 'high-priced' schools are more affordable than you think.
In This Year's Value Report:
Our analysis looked at 341 schools in the Far Western US Region to determine which ones have the best value programs. Our ranking for the best value schools is based on objective factors. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.
When determining the value of a school in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, we first look at its average net price of a student coming from a family that makes $30-$48k a year. The net price is defined as the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that the student receives. In addition, the overall quality of a school is important to ensure a good education, not just how much it costs.
To make it into this list a school must offer a quality education like the schools in our Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considers factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To learn more, visit our best value ranking methodology page.
You can scroll down to see the top schools for this ranking, but you may also want to view some of the other ranking methods listed below.
Know what field you want to major in? Make sure you check out our best value schools by major. In addition, you can select one of the links below to see the best value colleges for other degree levels.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Stanford University tops this year’s ranking as the best value (income $30-$48k) school in the Far Western US Region for overall quality. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and has a fairly large student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Stanford University has the honor of being ranked #1 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Caltech is located in Pasadena, California and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is California Institute of Technology a great value, but it is also ranked #5 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $1,371.
Out of the 341 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Washington - Seattle Campus is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Washington. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,082.
Learn More About Value at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Pomona is located in Claremont, California and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is Pomona College a great value, but it is also ranked #13 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,508.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California.
Not only is University of California - Los Angeles a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in California for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $7,882.
Claremont McKenna College landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Claremont McKenna College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Claremont, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Claremont McKenna College is ranked #4 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $9,160.
University of California - Berkeley came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and has a large student population. It is a public school.
Not only is University of California - Berkeley a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in California for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $10,880.
San Diego State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
San Diego State University has the honor of being ranked #21 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $2,563.
Golden West College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Golden West College is a fairly large public school situated in Huntington Beach, California.
Golden West College has the honor of being ranked #27 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $3,515.
University of California - Irvine landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of California - Irvine is ranked #14 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $7,006.
Washington State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #11. Pullman, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Washington State University is ranked #3 for quality in the state of Washington. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,968.
With a ranking of #12, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Los Angeles, California, the school is a large private not-for-profit institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Southern California is ranked #3 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $12,875.
California State University - Fullerton ranked #13 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Fullerton, California, the school is a large public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, California State University - Fullerton is ranked #48 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $2,681.
Read full value report on California State University - Fullerton
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #14. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, California State University - Los Angeles is ranked #76 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $1,316.
Learn More About Value at California State University - Los Angeles
West Valley College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. West Valley College is a public institution located in Saratoga, California.
West Valley College has the honor of being ranked #77 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $1,394.
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #16. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
University of California - San Diego has the honor of being ranked #8 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $10,192.
Learn More About Value at University of California - San Diego
Southwestern College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Chula Vista, California, the school is a fairly large public institution.
Southwestern College has the honor of being ranked #36 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,452.
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large public school is located in San Bernardino, California.
California State University - San Bernardino has the honor of being ranked #97 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $901.
Full California State University - San Bernardino Value Report
Moreno Valley College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Moreno Valley, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Moreno Valley College has the honor of being ranked #95 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $1,113.
Foothill College landed the #20 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Los Altos Hills, California, the school is a fairly large public institution.
Not only is Foothill College a great value, but it is also ranked #19 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,214.
With a ranking of #21, Western Washington University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Western Washington University is a fairly large public school located in Bellingham, Washington.
Not only is Western Washington University a great value, but it is also ranked #5 in Washington for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $4,818.
With a ranking of #22, Ventura College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region list. Ventura College is a public institution located in Ventura, California.
Not only is Ventura College a great value, but it is also ranked #117 in California for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $282.
Pasadena City College landed the #23 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Pasadena, California, the school is a large public institution.
Not only is Pasadena City College a great value, but it is also ranked #59 in California for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $3,697.
Pitzer College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #24. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $4,759.
University of California - Davis landed the #25 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Davis, California, the school is a large public institution.
Not only is University of California - Davis a great value, but it is also ranked #11 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $11,011.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
View Best Value
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | Los Medanos College | Pittsburg, CA | Value Report |
| 52 | Soka University of America | Aliso Viejo, CA | Value Report |
All Majors and Fields of Study >
These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | Imperial Valley College | Imperial, CA | Value Report |
| 54 | Renton Technical College | Renton, WA | Value Report |
| 55 | California State University - Stanislaus | Turlock, CA | Value Report |
| 56 | Heritage University | Toppenish, WA | Value Report |
| 57 | Sacramento City College | Sacramento, CA | Value Report |
| 58 | Coastline Community College | Fountain Valley, CA | Value Report |
| 59 | Los Angeles Southwest College | Los Angeles, CA | Value Report |
| 60 | Cypress College | Cypress, CA | Value Report |
| 61 | College of Southern Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | Value Report |
| 62 | Lake Washington Institute of Technology | Kirkland, WA | Value Report |
| 63 | Portland Community College | Portland, OR | Value Report |
| 64 | San Diego Miramar College | San Diego, CA | Value Report |
| 65 | Mission College | Santa Clara, CA | Value Report |
| 66 | Mendocino College | Ukiah, CA | Value Report |
| 67 | California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo, CA | Value Report |
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 68 | Norco College | Norco, CA | Value Report |
| 69 | University of California - Riverside | Riverside, CA | Value Report |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
