by our College Data Analytics TeamIt's not easy to decide which school to attend when you have so many options available. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Far Western US Region Schools For The Money For Those Making $48-$75k ranking - to help you make that decision. This list may shock you as many typically expensive schools are very generous with need-based financial aid.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
We analyzed 333 schools across the Far Western US Region to determine which have the best value programs. To come up with this ranking of the best value schools, we look at factors that are all objective measurements. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.
To calculate the value of a school in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, we first consider its average net price of students from families making $48-$75k a year. The net price is the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that that the student receives. But, a school that excels in providing value for your money must also be a great school overall as well.
To take this into account we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To learn more, visit our best value ranking methodology page.
Keep scrolling for the top schools in this ranking or select one of the other rankings methods below.
If you know what major you want to study, check out our list of the best value schools by major. If you're interested in other degree levels, you can view one of the lists below.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Stanford University to be the best value (income $48-$75k) school in the Far Western US Region in this year’s ranking. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Stanford, California.
Stanford University has the honor of being ranked #1 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value.
Out of the 333 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. California Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school located in Pasadena, California.
California Institute of Technology has the honor of being ranked #5 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $4,404.
Read full value report on California Institute of Technology
A rank of #3 on our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list means University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a great place for students working on their degree. This large public school is located in Seattle, Washington.
University of Washington - Seattle Campus has the honor of being ranked #1 in Washington for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,271.
Read full value report on 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 $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list. Pomona is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Pomona College is ranked #13 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $5,830.
The quality degree programs at University of California - Los Angeles helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region. Located in Los Angeles, California, the school is a large public institution.
University of California - Los Angeles has the honor of being ranked #6 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $10,217.
Read full value report on University of California - Los Angeles
Claremont McKenna College landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Claremont, California, the school is a small private not-for-profit institution.
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 $48-$75k per year is $12,545.
Pitzer College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Claremont, California.
Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,023.
With a ranking of #8, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California.
University of California - Berkeley has the honor of being ranked #2 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $14,407.
Read full value report on University of California - Berkeley
Golden West College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list. This fairly large public school is located in Huntington Beach, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Golden West College is ranked #27 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,429.
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #10. Located in San Diego, California, the school is a large public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, San Diego State University is ranked #21 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,993.
University of California - Irvine landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California.
University of California - Irvine has the honor of being ranked #14 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $10,078.
With a ranking of #12, Clover Park Technical College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list. Lakewood, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Clover Park Technical College is ranked #7 for quality in the state of Washington. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $5,837.
California State University - Fullerton came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. This large public school is located in Fullerton, California.
California State University - Fullerton has the honor of being ranked #48 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $5,767.
Read full value report on California State University - Fullerton
Washington State University landed the #14 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Wazzu is located in Pullman, Washington and has a large student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Washington State University a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in Washington for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,762.
With a ranking of #15, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school located in Los Angeles, California.
California State University - Los Angeles has the honor of being ranked #76 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,258.
Learn More About Value at California State University - Los Angeles
Southwestern College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #16. SWC Chula Vista is a fairly large public school situated in Chula Vista, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Southwestern College is ranked #36 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,131.
Honolulu Community College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list. Honolulu CC is a small public school situated in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Honolulu Community College has the honor of being ranked #1 in Hawaii for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,989.
California State University - San Bernardino came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. This fairly large public school is located in San Bernardino, California.
Not only is California State University - San Bernardino a great value, but it is also ranked #97 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,851.
Learn More About Value at California State University - San Bernardino
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #19. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California.
Not only is University of California - San Diego a great value, but it is also ranked #8 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $13,744.
Pasadena City College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region list. Pasadena City College is a large public school situated in Pasadena, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Pasadena City College is ranked #59 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $6,469.
Western Washington University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Bellingham, Washington, the school is a fairly large public institution.
Western Washington University has the honor of being ranked #5 in Washington for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,842.
West Valley College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Saratoga, California, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
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 $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,399.
Ventura College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. Ventura College is a fairly large public school situated in Ventura, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Ventura College is ranked #117 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,433.
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school located in Santa Barbara, California.
Not only is University of California - Santa Barbara a great value, but it is also ranked #7 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $14,720.
With a ranking of #25, Moreno Valley College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) 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.
Not only is Moreno Valley College a great value, but it is also ranked #95 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,744.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | Santa Monica College | Santa Monica, CA | Value Report |
| 52 | Portland Community College | Portland, OR | Value Report |
| 53 | California State University - Northridge | Northridge, CA | Value Report |
| 54 | Soka University of America | Aliso Viejo, CA | Value Report |
| 55 | Canada College | Redwood City, CA | Value Report |
| 56 | College of Southern Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | Value Report |
| 57 | College of San Mateo | San Mateo, CA | Value Report |
| 58 | Bellevue College | Bellevue, WA | Value Report |
| 59 | Imperial Valley College | Imperial, CA | Value Report |
| 60 | Renton Technical College | Renton, WA | Value Report |
| 60 | Truckee Meadows Community College | Reno, NV | Value Report |
| 62 | Coastline Community College | Fountain Valley, CA | Value Report |
| 63 | Norco College | Norco, CA | Value Report |
| 64 | California State University - Stanislaus | Turlock, CA | Value Report |
| 65 | Lake Washington Institute of Technology | Kirkland, WA | Value Report |
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | Cypress College | Cypress, CA | Value Report |
| 67 | 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.
