Best Finance Programs in the West (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Business Colleges in the West
Regional list from Best Finance Programs in the United States
This page ranks 35 Finance programs in the West by median earnings of Finance graduates four years after completing. Brigham Young University ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $129,879 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $129,879 to $48,041, with a median of $79,727. For 3 of the 35 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 21 of the 35 schools and private nonprofits for 14. California State University-Northridge posts the lowest average net price on the page, at $7,021.
California State University-Northridge ranks 7th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brigham Young University · Provo, UT | $129,879 | $15,564 | $10,444 | 67.8% |
| Brigham Young University reports $129,879 in median earnings for its Finance graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $15,564. | |||||
| 2 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $118,737 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
| Santa Clara University ranks 2nd on this list, with median federal debt of $14,490 among Finance completers who borrowed and earnings of $118,737 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA | $109,303 | $48,381 | $32,268 | 45.1% |
| Admitting 45% of applicants, Loyola Marymount University posts median earnings of $109,303 for its Finance graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Menlo College · Atherton, CA | $103,918 | $31,100 | $25,546 | 68.5% |
| Menlo College sits 4th on this page and shows an average net price of $25,546 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 5 | University of San Francisco · San Francisco, CA | $103,605 | $41,431 | $31,537 | 61.7% |
| University of San Francisco reports median earnings of $103,605 for its Finance graduates four years after completing, and ranks 328th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 6 | University of Arizona · Tucson, AZ | $100,938 | $16,674 | $13,353 | 86.1% |
| A public university in Tucson, University of Arizona reports $100,938 in median earnings for its Finance graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | University of Utah · Salt Lake City, UT | $100,793 | $16,200 | $13,123 | 86.0% |
| University of Utah ranks 7th on this list, with median federal debt of $18,408 among Finance completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 8 | Seattle University · Seattle, WA | $99,791 | $34,662 | $22,896 | 76.9% |
| With an admission rate of 77%, Seattle University reports median earnings of $99,791 for its Finance graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | University of Denver · Denver, CO | $99,135 | $36,131 | $20,097 | 77.8% |
| University of Denver posts median earnings of $99,135 for its Finance graduates four years after completing, and carries an average net price of $36,131. | |||||
| 10 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $97,452 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 39.2% |
| Ranking 10th on this list, University of Washington-Seattle Campus reports median federal debt of $13,856 among Finance completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 11 | University of San Diego · San Diego, CA | $93,099 | $30,365 | $15,586 | 52.4% |
| University of San Diego reports median earnings of $93,099 for its Finance graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $15,586 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 12 | Westminster University · Salt Lake City, UT | $91,967 | $27,094 | $22,972 | 66.6% |
| Admitting 67% of applicants, Westminster University posts median earnings of $91,967 for its Finance graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Regis University · Denver, CO | $91,631 | $18,397 | $13,713 | 86.5% |
| Regis University reports median earnings of $91,631 for its Finance graduates four years after completing, and its school-wide median federal debt across all borrowers who completed is $25,000. | |||||
| 14 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $90,960 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 89.9% |
| With an admission rate of 90%, Arizona State University Campus Immersion ranks 14th on this list and posts median earnings of $90,960 for its Finance graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | Washington State University · Pullman, WA | $86,012 | $14,971 | $7,074 | 86.6% |
| Washington State University's Finance completers who borrowed left with a median of $19,500 in federal loans, while the program's median earnings four years after completing reached $86,012. | |||||
| 16 | University of Alaska Anchorage · Anchorage, AK | $84,736 | $15,301 | $11,582 | Not reported |
| University of Alaska Anchorage shows an average net price of $15,301 and median earnings of $84,736 for its Finance graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | University of Wyoming · Laramie, WY | $80,827 | $13,599 | $7,977 | 96.9% |
| Admitting 97% of applicants, University of Wyoming reports median earnings of $80,827 for its Finance graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | Portland State University · Portland, OR | $79,727 | $9,552 | $7,655 | 90.9% |
| Portland State University's Finance graduates earned a median of $79,727 four years after completing, and the median federal debt among Finance completers who borrowed is $16,444. | |||||
| 19 | Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR | $78,427 | $19,604 | $12,107 | 77.3% |
| Oregon State University ranks 126th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Finance graduates earned a median of $78,427 four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Northern Arizona University · Flagstaff, AZ | $77,855 | $14,158 | $9,709 | 89.6% |
| Northern Arizona University's Finance completers who borrowed left with a median of $20,375 in federal loans, alongside median earnings of $77,855 four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Metropolitan State University of Denver · Denver, CO | $77,596 | $15,327 | $12,481 | 98.8% |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver reports an average net price of $15,327 and median earnings of $77,596 for its Finance graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas · Las Vegas, NV | $76,319 | $10,359 | $8,526 | 96.2% |
| University of Nevada-Las Vegas ranks 76th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Finance graduates earned a median of $76,319 four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Western Washington University · Bellingham, WA | $75,730 | $21,193 | $12,915 | 93.3% |
| Western Washington University's Finance graduates earned a median of $75,730 four years after completing, and the median federal debt among Finance completers who borrowed is $19,084. | |||||
| 24 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $74,656 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| California State University-Northridge admits 93% of applicants and reports median earnings of $74,656 for its Finance graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Idaho State University · Pocatello, ID | $73,295 | $12,193 | $10,593 | Not reported |
| Idaho State University posts $73,295 in median earnings for its Finance graduates four years after completing, and its school-wide median federal debt among borrowers who completed is $20,039. | |||||
| 26 | University of Nevada-Reno · Reno, NV | $72,227 | $15,927 | $12,674 | 73.7% |
| University of Nevada-Reno admits 74% of applicants and reports median federal debt of $15,750 among Finance completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 27 | University of Idaho · Moscow, ID | $71,929 | $14,831 | $11,270 | 75.5% |
| With median earnings of $71,929 for its Finance graduates four years after completing, University of Idaho ranks 456th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 28 | Boise State University · Boise, ID | $70,449 | $21,610 | $18,165 | 87.2% |
| Boise State University reports an average net price of $21,610 and median federal debt of $20,000 among Finance completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 29 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus · Las Cruces, NM | $68,890 | $8,889 | $6,648 | 89.0% |
| New Mexico State University-Main Campus shows median earnings of $68,890 for its Finance graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $8,889. | |||||
| 30 | Linfield University · Mcminnville, OR | $67,946 | $26,536 | $20,059 | 85.2% |
| Linfield University, a private nonprofit university in Mcminnville, reports median federal debt of $27,000 among Finance completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 31 | Point Loma Nazarene University · San Diego, CA | $66,821 | $38,729 | $30,999 | 83.7% |
| Point Loma Nazarene University has an average net price of $38,729 and an admission rate of 84%. | |||||
| 32 | Eastern Washington University · Cheney, WA | $66,710 | $13,886 | $9,547 | 90.8% |
| Eastern Washington University reports median earnings of $66,710 for its Finance graduates four years after completing, and its median federal debt among Finance completers who borrowed is $15,298. | |||||
| 33 | University of Hawaii at Manoa · Honolulu, HI | $64,224 | $15,664 | $10,675 | 86.6% |
| University of Hawaii at Manoa ranks 258th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Finance graduates earn a median of $64,224 four years after completing. | |||||
| 34 | Pepperdine University · Malibu, CA | $57,318 | $58,098 | $50,560 | 62.9% |
| Pepperdine University posts an average net price of $58,098 and an admission rate of 63%. | |||||
| 35 | University of Portland · Portland, OR | $48,041 | $28,210 | $20,070 | 89.2% |
| University of Portland reports median earnings of $48,041 for its Finance graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 89%. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Finance graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the West appear. The figure captures federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 3 of the 35 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The spread from Brigham Young University to the lowest-ranked program is $81,838, with a gap of $11,142 between Brigham Young University and Santa Clara University.
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