Best Health Sciences Programs in the West (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Health Sciences Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 17 Health Sciences programs in the West by the median earnings of Health Sciences graduates four years after completing. Dominican University of California ranks 1st on this list, reporting $82,911 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $82,911 to $45,977, with a median of $62,284.
Public institutions account for 14 of the 17 programs, alongside 3 private nonprofit schools. California State University-San Bernardino posts the lowest average net price on the page, at $4,564.
California State University-Fullerton ranks 6th 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 | Dominican University of California · San Rafael, CA | $82,911 | $35,333 | $24,572 | 83.5% |
| Dominican University of California reports median earnings of $82,911 for its Health Sciences graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 19. | |||||
| 2 | California State University-Stanislaus · Turlock, CA | $80,630 | $6,067 | $3,938 | 98.1% |
| California State University-Stanislaus admits 98% of applicants and its Health Sciences completers who borrowed left with a median of $12,415 in federal loans. | |||||
| 3 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $76,268 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at California State University-Fresno left with a median of $14,505 in federal loans, and the school ranks 26th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 4 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $69,303 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
| California State University-Chico ranks 4th on this list and shows an average net price of $14,480. | |||||
| 5 | California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA | $68,231 | $9,320 | $6,360 | 97.4% |
| An average net price of $9,320 coincides with median earnings of $68,231 for Health Sciences graduates at California State University-East Bay four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $67,182 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| California State University-Sacramento has an admission rate of 94% and its Health Sciences completers who borrowed left with a median of $14,979 in federal loans. | |||||
| 7 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $65,252 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University reports median earnings of $65,252 for its Health Sciences graduates four years after completing, and the school ranks 51st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 8 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $64,696 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 89.9% |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion shows an average net price of $14,967 and its Health Sciences completers who borrowed left with a median of $24,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 9 | Carroll College · Helena, MT | $62,284 | $23,960 | $17,072 | 70.9% |
| Carroll College admits 71% of applicants and reports median earnings of $62,284 for its Health Sciences graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs · Colorado Springs, CO | $60,605 | $15,788 | $12,065 | 97.4% |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs ranks 10th on this list, with a cohort of 48 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 11 | Portland State University · Portland, OR | $59,961 | $9,552 | $7,655 | 90.9% |
| Portland State University posts median earnings of $59,961 for its Health Sciences graduates four years after completing, and the school ranks 135th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 12 | California Baptist University · Riverside, CA | $59,801 | $26,285 | $22,298 | 84.9% |
| California Baptist University shows an average net price of $26,285 and its Health Sciences completers who borrowed left with a median of $26,375 in federal loans. | |||||
| 13 | California State University-Channel Islands · Camarillo, CA | $58,396 | $9,849 | $6,857 | 94.8% |
| A public institution in Camarillo, California State University-Channel Islands admits 95% of applicants and its Health Sciences graduates earn $58,396 four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | University of Northern Colorado · Greeley, CO | $54,921 | $17,760 | $12,695 | 85.9% |
| University of Northern Colorado reports median earnings of $54,921 for its Health Sciences graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $19,975 among Health Sciences completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 15 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $54,244 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| California State University-Fullerton ranks 6th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Health Sciences graduates earn a median of $54,244 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Idaho State University · Pocatello, ID | $48,828 | $12,193 | $10,593 | Not reported |
| Idaho State University ranks 16th on this list, with median earnings of $48,828 for its Health Sciences graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA | $45,977 | $4,564 | $2,681 | 93.7% |
| California State University-San Bernardino ranks 17th on this list and records the lowest average net price on the page, $4,564, while admitting 94% of applicants. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Health Sciences graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the West appear. The figure is the median for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The spread from Dominican University of California to the bottom of the list is $36,934, and the gap between Dominican University of California and California State University-Stanislaus is $2,281.
Job market context in the West
Graduates of Health Sciences programs in the West enter occupations such as Community Health Workers, Health Education Specialists, and related roles. The median annual wage across those occupations is $60,906, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $51,744. State projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 5,100 openings a year, or about 184 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 14.5% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of graduates four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures described here.
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