Large doesn’t even begin to cover it: the West is by far the biggest chunk of the US, reaching all the way from glacial Alaska in the north, down to the tropical islands of Hawaii in the south.
In between these two extremes exists a wide range of climates, landscapes and cultures: the golden coastline of California; the snowy peaks of Idaho and Colorado; the intense heat of the Nevada Desert; the other-worldly landscapes of the Grand Canyon; the Mormon communities of remote Utah; and of course Los Angeles and the Hollywood film industry.
The US Census Bureau category stretches the region to include 13 states, subdivided into two groups. First are the Mountain States: Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Arizona and Nevada.
These are joined by the Pacific States: Alaska, Oregon, Washington, California and Hawaii.
The West is the most sparsely populated region of the US, but also the most ethnically diverse. There are large Asian, Native American, Hispanic and African American populations, and this multicultural heritage has left its mark in place names, cuisines and art forms.
Top universities in the US West
In the midst of all the mountains, ranches, beaches and film stars, the West also has space for lots of high-ranking universities.
California, in particular, leads the way, with Stanford University and California Institute of Technology (Caltech) ranked 11th and 12th in the QS World University Rankings 2011/12.
Close behind are the University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), both well within the top 50.
However, while California’s presence in the rankings is difficult to beat, it doesn’t have a monopoly on higher education in the West.
Among other Western universities near the top of the rankings are the University of Washington (56), University of Colorado at Boulder (142) and University of Arizona (163).
There are numerous other top institutions in this region; check out the individual state guides to get a better idea of which part of the old frontier-land you’d like to settle in.
