Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Western Washington University, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Portland State University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Western WashingtonBellingham, WA | Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, HI | Portland StatePortland, OR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 93.3% | 86.6% | 90.9% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1150–1390 | 1081–1293 | Not reportedPortland State University did not report an SAT score range for its most recent entering class. |
| Average net price | $21,19320.9% on Pell grants | $15,66426.2% on Pell grants | $9,55241.6% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $9,582 in-state · $28,707 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $12,186 in-state · $34,218 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $11,679 in-state · $31,074 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 64.6% | 64.3% | 52.7% |
| First-year retention | 79.4% | 80.7% | 76.1% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 20.9% | 26.2% | 41.6% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $62,569 | $57,624 | $57,906 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $18,500 | $18,500 | $20,500 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 17:1 | 14:1 | 16:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 13,544 | 15,029 | 13,182 |
| Consensus percentile | 43Lower is better | 42Lower is better | 45Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 46 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 47 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 79 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Western Washington | Hawaii at Manoa | Portland State |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #18 of 118Regional univ. (West)Regional Universities (West) · 2026 | #169 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #222 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #289 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #219 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #252 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | #860 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #96 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #306 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #302 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #337 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #950 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #356 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #315 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Listed | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | #548 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #1281 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
Students comparing Western Washington University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Hawaii at Manoa on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Portland State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profile