25 Best Western Regional Colleges

Overview

The California Maritime Academy is a public school within the California State university system; the campus is located in Vallejo, California and the student population contains 1,079 undergraduates and a little fewer than 30 graduate students. The Academy has appeared in the Los Angeles Times as a result of the high salaries received by students post-graduation.

Program Features

The CSU Maritime Academy offers six Bachelors of Science programs in:

• Business Administration
• Marine Engineering Technology
• Facilities Engineering Technology
• Marine Transportation
• Mechanical Engineering
• Global Studies and Maritime Affairs

In 2011, the university also launched its first ever graduate degree program, offering a Master of Science in Transportation and Engineering Management.

Notables

All undergraduate students are required to participate in the Corps of Cadets, which involves regimentation and uniforms similar to military academies; however, there is no automatic armed service obligation attached to graduation. Because it is a maritime academy, students should expect to spend time sailing/on water; classes can mostly be taken on land, but lab experiments and in-the-field experiences are vital parts of the maritime education that generally take place on the water. There is an annual training cruise for the entire school aboard the Golden Bear, Cal Maritime’s 500-foot training ship; during the trip students apply classroom concepts to laboratory and real-world situations.

Overview

Southwestern Adventist University is a private, Adventist university located in Keene, Texas. There are around 800 undergraduate students who attend the school, which is owned by the Southwestern Union Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists and is directly affiliated with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

Program Features

Southwestern Adventist offers more than thirty degree programs, including Bachelors of Art, Bachelors of Science and Associates degree programs, as well as two masters programs in Counseling and Education. Several programs are popular among undergraduates:

• Nursing
• Business
• Psychology
• Education
• Kinesiology
• Biology
• Theology

Notables

The University has an excellent nursing program, a one-of-a-kind Fire Science degree, its own radio and television stations, and a Senior Living certification program. Students are able to get involved in real research too. The 20-year-long Dinosaur Research Project, featured by the Geological Society of America and National Geographic, has more than 20,000 dinosaur bones excavated and in the Dinosaur Science Museum on campus. Students of all faiths are welcome for a diverse and personal college experience.

Overview

Rocky Mountain is a private college located in Billings, MT; the college has 1,070 enrolled students, and shares affiliations with The United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the United Church of Christ. RMC owes its history to a combination of educational institutions in the area, who through a series of resurrections from bankruptcy, earthquake damage, and funding issues, were finally able to merge in 1947, with students naming the new school Rocky Mountain College.

Program Features

Rocky Mountain offers 52 defined majors available in 24 disciplines, along with offering 35 minors. Rocky Mountain emphasizes expanding the classroom outside the confines of the school itself: many classes find themselves doing field work in the nearby Yellowstone National Park. However, when students do return to their classes, popular majors include:

• Business
• Biology
• Accounting
• Kinesiology
• Psychology
• History

Notables

In addition to its more popular, traditional offerings Rocky Mountain also offers aviation, equestrian, and physician assistant programs. The school’s basketball team won a national championship in basketball in 2009. Singer Arlo Guthrie attended RMC, but did not graduate.

Overview

McMurry University is a private, liberal arts college originally founded in 1923. The school is located in Abilene, Texas with a population of 1,080 students populating its campus. Ninety-five percent of students are Texan and the school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. US News & World Report has often cited McMurry as having high value and quality in the Southwest division of first tier schools.

Program Features

McMurry offers forty-five different major fields, including nine pre-professional programs in subjects such as nursing, dentistry and law. Outside the pre-professional tracks, there are a number of popular majors:

• Early Childhood Education
• Kinesiology
• Psychology
• Nursing
• Sociology
• Business

Notables

Despite the school’s affiliation with the United Methodist Church, only around one quarter of the student population is comprised of Methodist students. In 2006, the school was forced to change their school mascot after the NCAA asked McMurry, along with 17 other schools, to forgo mascots representing Native Americans: The school’s sports teams are now the McMurry War Hawks.

Overview

Colorado Mesa University is a public university located in Grand Junction, Colorado. Until 2011, the school was known as Mesa State College; however, after receiving university status they opted to change names. They have more than 10,000 students and also have a campus in Bishop, where Western Colorado Community College is located, as well as a regional campus in Montrose. CMU is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.

Program Features

Colorado Mesa offers two-year associates, four-year bachelors, and a small number of Masters degrees. The 22:1 student-to-faculty ratio means that students tend to find many mid-sized classes, of around 15-25 people: after their first few years at CMU, many students settle on pursuing the study of:

• Business/Commerce
• Nursing
• Criminal Justice
• Kinesiology

CMU also offers graduate programs towards graduate certificates, in applied mathematic, rhetoric and literary students and social sciences, as well as Masters in Arts in Education, Rhetoric and literary studies and applied mathematics.

Notables

After receiving their university statues in 2011, CMU created the Colorado Mesa University Trustee, which is an 11-person independent Board of Trustees. One member of this board is elected by the student-body of CMU: This member is a full-time junior or senior student, and is recognized as one of the most powerful and influential positions in the Colorado education system

Overview

Howard Payne University, established in 1889, is a private university associated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The school is located in Brownwood, Texas and has almost 1,200 undergraduate students. The rural setting of the school provides for a large, 80-acre campus, which allows students access to a number of natural and sporting activities.

Program Features

Howard Payne organizes their academic programs into six schools: Science and Math, Business, Christian Studies, Education, Music and Fine Arts, and Humanities. HPU offers more than 100 majors through Bachelors of Arts, Business Admin., Applied Arts and Sciences, Music and Science programs, as well as Associates degree programs in Ministry and Health Science. Many students will eventually pursue:

• Business
• Marketing
• Education
• Theology
• Psychology

Graduate programs are also available in six categories: theology and ministry, youth ministry, business administration, education in instructional leadership, sport and wellness leadership and criminal justice.

Notables

Every year, 25 students from the incoming class are eligible to join the Guy D. Newman Honors Academy, which has its own curriculum and series of classes, and which is intended to be paired with a second major. Religion plays a key part in the day-to-day life of students, as the school puts it, “Student engagement in campus life is designed to help students grow in relationship to Christ, develop leadership skills, build relationships, participate in service to the campus and community, exhibit personal responsibility and have fun.”

Overview

The University of Montana-Western, as the name suggests, is a part of the Montana University system located in, Dillon, Montana, a city near the state’s western border with Idaho. The school was originally founded as a center for training teachers, and until 2000 had been known as Western Montana College, before becoming a part of the Montana university system. In 2016, there were 1,501 students enrolled at the school.

Program Features

Montana-Western has more than 30 majors in ten different fields of study, including business, education, math, history, and biology. Almost three-quarters of the school’s classes have fewer than twenty students, so there are close interactions both between teachers and students, as well as between classmates. Education is the most popular major at Western, followed by:

• Business
• Biology
• Parks & Recreation
• Equine Studies
• Environmental Sciences

Notables

Western is an integral part of the culture of Dillon, hosting events such as Halloween parties, movie nights and Easter egg hunts. The university and its students also help provide content for the local radio station, “90.9 The Dawg”, which provides education and alternative programing to the local area.

Overview

The University of Providence is a private, Roman Catholic university with around 1,100 undergraduate students and located in Great Falls, Montana. Until July 1, 2017 the school was known as the University of Great Falls: The new name came with new school colors and a new school logo. The changes represent a new cultural shift brought about by University President Tony Artez, who hopes the new spirit will reestablish the school as a pillar of the local community.

Program Features

Providence offers more than forty undergraduate degrees, along with eight graduate degrees and four distance learning degrees. Many of its more recent efforts have centered around expanding its educational outreach in the local community, including its continuing education program at Malmstrom Air Force base. But in spite of this focus the college maintains a diverse grouping of popular majors, including:

• Health Professions and Related Programs
• Education
• Biology
• Business
• Marketing

The University also offers a number of graduate degree programs covering topics of Counseling, Organization Management, Organizational Leadership, and Infection Protection and Epidemiology.

Notables

Providence has partnerships with several branches of the United States military, which offer students the chance to explore unique educational, academic, and professional opportunities simultaneously. Through the Air Force, Great Falls offers an online paralegal studies program for Air Force paralegals who have obtained their associates degree from the Community College of the Air Force. A similar opportunity is available for Army students who have previously obtained a similar degree.

Overview

San Diego Christian College is a non-denominational, private college located in Santee, California. Partly thanks to the support of the creator of the Left Behind book and film series, this school opened in 1970 to provide a west coast college where academics could be taught through a creationist framework. Originally named the Christian Heritage College, the school changed to its current name in 2005 and now serves a population of around 1,000 students.

Program Features

SDCC offers more than 35 undergraduate majors, as well as four graduate programs offering Masters degrees in teaching and leadership. Undergraduate classes are supplemented by a general education course and work to integrate a biblical worldview into the academic study. But despite the overall biblical framework, students do pursue a collection of unique majors, including top choices at SDCC:

• Bible/Biblical Studies
• Business
• Human Development and Family Studies
• Kinesiology
• Psychology

Notables

Their basketball team has won the National Christian College Athletic Association’s men’s championship four times from 1990-2004. Their basketball team also produced a member of the US House of Representatives, Matt Krause (Class of 2002), as well as Swen Nater, who was a first round draft pick for the NBA, and played for thirteen years in the league from 1973-1985.

Overview

Huston-Tillotson University is a private, historically black college located in Austin, Texas. The school has an affiliation with the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, and the United Negro College Fund. Hutson was the first school of higher learning in Austin, founded in 1875, and currently serves a population of around 50 graduate students and 950 undergraduates.

Program Features

Huston-Tillotson offers 17 different major options, and in 2014 the school announced their first graduate program, offering a Master’s in Educational Leadership. They also offer an Adult Degree Program specifically designed for adults who are working full-time, but who still wish to pursue higher education. As for students following the traditional, undergraduate route, prominent majors include:

• Business
• Political Science
• Sociology
• Criminal Justice
• History
• Psychology

Notables

Jackie Robinson was the athletic director of the school for a short period in the mid 1940’s; Robinson also coached the basketball team for the 1944-1945 season. The team was so sparsely populated that Robinson at times would enter himself into the lineup for exhibition games. The school is located in East Austin, which has been a centerpiece of black empowerment in Austin ever since the Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s.

Overview

Founded in 1875, St. Gregory’s University is a private, liberal arts university located in Shawnee, OK. The original school was located in Konawa before being destroyed by a major fire in 1901; the town of Shawnee stepped in and helped the school rebuild as St Gregory’s College. This remained the school’s name up until 1997, when it switched from a junior college to a full baccalaureate university. This Roman Catholic, Benedictine university now has a student population of 700 students, and also has a smaller, satellite campus located in Tulsa.

Program Features

St. Gregory’s has more than 40 degree programs offering paths to associate, bachelor and master’s level studies in a range of subjects. Its liberal arts curriculum includes a core program based around the “Tradition and Conversation” program, which challenges students to engage with the Great Books of Western and Catholic traditions, including Homer’s “The Odyssey” and Plato’s “The Apology.” This program helps diversify students’ academic experiences before choosing a major, the most popular of which at St. Gregory’s are:

• Business
• Nursing
• Mathematics
• Educational
• Theological and Ministerial Studies

St. Gregory’s also offers a Master of Arts degree in Counseling

Notables

The school was founded by Benedictine monks, which, according to the school, means they are “community-service minded and strive to develop our minds, bodies and souls in a way that best serves all the talents God has given us.” Around 50% of the student population at St. Gregory’s is Catholic, so belief is common, but by no means required for attendance.

Overview

Lewis-Clark State College is a public college located in Lewiston, Idaho. The school was originally founded as the Lewiston State Normal School, meaning that it originally looked to educate students on how to become teachers themselves. The school oscillated between a four-year college and its normal school roots, before finally in 1971 changing its name to Lewis-Clark State college: this transition to full, four-year status made Lewis-Clark the last normal school in the country to make the change. The school now serves around 3,500 students and is often rated one of the top public schools in the West in the Comprehensive-Bachelor’s degree category.

Program Features

Lewis-Clark offers more than 83 degree programs, which includes more academic offerings such as sociology and English, as well as pre-professional programs for law and vocational training in auto machinery and appliance technology. Some of the schools most popular majors include:

• Criminal Justice
• Education
• Nursing
• Automotive Mechanics
• Business

Notables

The Lewis-Clark baseball team has been a powerhouse since the team joined the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics; the Warriors, as they are known, have won a record 18 national championships, including the threepeating from 2015-2017. They have hosted the NAIA World Series every year since 2000 and have produced 12 major leaguers.

Overview

Bacone College is a private, four-year college located in Muskogee, OK. Originally founded as the Indian University in 1880, and is the oldest continuously operated institution of higher education in Oklahoma. Bacone shares affiliations both with the American Baptist Churches USA and several tribal nations, including the Cherokee Nation and the Muscogee Nation. The school serves a population of 900 students, around 1/4^th of whom identify as Native/Indian: the school hopes to increase this to 50% by 2020.

Program Features

Bacone College offers solely undergraduate degree programs, which include more than 20 courses of study through a wide range of subjects. The schools Christian and Tribal backgrounds allow it to offer a number of unique study programs, including:

• Christian Ministry
• Native American Studies
• Tribal Languages

And in addition to these unique majors, Bacone also offers more traditional majors, some of the most popular of which are:

• Business
• Family Studies
• Nursing
• Criminal Justice

Notables

While the college does maintain its Christian heritage, Bacone makes it clear that, “Christian principles are emphasized at Bacone in order to assist students in their growth toward wholeness. However, there is no attempt to seek religious conformity from faculty, staff or students. Individuals are given the freedom to develop their own spiritual insights.” Students wishing to pursue spiritual enrichment through Bacone can attend the Bacone Hour, a weekly event where the school’s community joins together in the campus chapel for an hour of spiritual renewal.

Overview

Marymount California University is a private, Catholic university with its main campus located in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, along a second campus in Lake County. In Spring 2013, the school to its current name from the previous “Marymount College”, which was done to show, “an ongoing transformation of the 45-year-old institution of higher education to a multi-campus institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs.” The Religious of the Scared Heart of Mary inspires the catholic tradition of Marymount California, and the school has around 1,000 students currently in attendance.

Program Features

Marymount California offers six different bachelor’s programs:

• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science in Biology
• Bachelor of Arts in Business
• Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
• Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Production
• Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts
• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

In addition to these traditional programs, MCU also has a unique program entitled “The Four-Year Scholars’ Pathway Track”, which allows high-achieving students to graduate in four years with both a bachelors and a master’s degree. Students pursue an undergraduate degree in business, criminal justice or psychology, before beginning master’s coursework in their junior year, in pursuit of either an MBA or a Masters of Science in community psychology.

MCU offers the MBA and Masters of Science in Community Psych, as well as a Masters in Science in Leadership and Global Development, outside of this track as well.

Notables

Despite Marymount California’s Catholic affiliation, only 44% of students are Catholic. More than 1/3^rd of entering freshman are first-generation college students, and more than 70% of students receive some form of financial aid (need-based, merit or athletic/fine-arts scholarships).

The Catholic High Schools of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles have an agreement with MCU that any student enrolled in one of the 51 L.A. area schools associated with the diocese will receive automatic admission into Marymount Catholic.

Overview

Founded in 1946 as a technical training school, the Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology is now a public university, and is part of the Oklahoma State University System. . Around 3000 students currently attend OSUIT whose mission is “to serve as the lead institution of higher education in Oklahoma and the region providing comprehensive, high-quality, advancing technology programs and services to prepare and sustain a diverse student body as competitive members of a world-class workforce and contributing members of society.”

Program Features

OSUIT offers 37 degree programs, most of which are Associates Degrees in Applied Science; however, they also offer three Bachelors of Technology degrees. Bachelors of Technology programs include:

• Civil Engineering Technology
• Instrumental Engineering Technology
• Information Technologies

Its status as a technology institute also gives OSUIT direct connections to a number of large industry partners, such as Ford, General Motors, Caterpillar Inc. and Rolex. Some of their Associates programs are even specific to these partners:

• Ford ASSET
• General Motors ASEP
• Toyota T-TEN Program

Notables

Almost half of the students at OSUIT are the first in their families to attend college (48%). The school boasts an incredibly high job placement rate post-graduation, 90 percent in fact. The rate is thanks to its technically focused curriculum and industry partnerships. OSUIT also has a number of student organizations on campus, including the Future Chefs Association, Student Veterans Association and the Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Club.