The west coast is renowned for its top-flight business schools. By and large, the most well-regarded of these schools are in the state of California, and they are exceptionally competitive. Obviously, private colleges are known for being more competitive in nature. However, state colleges in California are almost equally as competitive, meaning that mostly high-level students consider going to California to get their business degree. Here are the top five of what west coast business schools have to offer.

University of California – Davis
The University of California – Davis is known mostly for its graduate level degree programs, and it is renowned for its collaborative atmosphere and approach to teaching. The business program boasts only 175 full-time students, with that number almost doubling for part-time students. The school was established in 1905, and it has since become very popular with working professionals as a way to expand their education while still being able to keep working. It offers an extensive amount of night class options so that students can get their degree while working around corporate office schedules and general business hours.

The University of Southern California – Marshall School of Business
Established in 1960, it is the largest of the campuses in the University of Southern California school system. It is ranked at number 15 in a list of the top worldwide PhD-level business research institutions. It boasts an enrollment of 460 students at the full-time level, with 830 students enrolled at the part-time level of commitment. The part time MBA program for managers and professionals is an extremely popular program at USC Marshall. It allows people to work on their MBA over a 33-month program while still being able to hold to their professional commitments and obligations. More than half of all graduates of the business programs here are already employed by the time they graduate.

The University of California – Los Angeles
The Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles has a moderately-sized enrolment, and offers a wide range of options for people looking to expand their business credentials. The school of management here was founded in 1935 as a mostly undergraduate-focused institution. In the years after the installation of the MBA program, this focus shifted to more advanced business-themed curricula, resulting in a highly sought-after set of graduate programs. The school gets most of its funding via private donors, and accepts very little money even though it is a public school. The school is known for its diversity, with a number of different cultures being represented on the campus.

The University of California – Berkeley
The Haas School of Business at the University of California’s Berkeley campus is a highly-prized public institution with a mid-range enrolment of a little over 400 students. The school is a recognized leader in the burgeoning e-commerce economy, offering degree programs in e-commerce as well as other technology-based management programs. Founded in 1898, the Haas School of Business focuses on programs that stay ahead of the curve on the mixture of technology and commerce and has always had a history of doing so. Haas is consistently ranked as one of the top ten business schools in the entire world by US News and World Report, as well as The Economist.

Stanford Graduate School of Business
The Stanford Graduate School of Business is regarded as one of the best schools in the entire world, and consistently ranks as the top school for business on the west coast. There are many that argue Stanford’s supremacy as the top business school in North America. Established in 1925, the school has a broad range of study options for both professional students and those who do not yet have a career in business. Stanford also has a reputation for mixing business education with an understanding of how business can positively influence society and the environment. The college was recently ranked number one in a review by the Aspen Institute of colleges that incorporate social and environmental issues into their curriculum.

Famous students of Stanford include co-founders of Google Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin and Larry Page, as well as Phil Knight, the founder of Nike. Tiger Woods also attended Stanford on a full golf scholarship.