| Ranking | School | State |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington | Washington |
| 2 | University of California, San Diego | California |
| 3 | Stanford University | California |
| 4 | California College of the Arts | California |
| 5 | ArtCenter College of Design | California |
Our 2025 rankings of the Top 5 undergraduate UX/UI/HCI school programs on the West Coast. For reference, we define the West as California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Hawaii, and Alaska. For an explanation of ranking criteria, click here.
The College of Engineering at University of Washington (UW) houses a Human Centered Design and Engineering (HCDE) BS program that combines engineering coursework with flexible free electives and experiential learning. Course examples include Concepts in Human-Computer Interaction; Human Data Interaction; and Strategic Human Centered Artificial Intelligence. Experiential learning includes study abroad experiences, internships, and independent research. UW alumni go on to land positions at places such as Boeing, Getty Images, Amazon, T-Mobile, IBM, Google, Starbucks, Disney, Adobe, Nike, Hitachi, Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, Apple, NBC Universal, RTX Corporation, Intel, Verizon, Intuit, Uber, and SpaceX.
The School of Social Sciences at University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) houses the World’s first Department of Cognitive Science (CogSci). Within the department is a Cognitive Science BS with a project-based specialization in Design and Interaction. Areas explored include user experience (UX) design, human-computer interaction (HCI), and usability research. Internship opportunities, study abroad experiences, practicums, and the HCI Portfolio Design Studio are all part of the program. Students can also add the UC San Diego User Experience (UX) Design certificate provided through Extended Studies. Graduates of the CogSci BS and UX certificate program have been hired at places such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, Abbott, Sony, IDEO, Capital One, Hitachi, Adobe, and Qualcomm.
The School of Engineering at Stanford University (Stanford) houses the Computer Science Department, which provides tracks in areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Systems, Visual Computing (Graphics), and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Tracks are available to students enrolled in the Computer Science BS (CS BS) program. HCI is a unique, multidisciplinary track that explores user-centered design thinking with a focus on rapid prototyping, novel interaction techniques, ubiquitous computing, and tools to augment designers’ creativity. Stanford CS BS graduates are routinely hired at places such as Apple, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Snapchat, Netflix, LinkedIn, Arista Networks, and VMware.
California College of the Arts (CCA) houses an Interaction Design (IxD) BFA program that explores human-computer interaction, user experience (UX) design, prototyping, coding, and user feedback. Other program features include sponsored studios by companies such as Intel, Samsung, and Oracle; hands-on learning; a mandatory internship; access to the IxD Studio Space and interdisciplinary Hybrid Lab; and study abroad experiences in places such as London, Paris, and Japan. Graduates of the CCA IxD BFA program have been hired at places such as Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, IDEO, and Adobe.
ArtCenter College of Design houses an Interaction Design BS program that explores graphic, media, entertainment, industrial, and entertainment design. Consisting of 132 units, the program features courses such as Visual Interaction Design-UX/UI; Rapid Prototyping; HCI for Interaction Design; Human Factors and Design Psychology; and Communication Design. The final requirement for the program is the IxD Graduation Studio course, culminating with the virtual senior show. Graduates go on to land positions at places such as Microsoft, Google, NASA, Apple, IDEO, and Meta.
