50 BEST VALUE ALTERNATIVE GRADUATE SCHOOLS IN THE WEST

As the fourth largest university in the United States and the largest in Texas, Texas A&M University is home to 20,000 graduate students. With 10 colleges and 18 research institutes, it's hard to beat Texas A&M in sheer size. That heft gives the university an advantage in forming relationships with local, state, and federal agencies, and those relationships have helped the school's research budget to edge up near $1 billion in research expenditures. Texas A&M's graduate program in veterinary medicine is famous for leading the project to create the first cloned pet, a cat named "cc."

Although it began with just a handful land-grant graduate programs in agriculture, engineering, home economics, and veterinary science, the graduate school at Iowa State University has grown to include more than 100 unique programs, including dozens of specialized PhD programs. One example of the school's incredible advancement is its Virtual Reality Applications Center (VRAC), an interdisciplinary research center that provides a cutting-edge graduate degree in Human Computer Interaction. Students at the VRAC have access to the world's highest-resolution immersive display environment, which features a six-sided virtual reality room not unlike the "holodeck" from Star Trek.

All else aside, the sheer number of graduate degrees available at the University of Oklahoma - 160 master's and 75 doctoral programs - make it a great choice for a number of different educational paths. With so many options, you're likely to find at least one degree that interests you. But just in case you don't, the school has established a flexible graduate program in interdisciplinary studies. This option allows students pursue either a master's or doctoral degree through an academic program of their own design. The University of Oklahoma also offers a number of formal dual-degree programs, many of which include a Master of Business Administration. You can design your own dual-degree coursework, too!

Oregon State University is the only public institution in the United States to be designated as a land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant and sun-grant university, and that commitment to the public good is a core element of OSU's graduate school. The university's Holistic Graduate Education initiative provides unique civic-minded courses in diversity, ethics in research, and even a class called "Creating Happiness" that includes a community-building component. OSU is also home to a number of initiatives that focus on issues of social justice and international aid, including the UNESCO Water Cooperation and Peace program. Students who are interested in these programs can even pursue a graduate degree in conflict management integration.

The University of California, Riverside is one of the most diverse universities in the UC system, and its graduate program even more so; nearly ⅔ of graduate students at UCR represent international and minority groups. That focus on diversity blends well with two of the school's major research institutions - the Center for Ideas and Society and the UC Institute for Mexico and the United States. Even so, a large portion of UCR's funding flows toward the agricultural science program, which is popular among students interested in serving the local Californian economy. In addition to a top graduate program in agricultural science, the university also provides master's and doctoral degrees in molecular biology, plant pathology, and plant science, among many others.

As a Carnegie-designated Tier-1 Research Institution, Washington State University is no stranger to research, or the funding it requires. The school organizes its resources around five "grand challenges": sustaining health, sustainable resources, opportunity and equity, smart systems, and national security. Food and agricultural science complements more than one of these challenges, which is why WSU's graduate degree in food science is one of the most well-regarded in the country. Students in this program have access to an array of cutting-edge food science technologies, including a "sensory evaluation facility" to test scents and flavors.

The University of Texas at Dallas became a four-year university in 1990. In the previous three decades, UT Dallas was an exclusively graduate-level institution. That focus on upper-level degrees has contributed to the breadth and strength of graduate degree coursework that students enjoy today - and which now spans eight schools! UT Dallas's graduate program in engineering is particularly strong, offering unique subspecialty options in biomedical engineering and telecommunications, among others. The latter reflects the university's roots as a research arm of Texas Instruments and its current location in the "Telecom Corridor" of Richardson, Texas.

Research is the name of the game at Colorado State University, Fort Collins. The school dedicates more than $300 million every year to research expenditures, the vast majority of which comes from federal programs. CSU's graduate program in veterinary medicine is particular well-funded, and students get hands-on experience working with a wide variety of animals at the world-class James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Research is also vital to CSU's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and a dedicated animal cancer institute provides highly specialized instruction for graduate students.

Baylor University is more than 170 years old and has the honor of being the oldest continuously operating university in Texas. A Christian university, Baylor takes its religious mission seriously and encourages all students to give back to the community through service. For example, students at Baylor's graduate school of medicine often travel abroad to provide health care in community clinics, an experience that helps future doctors build both experience and gratitude. In general, the university emphasizes hands-on learning at every turn, a priority perhaps best evidenced by the newly opened Baylor Research & Innovation Collaborative (BRIC). This state-of-the-art facility provides a collaborative environment for students, faculty, and private companies to tackle cutting-edge challenges in science and engineering.

At the University of Denver, graduate students outnumber undergrads by a healthy margin, and not without reason. UD's large graduate student body is reflective of the university's commitment to advanced education. In addition to hosting one of the top graduate programs in creative writing in the country, the school also encourages interdisciplinary and dual-degree programs. Students can pursue dual-degree programs in social work, international studies, or global finance, or propose their own biconstituent coursework. U Denver students also have the option to explore multidisciplinary education within a single degree through special cross-cutting programs like Intermodal Transportation, Intercultural Communication, or Nanoscale Science and Engineering.

True to its name, Southern Methodist University is home to a robust graduate school of religion, with Master's of Divinity, Ministry, Sacred Music, Theological Studies, and Theology, as well as doctoral programs in Ministry, Pastoral Studies, and Religious Studies. You'll find all of these programs within SMU's Perkins School of Theology, which - despite being over 100 years old - features a newly constructed LEED-certified building with state-of-the-art technology. For something completely different, students can pursue a Master of Interactive Technology at SMU's aptly named Guildhall, one of the first and most respected graduate schools in videogame design in the United States.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa's unique location - nestled in the Honolulu valley of Manoa - makes it an ideal choice for students who want to study topics as diverse as oceanography, astronomy, Pacific Islands and Asian area studies, linguistics, and tropical agriculture. Well aware of its strengths in these areas, UHM has established a variety of research centers to support cultural and environmental exploration. In particular, the school has access to world-class astronomical observatories, making its graduate program in astronomy tempting to star-gazers for reasons besides the tropical climate. In addition to this academic diversity, the University of Hawaii at Manoa also boasts a diverse student body, which reflects the state's multicultural population as well as its proximity to countries other than the United States.

As one of the "Public Ivies," the University of California Santa Cruz offers a unique combination of big-budget, world-class research programs and a well-regarded and comprehensive liberal arts school. That should be especially appealing to students looking to take advantage of UC Santa Cruz's extensive interdisciplinary graduate programs. One example is the school's graduate degree in Digital Arts and New Media, which pulls together faculty from the arts, computer engineering, humanities, the sciences, and social sciences and enables students to pursue both artistic and scholarly research in a cutting-edge field.

Texas Tech's status as a leading research institution has recently grown to new heights, thanks to its inclusion in the latest list of Carnegie's Tier-1 universities. Not only is TTU one of just 81 public universities in that category, but it is one of only 15 universities to have been "promoted" to Tier-1 designation since Carnegie's last ranking. That indicates just how focused the university is on growth, and its graduate division has benefited greatly. With 59 doctoral degrees, 103 master's degrees, and 53 certificate programs, plus 65 specialized research centers and institutes, graduate students at TTU have access to an extremely broad range of resources.

Montana State University is well-known for innovative and multidisciplinary graduate programs - like the graduate degree in Immunology and Infectious Disease in the school's Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Other popular graduate programs include biomedicine, energy, environmental science, and agriculture. Ecology and natural biology degrees offer particular appeal to MSU students, given the university's proximity to one of North America's most unique ecosystems: Yellowstone National Park. Graduate students flock to Bozeman to take advantage of the opportunity to conduct experiments at Yellowstone. Fortunately, MSU has established an impressive research budget to meet this demand, with annual expenditures of more than $100 million and plenty of funds to maintain its state-of-the-art research facilities.

In addition to being the largest state-supported university for women in the United States, Texas Woman's University has a number of other academic claims to fame. For example, the school is home to the largest graduate nursing program in Texas, a highly regarded graduate degree in library science, and one of the nation's best occupational and physical therapy programs. And as you might expect, TWU offers a robust Women's Studies program that features a post-baccalaureate Graduate Certificate in Multicultural Women's and Gender Studies as well as both a Master of Arts and PhD in Women's Studies.

The fact that the University of Houston-Clear Lake can count a half-dozen astronauts among its alumni might seem like a fortunate coincidence, until you consider its proximity to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. In fact, the Texas state school system specifically founded UHCL as a way to provide graduate programs in engineering that would help meet NASA's demand for professionals with advanced degrees. And although the school stops short of a comprehensive astronaut training program, starry-eyed grad students can nonetheless choose from a wide range of top graduate degrees in the sciences. If you'd prefer to keep your feet planted firmly on the ground, you'll find plenty of other master's degrees on the Clear Lake Campus, including programs in art, business, and healthcare administration - as well as a relatively new doctoral degree in Educational Leadership.

The Missouri University of Science and Technology is a STEM-focused school with strong graduate programs in four primary areas: Business, Psychology and Communication, Sciences and Computing, and Engineering. In 2009, MST changed its name from the University of Missouri, Rolla to affirm its commitment to STEM fields. Since then, the newly titled University of Science and Technology has set its sights on becoming one of the top five polytechs in the U.S. Today. Nearly three-quarters of the student body studies some branch of engineering, and MST's graduate degree in engineering is one of the best in the country.

Like its sister institution in Reno, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas is ranked by the Carnegie Foundation as a "research-intensive university," and the school is working hard to achieve Tier-1 status. Several of UNLV's top-ranked programs are aided by its proximity to the Las Vegas strip. Business students can choose from well-regarded graduate programs in Hospitality Management and Hotel Administration (the latter of which offers two dual Master's programs), and architecture students can pursue a graduate degree in Hospitality Design during a year of intense study with Las Vegas-based architecture firms.

The University of Nevada-Reno is another top-tier research university with some amazing technology - two ultra-powerful lasers, a gene-sequencing center, and even a large-scale experimental earthquake research center that enables researchers to test the stability of structures by simulating earthquakes. UNR also has several robust liberal arts graduate programs, including a Master of Science in Equity and Diversity in Education and a unique Basque Tutorial program. Students in that track pursue a Doctor of Philosophy in Basque Studies in conjunction with a UNR graduate degree in anthropology, foreign languages and literature, geography, political science, or history.

Like the University of Northern Colorado, Louisiana State University operates on the teacher/scholar model, meaning it values research as a vital part of the university's overall health. LSU also sees research productivity as an important indicator of the quality of education it provides its students. LSU's approach to integrating teaching and research has paid off and its heavy investment (financially and otherwise) in a wide range of programs has placed it in Carnegie Tier-1 territory. The school now boasts nationally ranked graduate programs in education, library and information studies, fine arts, and landscape architecture, plus more than 100 other master's, doctoral, and certificate programs.

It might not surprise you to hear that Portland State University is one of the greenest schools in the country. Eight buildings on the PSU campus boast LEED certification, and the school has mandated that all future buildings must earn LEED certification as well. And as you might expect, the school's highly regarded graduate programs in Urban Studies (PSU offers both a Master's and Ph.D.) feature an Environment field area with courses in Green Buildings and Energy and Society. If that's not "green" enough for you, consider pursuing one of Portland State's popular graduate degrees in Sustainable Food Systems or Energy Policy and Management.

The University of Arkansas takes a global approach to graduate education; the school welcomes international students through an International Students and Scholars team and offers extensive study abroad programs. More than a third of graduate students are international, and 800 students studied abroad while pursuing a graduate degree at UA. One benefit of this worldwide focus is the school's unique Program in Comparative Literature and Cultural studies, a doctorate program with a wide range of areas of concentration: comparative literature, interdisciplinary Hispanic studies, modern language, cultural studies, literary translation.

Utah State University is home to the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, one of the largest and most varied educational and human services colleges in the country. The college offers 29 research, clinical, and professional degrees by itself and is one of only two universities in the country to offer a PhD graduate program in psychology that combines clinical, counseling, and school psychology and is accredited by the American Psychological Association. If education and psychology aren't your fields of choice, USU offers more than 150 other graduate degree programs to meet nearly every need.

The University of Texas at Arlington is the second largest in the UT system, and its graduate program reflects that size, with just over 9,000 graduate students and over 100 master's and doctoral degree programs. The school offers degrees in nine different academic areas, including an innovative College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs that offers a Master of City and Regional Planning and a PhD in Urban Planning and Public Policy. UT Arlington's graduate program in business is also one of the best in the country and has working relationships with many Chinese educational institutions.

Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the University of North Dakota is even bigger than its neighbor to the south. With 120 graduate degree and certificate programs (and more likely on the way) UND has become a nationally known research institution. Much of that notability comes from the school's John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, which provides one of the best top graduate degrees in aviation in the U.S. Those years of experience have enabled the school to remain on the cutting edge. Today it is home to the Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research, Education and Training.

The University of South Dakota is well-respected in its home state. Seventy percent of South Dakota's lawyers and about half of its doctors and teachers graduated from USD. And no wonder - with 66 graduate and professional programs, USD is the largest graduate education provider in the Mount Rushmore state. The school offers a wide variety of graduate programs in education - 11 categories in all - many of which include additional specializations that ensure every student can find a graduate program in education that is unique to his or her interests.

The University of Northern Colorado aims to provide a great experience for every one of its students. The academic community is tight-knit, with small classes sizes and a teacher/scholar model that ensures faculty members prioritize both 1-on-1 instruction with their students and active research in their fields. That close faculty-student relationship makes UNC one of the best graduate schools for education, with Master's of Arts in Educational Leadership and Educational Psychology, Master's of Teaching in Curriculum Studies, English Education, Elementary Education, plus Ph.D. programs in Educational Mathematics, Educational Psychology, and Educational Studies.

If you're short on time, Northern Arizona University is one of over 60 U.S. institutions that offers Professional Science Master's (PSM) programs. Students can earn a PSM in just two years, and most programs feature interdisciplinary studies across more than one academic discipline. NAU offers PSM degrees in two subjects: Applied Geospatial Sciences and Climate Science and Solutions. Or if you'd like to fit a little travel into your graduate degree, NAU's Center for International Education will let you pay NAU's affordable tuition rates in lieu of the cost of a host institution abroad.

The University of Texas at San Antonio is large and growing. The school is working toward becoming a Carnegie Tier-1 research institution and offers more than 100 doctoral, master's and graduate certificate programs. In its quest for Tier-1 status, UT San Antonio has built an impressive research program. The school offers nearly two dozen research centers and institutes spanning UTSA's five areas of excellence - Energy and the Environment, Health, Human and Social Development, Security, and Sustainability. That translates to high-tech centers in innovative fields like Cultural Sustainability, Water Research, and Cyber Security.

"Two for one" is a common arrangement at the University of Colorado Boulder, which offers 14 dual master's degree programs and 35 concurrent bachelor's/master's degree programs (not to mention over 15 interdisciplinary certificate programs). And with 11 individual research institutes and more than 900 investigators, CU Boulder is no slouch when it comes to research. The school has working relationships with several federal labs and innovative research programs in renewable energy, biotechnology, space sciences, engineering, and geosciences. Graduates will appreciate the school's Postdoctoral Association of Colorado, which fosters professional development for CU Boulder postdoctoral fellows.

Applicants to the University of Texas at El Paso can choose from nearly 100 graduate programs. The school offers 20 doctoral programs and 78 master's programs across the UT El Paso's seven colleges of business, education, engineering, health sciences, liberal arts, nursing, and science. UTEP makes diversity and excellence a priority by working to ensure that its student population is varied and high-achieving. As many as three-quarters of students receive financial aid, and the school's Master's of Business Administration and College of Engineering programs are well-regarded for graduating Hispanic students with degrees in business administration and engineering.

Oklahoma City University is known for its innovative Master's of Education - students can pursue M.E.s in Applied Behavioral Sciences, Professional Counseling, and even a 50-year-old American Montessori Certification program that allows students to obtain a Montessori certification while pursuing their graduate degree in education. The school's low student-to-faculty ratio (11:1) enables students to receive individual attention as they choose an "area of emphasis" for their graduate degree. OCU is a Christian university and has a historic relationship with the United Methodist Church, but the school welcomes all faiths with an "Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors" policy.

As a Christian university, Hardin-Simmons offers a number of faith-based graduate programs, including graduate degrees in Church Music, Family Ministry, and Divinity. HSU also boasts a relationship with the Baptist General Convention of Texas that is over a half-century old, providing great networking opportunities for students who want to enter the ministry after earning their graduate degree in divinity. And for students aiming for more secular careers, the school offers a healthy set of graduate degrees in liberal arts - including Master of Arts in English, History, and Clinical Counseling, as well as MBAs in Sport Management and Entrepreneurship.

Graduate students at the University of Redlands benefit from the school's unique "Centers of Distinction." This innovative network of research institutions features six distinct centers, each of which focuses on a highly specialized field of study. One example is the Truesdail Center for Communicative Disorders, which connects graduate student clinicians with local clients who suffer from swallowing disorders, traumatic brain injury, stuttering, autism, and language and learning disorders. Although the school offers just 14 graduate degree programs, most have similarly strong links with other Centers of Distinction, providing an invaluable resource for students working in less common fields.

California State University-Northridge is the third largest school in the University of California system, but most of its graduate programs are quite small, meaning students benefit from the resources of a major institution and the personal touch of a tight-knit academic community. Applicants can choose from two doctoral programs — a Master's of Education in Educational Leadership and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy - and a broad range of 58 master's degrees, including programs in counseling, education, and public administration, as well as a top graduate degree in business administration designed for fully employed professionals.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette's robust research program prioritizes finding practical applications for its cutting-edge research. The school is proud of its faculty's and students' real-world innovations, including a driver-less robotic vehicle named CajunBot and a hurricane-proof solar home called BeauSoleil. UL Lafayette's graduate degree in systems engineering draws on each of the school's five engineering departments - chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical, and petroleum - and enables graduate students to obtain an integrated graduate degree in engineering while specializing in one of these fields. Graduates of the Systems Engineering program can pursue careers in fields ranging from coastal ecosystems to fiber optic networks to disaster resource management.

California State University, San Bernardino features a number of unique graduate programs, many of which are focused on providing an interdisciplinary approach to education. One particularly flexible example is the school's top graduate degree in interdisciplinary studies, which enables students to build their own custom degree program in consultation with three faculty members, at least two of whom must come from different fields of study. Graduate students can also pursue a graduate degree in business administration with a focus in Entrepreneurship, where they'll start and run a real business under the advisement of Cal State's expert faculty.

With 17 master's and 45 doctoral level programs, Oklahoma State University has something for every one of its 5,000 graduate students. Research is an essential element of the school's mission. Whether its students choose to pursue a graduate degree in engineering or English, OSU actively pursues federal funding within particular focus areas: energy technology, health care, STEM education, food safety and security, water stewardship, and technologies to aid independent living. OSU's well-ranked graduate degree in medicine features a noteworthy and nationally regarded four-year Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine that provides comprehensive medical training with a unique "whole-person" approach to treating patients.

New Mexico State University's business, education, and nursing programs are all well-regarded, but its graduate program in engineering is particularly notable for its affiliation with the NASA Space Grant Program, for which NMSU is the lead New Mexico institution. The space agency provides curriculum enhancement, faculty development, and scholarships to STEM programs across the country. Another key aspect of NMSU's identity is diversity. The school is a Hispanic-serving institution, and nearly half of the student population is Hispanic. In fact, NMSU aims to serve diverse communities across every county in New Mexico, including American Indian tribes, through its Tribal Extension program.