Top Rated U.S. Public Colleges
These are the top ranked public four-year colleges in the United States as ranked by CollegeSimply. Leading the rankings for 2027 as the best public college in America is University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
Montclair State University
- Public 4 Year
- Montclair, NJ
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
Montclair State is a large public university known for undergraduate education and the performing arts. The suburban campus sits in northern New Jersey near New York City.
- SAT Range 910-1210
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $17,669
University of Pittsburgh Greensburg
- Public 4 Year
- Greensburg, PA
-
| 0 reviews
Pitt-Greensburg is a regional public campus of the University of Pittsburgh known for undergraduate biology, psychology, and business management. The residential campus sits in suburban Greensburg east of Pittsburgh.
- SAT Range 1055-1253
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $18,365
Florida Atlantic University
- Public 4 Year
- Boca Raton, FL
-
4.2 | 4 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
FAU is a large public university known for undergraduate ocean engineering and marine science. The Boca Raton campus sits near the Atlantic coast in South Florida.
- SAT Range 1040-1200
- Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $10,225
Western Connecticut State University
- Public 4 Year
- Danbury, CT
-
| 0 reviews
Western Connecticut State is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and the visual and performing arts. Students take classes across Midtown and Westside campuses in Danbury.
- SAT Range 1040-1170
- Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $17,185
Middle Tennessee State University
- Public 4 Year
- Murfreesboro, TN
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
MTSU is a large public university known for undergraduate recording industry, aerospace, and music business programs. The campus is in Murfreesboro, a growing city about a half hour southeast of Nashville.
- SAT Range 1010-1230
- Avg GPA 3.64
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $13,859
Northeastern Illinois University
- Public 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Jul 15 application deadline
Northeastern Illinois is a public university known for undergraduate education and business programs. The urban campus sits on Chicago's Northwest Side.
- SAT Range 810-1010
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $14,140
University of North Texas
- Public 4 Year
- Denton, TX
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
UNT is a large public university known for undergraduate music and jazz studies. Denton is a college town north of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
- SAT Range 980-1230
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $15,965
University of New Mexico Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Albuquerque, NM
-
| 0 reviews
UNM is a large public university known for undergraduate Latin American studies, anthropology, and photography. The urban Albuquerque campus features Pueblo Revival architecture.
- SAT Range 890-1170
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $6,347
Valley City State University
- Public 4 Year
- Valley City, ND
-
| 0 reviews
Valley City State is a small public university known for undergraduate teacher education. The campus sits in the small town of Valley City along the Sheyenne River.
- SAT Range 830-1070
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $12,442
California State University Chico
- Public 4 Year
- Chico, CA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Dec 15 application deadline
Chico State is a public university known for undergraduate agriculture, nursing, and business. The campus sits in the college town of Chico in Northern California.
- SAT Range 970-1170
- Avg GPA 3.37
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $14,630
University of Northern Colorado
- Public 4 Year
- Greeley, CO
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Northern Colorado is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and performing arts. The campus is located in Greeley in northern Colorado.
- SAT Range 950-1190
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $19,376
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- Public 4 Year
- Lafayette, LA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
UL Lafayette is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, engineering, and architecture. The campus is set in Lafayette, a hub of Cajun and Acadiana culture in southern Louisiana.
- SAT Range 1120-1240
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $13,017
University of Southern Maine
- Public 4 Year
- Portland, ME
-
| 0 reviews
USM is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. Students split time between an urban Portland campus and a residential campus in nearby Gorham.
- SAT Range 990-1250
- Avg GPA 3.33
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $14,028
The University of Texas at Arlington
- Public 4 Year
- Arlington, TX
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
UT Arlington is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, engineering, and architecture. The suburban campus sits in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex between the two cities.
- SAT Range 1010-1240
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.43
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $13,755
Eastern Illinois University
- Public 4 Year
- Charleston, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Eastern Illinois is a mid-sized public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The residential campus sits in the college town of Charleston in east-central Illinois.
- SAT Range 880-1090
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $13,787
Bowling Green State University Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Bowling Green, OH
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 15 application deadline
BGSU is a large public university known for undergraduate education, aviation, and popular culture studies. Most students live on a residential campus in the college town of Bowling Green.
- SAT Range 1000-1210
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $24,283
Frostburg State University
- Public 4 Year
- Frostburg, MD
-
3.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Frostburg State is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The residential campus sits in the Appalachian mountain town of Frostburg in western Maryland.
- SAT Range 980-1200
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $17,669
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
- Public 4 Year
- Slippery Rock, PA
-
| 0 reviews
Slippery Rock is a public university known for undergraduate education, physical therapy, and exercise science. The residential campus sits in a small college town in western Pennsylvania.
- SAT Range 980-1190
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $18,252