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.

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Public 4 Year
Rutgers University New Brunswick Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • New Brunswick, NJ
  • 4.8 | 4 reviews

Rutgers is a large public university known for undergraduate pharmacy, engineering, and life sciences. Students take classes across multiple campuses in New Brunswick and Piscataway linked by campus buses.

#19 Best Public Universities in America 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1310-1500
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.3
  • Acceptance Rate 58%
  • Net Price $20,522
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University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Champaign, IL
  • 4.4 | 5 reviews
  • Jan 5 application deadline

Illinois is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate computer science and engineering. The campus spans the adjacent college towns of Champaign and Urbana.

#20 Best Public Universities in America 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1310-1520
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.79
  • Acceptance Rate 42%
  • Net Price $13,973
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Texas A&M University College Station Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • College Station, TX
  • 5.0 | 6 reviews
  • Dec 1 application deadline

Texas A&M is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and business. A large Corps of Cadets gives the College Station campus a long-standing military tradition.

#21 Best Public Universities in America 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1150-1400
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.68
  • Acceptance Rate 57%
  • Net Price $21,437
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Virginia Military Institute Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Lexington, VA
  • 5.0 | 2 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

VMI is a public military college known for undergraduate engineering and the sciences. All students join the Corps of Cadets and live in barracks under a military regimen on the historic Lexington campus.

#22 Best Public Universities in America 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1050-1270
  • Avg GPA 3.65
  • Acceptance Rate 71%
  • Net Price $18,825
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North Carolina State University at Raleigh Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Raleigh, NC
  • 5.0 | 4 reviews
  • Jan 15 application deadline

NC State is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and textiles. The campus sits in Raleigh within North Carolina's Research Triangle.

#23 Best Public Universities in America 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1300-1470
  • Avg GPA 3.83
  • Acceptance Rate 42%
  • Net Price $15,522
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Binghamton University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Vestal, NY
  • 4.2 | 4 reviews
  • Jan 15 application deadline

Binghamton is a selective public university known for undergraduate business, accounting, and engineering. The wooded hillside campus in Vestal sits above the Susquehanna River valley in New York's Southern Tier.

#24 Best Public Universities in America 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1340-1500
  • Avg GPA 4.0
  • Acceptance Rate 39%
  • Net Price $18,877
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Clemson University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Clemson, SC
  • 4.4 | 10 reviews
  • May 1 application deadline

Clemson is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering and business. The lakeside campus sits in the Blue Ridge foothills beside Lake Hartwell.

#25 Best Public Universities in America 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1240-1410
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.75
  • Acceptance Rate 38%
  • Net Price $25,003
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Ohio State University Main Campus Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Columbus, OH
  • 5.0 | 6 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

Ohio State is a large public university known for undergraduate business, engineering, and education. The urban campus stretches across Columbus, the state capital.

#1 Best Public Universities in Ohio 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1310-1480
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.76
  • Acceptance Rate 61%
  • Net Price $19,783
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University of Georgia Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Athens, GA
  • 5.0 | 3 reviews
  • Jan 1 application deadline

UGA is a large public university known for undergraduate journalism, business, and agricultural sciences. The historic campus anchors the college town of Athens.

#1 Best Public Universities in Georgia 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1270-1480
  • Avg GPA 4.0
  • Acceptance Rate 38%
  • Net Price $16,662
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University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Pittsburgh, PA
  • 3.8 | 5 reviews

Pitt is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and philosophy. The urban campus in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood centers on the Cathedral of Learning.

#1 Best Public Universities in Pennsylvania 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1280-1460
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.79
  • Acceptance Rate 58%
  • Net Price $25,223
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Georgia Institute of Technology Main Campus Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Atlanta, GA
  • | 0 reviews
  • Jan 4 application deadline

Georgia Tech is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and the sciences. The urban campus sits in midtown Atlanta.

#3 Best Colleges in Georgia 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1370-1540
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.85
  • Acceptance Rate 14%
  • Net Price $15,918
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Stony Brook University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Stony Brook, NY
  • 4.5 | 2 reviews
  • Jan 15 application deadline

Stony Brook is a large public university known for undergraduate physics, mathematics, and marine science. The suburban campus sits on Long Island's North Shore.

#3 Best Public Universities in New York 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1330-1500
  • Avg GPA 3.94
  • Acceptance Rate 49%
  • Net Price $20,992
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Virginia Tech Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Blacksburg, VA
  • 5.0 | 3 reviews
  • Jan 15 application deadline

Virginia Tech is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering and architecture. The campus sits in the college town of Blacksburg in Virginia's Blue Ridge region.

#4 Best Public Universities in Virginia 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1280-1450
  • Avg GPA 3.97
  • Acceptance Rate 55%
  • Net Price $24,912
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University of Delaware Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Newark, DE
  • | 0 reviews
  • Jan 15 application deadline

Delaware is a large public university known for undergraduate chemical engineering, business, and fashion studies. The campus is set in the college town of Newark.

#1 Best Value in Delaware 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1190-1370
  • Avg GPA 3.94
  • Acceptance Rate 71%
  • Net Price $19,139
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California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • San Luis Obispo, CA
  • 4.7 | 3 reviews
  • Nov 30 application deadline

Cal Poly is a public polytechnic university known for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and agriculture. Students study on a Central Coast campus in the college town of San Luis Obispo.

#7 Best Public Universities in California 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1220-1410
  • Avg GPA 4.0
  • Acceptance Rate 31%
  • Net Price $17,453
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St. Mary's College of Maryland Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • St. Mary's City, MD
  • | 0 reviews
  • Jan 15 application deadline

St. Mary's College of Maryland is a public honors college known for undergraduate liberal arts. The historic campus sits on the St. Mary's River in southern Maryland.

#3 Best Colleges in Maryland 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1143-1340
  • Avg GPA 3.45
  • Acceptance Rate 69%
  • Net Price $21,071
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University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Minneapolis, MN
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Jan 1 application deadline

Minnesota is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and biological sciences. The Twin Cities campus spans Minneapolis and St. Paul along the Mississippi River.

#1 Best Public Universities in Minnesota 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1300-1500
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.75
  • Acceptance Rate 80%
  • Net Price $17,209
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Colorado School of Mines Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Golden, CO
  • 4.6 | 5 reviews
  • Jan 15 application deadline

Mines is a public university known for undergraduate engineering focused on mining, petroleum, and the earth sciences. The Golden campus sits against the Rocky Mountain foothills west of Denver.

#1 Best Public Universities in Colorado 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1320-1480
  • Avg GPA 3.84
  • Acceptance Rate 61%
  • Net Price $29,925
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