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.

444 Results
Sort:
Public 4 Year
Lamar University Campus

credit : source / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Beaumont, TX
  • 1.7 | 3 reviews

Lamar is a public university known for undergraduate engineering and nursing. The campus is located in Beaumont in southeast Texas.

#24 Best Public Universities in Texas 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 930-1140
  • Avg GPA 3.4
  • Acceptance Rate 86%
  • Net Price $9,814
Details Calculate my Chances
University of Houston Downtown Campus

credit : source / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Houston, TX
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Jun 1 application deadline

UHD is a public university known for undergraduate business and criminal justice. The urban campus sits in downtown Houston near the city's business district.

#25 Best Public Universities in Texas
  • SAT Range 940-1110
  • Avg GPA 3.29
  • Acceptance Rate 90%
  • Net Price $10,832
Details Calculate my Chances
Winston Salem State University Campus

credit : Kevin Coles / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Winston-Salem, NC
  • | 0 reviews
  • Feb 15 application deadline

Winston-Salem State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The urban campus is part of the University of North Carolina system.

#11 Best Public Universities in North Carolina 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 830-1020
  • Avg GPA 3.01
  • Acceptance Rate 78%
  • Net Price $12,989
Details Calculate my Chances
University of North Carolina at Pembroke Campus

credit : source / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Pembroke, NC
  • 4.0 | 1 reviews
  • May 1 application deadline

UNC Pembroke is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and nursing. The campus was founded to serve Native American students and remains closely tied to the Lumbee community.

#12 Best Public Universities in North Carolina 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 970-1200
  • Avg GPA 3.44
  • Acceptance Rate 93%
  • Net Price $9,723
Details Calculate my Chances
Troy University Campus

credit : source / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Troy, AL
  • 5.0 | 4 reviews

Troy is a public university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and education. The main campus is a residential college-town setting in southeastern Alabama.

#9 Best Public Universities in Alabama 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 940-1210
  • Avg GPA 3.5
  • Acceptance Rate 96%
  • Net Price $12,842
Details Calculate my Chances
University of Maryland Eastern Shore Campus

credit : Throwingbull / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Princess Anne, MD
  • | 0 reviews
  • Jun 1 application deadline

UMES is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate agriculture, aviation science, and hospitality management. The rural campus is located in the small town of Princess Anne on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

#9 Best Public Universities in Maryland 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 840-1010
  • Avg GPA 3.07
  • Acceptance Rate 96%
  • Net Price $13,311
Details Calculate my Chances
Virginia State University Campus

credit : Kevin Coles / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Petersburg, VA
  • | 0 reviews
  • May 1 application deadline

Virginia State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate agriculture, education, and business. The historic campus is in Petersburg near Richmond.

#14 Best Public Universities in Virginia 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 840-1070
  • Avg GPA 2.85
  • Acceptance Rate 89%
  • Net Price $17,840
Details Calculate my Chances
Delaware State University Campus

credit : source / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Dover, DE
  • | 0 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

Delaware State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate aviation and agriculture. The main campus is in Dover, Delaware's capital city.

#2 Best Colleges in Delaware 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 800-1020
  • Avg GPA 3.09
  • Acceptance Rate 47%
  • Net Price $13,953
Details Calculate my Chances
Lewis Clark State College Campus
 

  • Public 4 Year
  • Lewiston, ID
  • 1.0 | 1 reviews
  • Aug 8 application deadline

Lewis-Clark State is a small public college known for undergraduate nursing, teacher education, and business. The campus is in Lewiston at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers.

#3 Best Public Universities in Idaho 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 850-1110
  • Avg GPA 3.23
  • Acceptance Rate 88%
  • Net Price $15,917
Details Calculate my Chances
North Carolina A & T State University Campus

credit : source / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Greensboro, NC
  • 4.0 | 1 reviews
  • Jun 1 application deadline

NC A&T is a large public HBCU known for undergraduate engineering and agriculture. The urban campus is in Greensboro.

#13 Best Public Universities in North Carolina 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1020-1190
  • Avg GPA 3.61
  • Acceptance Rate 50%
  • Net Price $10,097
Details Calculate my Chances
Georgia Southern University Campus

credit : source / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Statesboro, GA
  • | 0 reviews
  • May 1 application deadline

Georgia Southern is a large public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and logistics. The main campus anchors the college town of Statesboro in southeast Georgia.

#6 Best Public Universities in Georgia 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 986-1133
  • Avg GPA 3.36
  • Acceptance Rate 88%
  • Net Price $15,971
Details Calculate my Chances
Arkansas Tech University Campus

credit : adam*b / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Russellville, AR
  • | 0 reviews

Arkansas Tech is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, education, and emergency management. The campus is in Russellville, a small city in the Arkansas River Valley.

#7 Best Public Universities in Arkansas 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 880-1100
  • Avg GPA 3.37
  • Acceptance Rate 96%
  • Net Price $12,626
Details Calculate my Chances
Elizabeth City State University Campus

credit : source / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Elizabeth City, NC
  • | 0 reviews
  • Jun 30 application deadline

ECSU is a public HBCU known for undergraduate aviation and teacher education. The campus is in the small coastal city of Elizabeth City in northeastern North Carolina.

#14 Best Public Universities in North Carolina 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 920-1080
  • Avg GPA 3.16
  • Acceptance Rate 64%
  • Net Price $6,483
Details Calculate my Chances
Valdosta State University Campus

credit : source / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Valdosta, GA
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Jun 15 application deadline

Valdosta State is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The campus is in the south Georgia city of Valdosta.

#7 Best Public Universities in Georgia 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 920-1100
  • Avg GPA 3.23
  • Acceptance Rate 72%
  • Net Price $11,144
Details Calculate my Chances
University of South Carolina Beaufort Campus

credit : source / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Bluffton, SC
  • | 0 reviews

A public university known for undergraduate nursing, hospitality management, and biology. The Bluffton campus sits in South Carolina's Lowcountry near Hilton Head Island.

#10 Best Public Universities in South Carolina 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 940-1110
  • Avg GPA 3.82
  • Acceptance Rate 73%
  • Net Price $15,363
Details Calculate my Chances
Indiana University South Bend Campus

credit : source / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • South Bend, IN
  • | 0 reviews

IU South Bend is a public regional campus of Indiana University known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The campus lies along the St. Joseph River in South Bend.

#11 Best Public Universities in Indiana 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 950-1190
  • Avg GPA 3.24
  • Acceptance Rate 84%
  • Net Price $9,003
Details Calculate my Chances
Bluefield State University Campus
 

  • Public 4 Year
  • Bluefield, WV
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

Bluefield State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate nursing, engineering technology, and education. The campus is in Bluefield, a small city in the Appalachian mountains of southern West Virginia.

#3 Best Value Colleges in West Virginia 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 870-1080
  • Avg GPA 3.41
  • Acceptance Rate 97%
  • Net Price $15,814
Details Calculate my Chances
Western Kentucky University Campus

credit : L. Allen Brewer / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Bowling Green, KY
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

WKU is a public university known for undergraduate journalism, photojournalism, and broadcasting. The hilltop campus overlooks Bowling Green in south-central Kentucky.

#6 Best Public Universities in Kentucky 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 840-1050
  • Avg GPA 3.42
  • Acceptance Rate 94%
  • Net Price $12,548
Details Calculate my Chances