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
Fairmont State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Fairmont, WV
  • 4.0 | 1 reviews

Fairmont State is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education, nursing, and business. The hilltop campus overlooks the small city of Fairmont in north-central West Virginia.

#7 Best Public Universities in West Virginia 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 810-1070
  • Avg GPA 3.36
  • Acceptance Rate 99%
  • Net Price $11,328
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Tennessee State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Nashville, TN
  • | 0 reviews

Tennessee State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate nursing, business, and engineering. The urban campus is in Nashville.

#9 Best Public Universities in Tennessee
  • SAT Range 880-1050
  • Avg GPA 3.22
  • Acceptance Rate 70%
  • Net Price $14,586
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Youngstown State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Youngstown, OH
  • 4.0 | 1 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

Youngstown State is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and education. The urban campus sits in Youngstown in northeastern Ohio.

#11 Best Public Universities in Ohio
  • SAT Range 1010-1230
  • Avg GPA 3.51
  • Acceptance Rate 84%
  • Net Price $12,757
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Southeast Missouri State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Cape Girardeau, MO
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Jul 1 application deadline

SEMO is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The campus overlooks the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau.

#10 Best Public Universities in Missouri 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 850-1030
  • Avg GPA 3.53
  • Acceptance Rate 74%
  • Net Price $16,185
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Concord University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Athens, WV
  • | 0 reviews

Concord is a small public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The residential campus sits in the college town of Athens in southern West Virginia.

#8 Best Public Universities in West Virginia 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 830-1090
  • Avg GPA 3.4
  • Acceptance Rate 93%
  • Net Price $11,379
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Southeastern Louisiana University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Hammond, LA
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

Southeastern Louisiana is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus is in Hammond, a smaller city between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

#10 Best Public Universities in Louisiana 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 3.39
  • Acceptance Rate 99%
  • Net Price $13,116
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University of Wisconsin Parkside Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Kenosha, WI
  • | 0 reviews

UW-Parkside is a public university known for undergraduate business, criminal justice, and biological sciences. The wooded Kenosha campus sits between Milwaukee and Chicago.

#13 Best Public Universities in Wisconsin 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 3.31
  • Acceptance Rate 75%
  • Net Price $10,234
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Lincoln University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Lincoln University, PA
  • | 0 reviews
  • May 1 application deadline

Lincoln University is a public HBCU known for undergraduate programs in education, business, and the sciences. The rural campus is set in Chester County in southern Pennsylvania.

#19 Best Public Universities in Pennsylvania 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 820-960
  • Avg GPA 3.06
  • Acceptance Rate 66%
  • Net Price $14,473
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Georgia Southwestern State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Americus, GA
  • | 0 reviews
  • Jul 21 application deadline

Georgia Southwestern is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus sits in the small city of Americus in southwest Georgia.

#8 Best Public Universities in Georgia 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 890-1110
  • Avg GPA 3.17
  • Acceptance Rate 75%
  • Net Price $11,769
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Louisiana State University Alexandria Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Alexandria, LA
  • | 0 reviews

LSUA is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in Alexandria in central Louisiana.

#11 Best Public Universities in Louisiana 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 970-1220
  • Avg GPA 3.16
  • Acceptance Rate 92%
  • Net Price $8,296
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Norfolk State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Norfolk, VA
  • | 0 reviews
  • May 31 application deadline

Norfolk State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, social work, and communications. The urban campus sits in Norfolk near downtown and the Elizabeth River.

#15 Best Public Universities in Virginia 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 823-1030
  • Avg GPA 2.9
  • Acceptance Rate 88%
  • Net Price $9,124
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North Carolina Central University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Durham, NC
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

NCCU is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and criminal justice. The campus sits in Durham within North Carolina's Research Triangle.

#15 Best Public Universities in North Carolina 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 980-1100
  • Avg GPA 3.27
  • Acceptance Rate 87%
  • Net Price $14,475
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University of West Alabama Campus
 

  • Public 4 Year
  • Livingston, AL
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 10 application deadline

West Alabama is a public university known for undergraduate education and business programs. The campus sits in the small town of Livingston in western Alabama.

#10 Best Public Universities in Alabama 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 860-1120
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.16
  • Acceptance Rate 43%
  • Net Price $13,954
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Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Portales, NM
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Aug 24 application deadline

ENMU is a public university known for undergraduate aviation and teacher education. The campus is in the small college town of Portales on New Mexico's eastern plains.

#4 Best Public Universities in New Mexico 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 830-1060
  • Avg GPA 3.23
  • Acceptance Rate 92%
  • Net Price $6,416
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Fayetteville State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Fayetteville, NC
  • 4.3 | 3 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

Fayetteville State is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. It is a historically Black university in the University of North Carolina system.

#16 Best Public Universities in North Carolina 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 890-1090
  • Avg GPA 3.11
  • Acceptance Rate 82%
  • Net Price $7,811
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Jackson State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Jackson, MS
  • | 0 reviews
  • Jul 15 application deadline

Jackson State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate business, education, and public health. The urban campus sits in Mississippi's capital city.

#5 Best Public Universities in Mississippi 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 820-1070
  • Avg GPA 3.1
  • Acceptance Rate 93%
  • Net Price $23,450
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Lander University Campus

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

Lander is a public university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The campus is in the small city of Greenwood in South Carolina's Upstate.

#11 Best Public Universities in South Carolina 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 950-1178
  • Avg GPA 3.66
  • Acceptance Rate 81%
  • Net Price $15,520
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Black Hills State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Spearfish, SD
  • | 0 reviews

Black Hills State is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education, business, and outdoor education. The campus sits in Spearfich at the northern edge of South Dakota's Black Hills.

#3 Best Value Colleges in South Dakota 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 965-1135
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.22
  • Acceptance Rate 96%
  • Net Price $15,576
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