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
Miami University Oxford Campus

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

Miami University is a public university known for undergraduate business and education. The residential red-brick campus anchors the small college town of Oxford.

#2 Best Public Universities in Ohio 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1220-1390
  • Avg GPA 3.85
  • Acceptance Rate 75%
  • Net Price $28,229
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State University of New York at New Paltz Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • New Paltz, NY
  • | 0 reviews
  • Apr 1 application deadline

SUNY New Paltz is a public university known for undergraduate fine arts, graphic design, and education. The campus sits in a Hudson Valley college town near the Shawangunk Mountains.

#8 Best Public Universities in New York 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1170-1340
  • Avg GPA 3.6
  • Acceptance Rate 62%
  • Net Price $18,051
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Michigan Technological University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Houghton, MI
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews

Michigan Tech is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and forestry. Students attend campus in the Upper Peninsula town of Houghton near Lake Superior.

#3 Best Value Colleges in Michigan 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1130-1350
  • Avg GPA 3.78
  • Acceptance Rate 92%
  • Net Price $16,879
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University of Arizona Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Tucson, AZ
  • | 0 reviews

Arizona is a large public university known for undergraduate astronomy, optical sciences, and planetary science. The main campus sits in the Sonoran Desert in Tucson.

#1 Best Value in Arizona 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1150-1420
  • Avg GPA 3.48
  • Acceptance Rate 86%
  • Net Price $19,055
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University of North Carolina School of the Arts Campus

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

UNCSA is a public arts conservatory known for undergraduate dance, drama, music, and filmmaking. Students train on a specialized campus in Winston-Salem devoted to intensive performing-arts study.

#3 Best Public Universities in North Carolina 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1140-1370
  • Avg GPA 3.75
  • Acceptance Rate 30%
  • Net Price $13,140
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CUNY Hunter College Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • New York, NY
  • | 0 reviews

Hunter College is a public CUNY college known for undergraduate nursing, education, and psychology. The urban campus is on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

#9 Best Public Universities in New York 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1100-1420
  • Avg GPA 3.7
  • Acceptance Rate 54%
  • Net Price $4,431
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Auburn University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Auburn, AL
  • 4.6 | 9 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

Auburn is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and agriculture. The residential campus anchors the classic college town of Auburn.

#1 Best Public Universities in Alabama 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1260-1390
  • Avg GPA 3.97
  • Acceptance Rate 46%
  • Net Price $25,242
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University of California Riverside Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Riverside, CA
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Nov 30 application deadline

UC Riverside is a large public university known for undergraduate entomology, plant sciences, and business. The suburban campus lies in California's Inland Empire east of Los Angeles.

#9 Best Public Universities in California 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1080-1280
  • Avg GPA 3.84
  • Acceptance Rate 76%
  • Net Price $14,562
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CUNY City College Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • New York, NY
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

CCNY is a public college in the CUNY system known for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and the sciences. The urban campus is located in Harlem in northern Manhattan.

#10 Best Public Universities in New York 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1070-1430
  • Avg GPA 3.2
  • Acceptance Rate 60%
  • Net Price $4,664
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SUNY Oneonta Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Oneonta, NY
  • 3.0 | 2 reviews

SUNY Oneonta is a public university known for undergraduate education, environmental science, and music. The residential campus sits in a college town in New York's Catskill region.

#11 Best Public Universities in New York 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1120-1310
  • Avg GPA 3.45
  • Acceptance Rate 70%
  • Net Price $18,669
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CUNY Brooklyn College Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Brooklyn, NY
  • 1.0 | 1 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

Brooklyn College is a public CUNY college known for undergraduate education, the liberal arts, and performing arts. The Georgian-style campus sits on a tree-lined quadrangle in Brooklyn's Midwood neighborhood.

#12 Best Public Universities in New York 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 950-1340
  • Avg GPA 3.42
  • Acceptance Rate 58%
  • Net Price $4,512
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University of Kansas Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Lawrence, KS
  • 3.5 | 6 reviews
  • Aug 15 application deadline

KU is a large public university known for undergraduate journalism, pharmacy, and business. The hillside campus sits in the college town of Lawrence.

#1 Best Value in Kansas 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1070-1300
  • Avg GPA 3.66
  • Acceptance Rate 93%
  • Net Price $19,205
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SUNY Polytechnic Institute Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Utica, NY
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

SUNY Poly is a public polytechnic institute known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and cybersecurity. The Utica-area campus sits in Central New York.

#13 Best Public Universities in New York 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1025-1370
  • Avg GPA 3.7
  • Acceptance Rate 81%
  • Net Price $14,782
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University of Wyoming Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Laramie, WY
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 10 application deadline

Wyoming is a public university known for undergraduate geology, petroleum engineering, and agriculture. The campus sits in the college town of Laramie near the Medicine Bow Mountains.

#1 Best Value in Wyoming 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1040-1240
  • Avg GPA 3.53
  • Acceptance Rate 97%
  • Net Price $14,872
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Oregon State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Corvallis, OR
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

Oregon State is a large public university known for undergraduate forestry, marine science, and engineering. Corvallis is a college town built around the campus in Oregon's Willamette Valley.

#1 Best Public Universities in Oregon 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1140-1400
  • Avg GPA 3.61
  • Acceptance Rate 77%
  • Net Price $22,467
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SUNY at Fredonia Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Fredonia, NY
  • | 0 reviews

Fredonia is a public university known for undergraduate music, performing arts, and education. The residential campus sits in a small college town in western New York near Lake Erie.

#14 Best Public Universities in New York 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1160-1370
  • Avg GPA 3.3
  • Acceptance Rate 78%
  • Net Price $16,023
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University of Hawaii at Manoa Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Honolulu, HI
  • 4.5 | 2 reviews

UH Manoa is a large public university known for undergraduate marine science, oceanography, and Hawaiian studies. The campus occupies Manoa Valley in Honolulu.

#1 Best Public Universities in Hawaii 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1081-1293
  • Avg GPA 3.67
  • Acceptance Rate 87%
  • Net Price $17,202
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Iowa State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Ames, IA
  • 4.0 | 4 reviews

Iowa State is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and design. Ames is a college town built around the campus.

#2 Best Public Universities in Iowa 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1120-1360
  • Avg GPA 3.7
  • Acceptance Rate 89%
  • Net Price $17,779
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