Top Rated East Public Colleges
These are the top ranked public four-year colleges in the East as ranked by CollegeSimply. Leading the rankings for 2027 as the best public college in the East is University at Buffalo. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
University at Buffalo
- Public 4 Year
- Buffalo, NY
-
3.4 | 8 reviews
University at Buffalo is a large public university known for undergraduate pharmacy, engineering, and architecture. Most undergrads are based on the suburban North Campus in Amherst.
- SAT Range 1210-1380
- Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $20,529
University of Connecticut
- Public 4 Year
- Storrs, CT
-
4.0 | 2 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
UConn is a large public university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and engineering. Most students live on the residential campus in the college town of Storrs.
- SAT Range 1210-1440
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 52%
- Net Price $25,310
Rutgers University New Brunswick
- 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.
- SAT Range 1310-1500
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 58%
- Net Price $20,522
Binghamton University
- 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.
- SAT Range 1340-1500
- Avg GPA 4.0
- Acceptance Rate 39%
- Net Price $18,877
University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus
- 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.
- SAT Range 1280-1460
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.79
- Acceptance Rate 58%
- Net Price $25,223
Stony Brook University
- 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.
- SAT Range 1330-1500
- Avg GPA 3.94
- Acceptance Rate 49%
- Net Price $20,992
University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Public 4 Year
- Amherst, MA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
UMass Amherst is a large public university known for undergraduate computer science, business, and engineering. Students can cross-register at nearby colleges through the Five College Consortium in the Pioneer Valley.
- SAT Range 1310-1500
- Avg GPA 3.99
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $22,948
Rutgers University Camden
- Public 4 Year
- Camden, NJ
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
Rutgers-Camden is a public university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and biology. The urban campus sits across the Delaware River from Philadelphia.
- SAT Range 1050-1300
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $19,821
The College of New Jersey
- Public 4 Year
- Ewing, NJ
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
TCNJ is a public college known for undergraduate teacher education, nursing, and business. The suburban Ewing campus is primarily residential.
- SAT Range 1140-1340
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.29
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $25,580
Penn State Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- University Park, PA
-
4.2 | 12 reviews
Penn State is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and communications. The University Park campus anchors the college town of State College in central Pennsylvania.
- SAT Range 1240-1420
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 61%
- Net Price $27,889
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
- Public 4 Year
- New York, NY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Baruch is a public CUNY college known for undergraduate business, finance, and accounting. The compact urban campus sits in Midtown Manhattan.
- SAT Range 1100-1400
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 48%
- Net Price $4,326
Rutgers University Newark
- Public 4 Year
- Newark, NJ
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
Rutgers-Newark is a public university known for undergraduate business and criminal justice. The urban campus is located in downtown Newark.
- SAT Range 1030-1270
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $18,276
New Jersey Institute of Technology
- Public 4 Year
- Newark, NJ
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
NJIT is a public technological university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and architecture. The urban campus is located in Newark.
- SAT Range 1210-1460
- Avg GPA 3.72
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $17,313
SUNY College at Geneseo
- Public 4 Year
- Geneseo, NY
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Geneseo is a public liberal arts college known for undergraduate education and the sciences. The residential campus sits in a small college town in western New York's Genesee Valley.
- SAT Range 1190-1340
- Avg GPA 3.72
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $19,115
University of Vermont
- Public 4 Year
- Burlington, VT
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
UVM is a public university known for undergraduate environmental science, natural resources, and nursing. The hillside campus overlooks Lake Champlain in Burlington.
- SAT Range 1290-1440
- Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $20,084
University at Albany
- Public 4 Year
- Albany, NY
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
University at Albany is a large public university known for undergraduate criminal justice, public policy, and atmospheric science. The campus is in New York's capital, with many programs oriented toward state government.
- SAT Range 1120-1320
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $17,949
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
- Public 4 Year
- Syracuse, NY
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
ESF is a specialized public college known for undergraduate environmental science, forestry, and landscape architecture. The campus adjoins Syracuse University in Syracuse.
- SAT Range 1130-1300
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $19,814
Ramapo College of New Jersey
- Public 4 Year
- Mahwah, NJ
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Ramapo is a public liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing, business, and communication arts. The wooded suburban campus sits in the Ramapo Mountains foothills near the New York border.
- SAT Range 1130-1300
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $17,566