Top Rated New England Public Colleges
These are the top ranked public four-year colleges in New England as ranked by CollegeSimply. Leading the rankings for 2027 as the best public college in New England is University of Connecticut. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
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
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
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
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
- Public 4 Year
- Buzzards Bay, MA
-
| 0 reviews
- Apr 15 application deadline
Mass Maritime is a public maritime academy known for undergraduate marine transportation, marine engineering, and maritime business. Most students join a regiment of cadets on a campus along the Cape Cod Canal in Buzzards Bay.
- SAT Range 1030-1185
- Avg GPA 3.25
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $13,546
University of Massachusetts Lowell
- Public 4 Year
- Lowell, MA
-
3.5 | 2 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
UMass Lowell is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, nursing, and sciences. The urban campus sits along the Merrimack River in Lowell.
- SAT Range 1180-1370
- Avg GPA 3.67
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $16,530
University of New Hampshire Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Durham, NH
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
UNH is a large public university known for undergraduate marine science, environmental studies, and business. Durham is a classic New England college town built around the campus near the seacoast.
- SAT Range 1090-1330
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $24,999
University of Rhode Island
- Public 4 Year
- Kingston, RI
-
4.0 | 7 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
URI is a public university known for undergraduate oceanography, marine science, and pharmacy. The main campus sits in the college town of Kingston in southern Rhode Island.
- SAT Range 1020-1280
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $24,118
University of Massachusetts Boston
- Public 4 Year
- Boston, MA
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
UMass Boston is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and environmental science. The urban waterfront campus sits on Columbia Point along Boston Harbor.
- SAT Range 1070-1290
- Avg GPA 3.35
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $17,768
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
- Public 4 Year
- North Dartmouth, MA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
UMass Dartmouth is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, nursing, and visual design. The suburban campus features distinctive modernist architecture in southeastern Massachusetts.
- SAT Range 1050-1270
- Avg GPA 3.37
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $21,094
University of Connecticut Stamford
- Public 4 Year
- Stamford, CT
-
| 0 reviews
UConn Stamford is a public regional campus known for undergraduate business and digital media. The urban campus sits in downtown Stamford.
- SAT Range 930-1260
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $15,566
University of Maine
- Public 4 Year
- Orono, ME
-
| 0 reviews
UMaine is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, forestry, and marine sciences. The wooded campus sits along the Stillwater River in the college town of Orono.
- SAT Range 1070-1330
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $18,061
Framingham State University
- Public 4 Year
- Framingham, MA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Framingham State is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education, nutrition, and fashion design. The suburban campus sits in the MetroWest area west of Boston.
- SAT Range 1100-1280
- Avg GPA 3.07
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $16,114
Central Connecticut State University
- Public 4 Year
- New Britain, CT
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
- Aug 26 application deadline
CCSU is a public university known for undergraduate education, business, and nursing. The New Britain campus sits in central Connecticut.
- SAT Range 960-1190
- Avg GPA 3.2
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $17,528
Eastern Connecticut State University
- Public 4 Year
- Willimantic, CT
-
| 0 reviews
Eastern is a public liberal arts university known for undergraduate education and environmental earth science. The residential campus sits in the small town of Willimantic in eastern Connecticut.
- SAT Range 1070-1260
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $21,512
Bridgewater State University
- Public 4 Year
- Bridgewater, MA
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Bridgewater State is a public university known for undergraduate education and aviation science. The campus is set in the small town of Bridgewater in southeastern Massachusetts.
- SAT Range 1060-1263
- Avg GPA 3.21
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $15,646
Worcester State University
- Public 4 Year
- Worcester, MA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
Worcester State is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The urban campus sits in Worcester, a mid-sized Massachusetts city west of Boston.
- SAT Range 1026-1283
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $12,778
Fitchburg State University
- Public 4 Year
- Fitchburg, MA
-
| 0 reviews
Fitchburg State is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education, nursing, and business. The campus is located in the small city of Fitchburg in north-central Massachusetts.
- SAT Range 1060-1230
- Avg GPA 3.29
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $15,340
Westfield State University
- Public 4 Year
- Westfield, MA
-
| 0 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Westfield State is a public university known for undergraduate education and criminal justice. The campus sits in the small city of Westfield in western Massachusetts.
- SAT Range 980-1190
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $17,406