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Best Public Colleges

University of California-Berkeley ranked first and University of California-Los Angeles ranked second in 2025 Public Colleges rankings. (Read our ranking methodology and know how to rank.)

The following list summarizes the core statistics for top 100 Public Colleges. You can check the schools in the comparison table below.

The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the top 100 Public Colleges is $23,412.
The average graduate tuition & fees of the top 100 Public Colleges is $21,399.
The average number of students is 15,583 and the students to faculty ratio is 17 to 1.
The average graduation rate is 55.44% and the transfer-out rate is 18.49%.

Best Public Colleges Comparison Table

The following table shows Best Public Colleges. You can sort the table by column by clicking/touching column titles and narrow down the college list by using buttons below.

Rank	College Name	Undergraduate Tuition & Fees	Graduate Tuition & Fees	SAT Score	Acceptance Rate	Population	Graduation Rate	Student to Faculty Ratio
1	University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA	$47,265	$30,968	-	11%	45,882	93%	18 to 1
2	University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	$46,121	$29,578	-	9%	47,335	93%	20 to 1
3	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	$63,081	$57,776	1,460	16%	52,855	93%	11 to 1
4	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA	$34,484	$32,144	1,480	14%	53,363	94%	17 to 1
5	University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA	$61,591	$37,628	1,480	17%	26,409	96%	15 to 1
6	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX	$44,908	$22,954	1,390	27%	53,864	89%	18 to 1
7	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC	$41,203	$31,408	1,480	15%	32,438	91%	15 to 1
8	University of Florida Gainesville, FL	$28,659	$30,130	1,400	24%	56,311	91%	16 to 1
9	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL	$40,096	$34,406	1,440	42%	59,238	85%	20 to 1
10	University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI	$42,103	$25,651	1,460	45%	51,044	90%	18 to 1
11	William & Mary Williamsburg, VA	$51,038	$36,684	1,470	34%	9,818	89%	12 to 1
12	Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ	$37,441	$37,689	1,410	58%	52,269	84%	16 to 1
13	University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD	$41,186	$38,207	1,465	45%	41,725	89%	17 to 1
14	University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA	$47,676	$30,199	-	27%	44,256	86%	19 to 1
15	Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO	$45,824	$45,824	1,400	61%	8,044	82%	18 to 1
16	Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buzzards Bay, MA	$23,722	$19,984	-	95%	1,488	74%	13 to 1
17	Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN	$28,794	$28,794	1,350	50%	58,658	83%	14 to 1
18	Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO	$33,248	$26,056	1,300	73%	7,154	64%	17 to 1
19	University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA	$47,332	$30,226	-	33%	26,133	83%	17 to 1
20	University of Washington-Bothell Campus Bothell, WA	$43,155	$32,757	-	91%	6,058	65%	22 to 1
21	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA	$43,209	$32,811	-	39%	56,997	85%	20 to 1
22	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA	$37,764	$35,092	1,360	55%	38,857	86%	17 to 1
23	Texas A&M University-College Station College Station, TX	$40,124	$24,505	1,270	57%	78,321	84%	20 to 1
24	SUNY Maritime College Throggs Neck, NY	$19,159	$24,561	1,200	72%	1,413	64%	15 to 1
25	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC	$32,847	$32,874	1,370	42%	38,464	85%	15 to 1
26	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT	$43,712	$44,784	1,340	52%	28,306	83%	17 to 1
27	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA	$33,230	$23,765	-	31%	23,069	86%	19 to 1
28	University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL	$32,009	$27,748	1,240	77%	33,906	62%	17 to 1
29	University of California-Davis Davis, CA	$47,692	$30,243	-	42%	40,065	86%	22 to 1
30	University of Delaware Newark, DE	$41,400	$20,304	1,280	71%	24,412	81%	16 to 1
31	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT	$30,860	$27,983	1,285	86%	36,894	65%	19 to 1
32	University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA	$40,449	$35,726	1,420	60%	31,726	83%	17 to 1
33	University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA	$46,640	$29,929	-	29%	37,297	87%	19 to 1
34	University of Georgia Athens, GA	$31,688	$29,774	1,370	38%	43,146	90%	17 to 1
35	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK	$27,377	$26,142	1,238	77%	30,851	75%	18 to 1
36	New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ	$37,664	$38,436	1,330	65%	13,247	73%	17 to 1
37	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL	$21,683	$26,707	1,350	24%	43,889	86%	17 to 1
38	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	$44,850	$41,848	1,260	85%	52,089	81%	17 to 1
39	University of Missouri-Kansas City Kansas City, MO	$32,271	$32,298	1,470	72%	14,732	55%	13 to 1
40	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA	$28,631	$29,962	1,255	73%	41,705	69%	21 to 1
41	University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI	$34,218	$34,550	1,160	87%	20,028	64%	15 to 1
42	University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO	$36,056	$32,581	1,230	78%	31,543	75%	17 to 1
43	Augusta University Augusta, GA	$24,734	$21,060	1,060	86%	10,900	49%	16 to 1
44	South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Rapid City, SD	$14,900	$14,600	1,230	80%	2,576	53%	12 to 1
45	University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA	$43,404	$33,006	-	83%	4,965	63%	15 to 1
46	University of Houston Houston, TX	$22,547	$19,231	1,250	74%	47,980	65%	22 to 1
47	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA	$41,790	$45,574	1,330	61%	50,737	86%	16 to 1
48	University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Durham, NH	$39,852	$30,912	1,210	88%	13,554	76%	17 to 1
49	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH	$40,022	$42,740	1,400	61%	61,443	88%	16 to 1
50	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	$38,362	$33,249	1,410	80%	56,666	85%	17 to 1
51	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY	$34,140	$36,238	1,180	93%	34,709	71%	18 to 1
52	University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	$27,411	$25,555	1,120	96%	32,911	51%	19 to 1
53	University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI	$37,146	$33,148	1,160	72%	17,210	73%	17 to 1
54	University of Massachusetts-Lowell Lowell, MA	$36,264	$29,118	1,280	83%	16,598	65%	17 to 1
55	University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE	$28,584	$20,944	1,200	87%	24,393	67%	17 to 1
56	James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA	$31,312	$30,984	1,250	72%	22,740	80%	17 to 1
57	University of Wisconsin-La Crosse La Crosse, WI	$19,517	$21,529	-	76%	10,446	71%	20 to 1
58	University of Nevada-Reno Reno, NV	$27,720	$25,174	1,180	74%	23,024	61%	17 to 1
59	Clemson University Clemson, SC	$40,866	$24,798	1,320	38%	29,077	87%	16 to 1
60	Kansas State University Manhattan, KS	$28,568	$25,824	1,170	82%	20,295	71%	19 to 1
61	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR	$29,966	$30,892	1,120	74%	33,610	71%	20 to 1
62	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH	$28,697	$26,674	1,260	85%	45,026	75%	19 to 1
63	University of Vermont Burlington, VT	$45,502	$34,262	1,360	65%	14,476	79%	17 to 1
64	The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ	$25,752	$18,349	1,240	62%	8,141	86%	14 to 1
65	CUNY Graduate School and University Center New York, NY	$15,185	$23,524	-	68%	9,536	-	13 to 1
66	Western Washington University Bellingham, WA	$28,707	$27,389	1,280	93%	14,710	65%	18 to 1
67	Binghamton University Vestal, NY	$30,447	$27,140	1,410	39%	18,816	82%	18 to 1
68	University of Mississippi University, MS	$28,600	$28,600	1,090	97%	26,449	72%	18 to 1
69	Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN	$34,891	$28,964	1,130	76%	22,534	54%	13 to 1
70	San Diego State University San Diego, CA	$21,328	$20,332	-	36%	41,137	76%	27 to 1
71	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA	$41,430	$46,786	1,360	58%	35,724	85%	13 to 1
72	Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY	$32,741	$29,242	1,420	49%	26,689	76%	19 to 1
73	University of Missouri-St Louis Saint Louis, MO	$37,620	$36,792	1,240	63%	14,736	57%	13 to 1
74	South Dakota State University Brookings, SD	$12,809	$16,917	1,130	98%	12,056	62%	17 to 1
75	The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX	$40,144	$29,548	1,280	65%	29,886	76%	23 to 1
76	University of Central Florida Orlando, FL	$22,467	$28,657	1,260	40%	69,713	78%	28 to 1
77	Utah State University Logan, UT	$24,993	$24,773	1,170	92%	28,904	59%	19 to 1
78	George Mason University Fairfax, VA	$38,688	$40,308	1,270	87%	39,766	68%	16 to 1
79	University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD	$12,942	$12,768	1,205	99%	10,619	60%	16 to 1
80	Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN	$41,891	$33,454	1,290	78%	48,424	80%	18 to 1
81	University of Toledo Toledo, OH	$21,517	$29,426	1,200	92%	14,358	57%	18 to 1
82	Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS	$27,637	$27,637	1,210	78%	23,150	67%	16 to 1
83	University of Louisville Louisville, KY	$29,482	$30,546	1,150	79%	23,065	61%	14 to 1
84	Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA	$52,638	-	1,180	71%	1,527	76%	9 to 1
85	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI	$19,228	$22,054	-	82%	10,049	64%	19 to 1
86	University of New Hampshire at Manchester Manchester, NH	$36,418	$16,856	1,100	81%	663	50%	8 to 1
87	Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA	$31,178	$22,986	1,170	86%	4,454	72%	13 to 1
88	University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL	$22,562	$21,168	1,340	88%	20,905	64%	18 to 1
89	University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY	$31,536	$28,210	1,290	74%	31,903	75%	11 to 1
90	University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM	$33,060	$28,734	1,020	95%	23,124	55%	15 to 1
91	University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage, AK	$21,322	$20,720	-	-	10,493	30%	11 to 1
92	Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA	$17,874	$9,297	1,170	88%	9,727	53%	17 to 1
93	Rutgers University-Camden Camden, NJ	$37,276	$36,772	1,185	66%	5,675	67%	12 to 1
94	University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK	$19,704	$18,925	-	78%	12,554	37%	18 to 1
95	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL	$13,334	$31,122	1,040	87%	11,790	62%	11 to 1
96	University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA	$24,146	$23,912	1,190	87%	15,665	53%	18 to 1
97	Illinois State University Normal, IL	$26,058	$13,062	1,100	88%	21,546	65%	19 to 1
98	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI	$22,398	$26,159	-	91%	22,450	49%	17 to 1
99	Truman State University Kirksville, MO	$18,566	$12,168	1,320	84%	3,664	69%	12 to 1
100	Washington State University Pullman, WA	$29,950	$30,467	-	87%	25,685	60%	15 to 1
	Average	$23,412	$21,399	1,143	77%	15,583	55%	17 to 1