Educads

201 Best Public PhD Universities in the United States

Princeton University tops our list of 201 Public PhD universities in the United States at #15 in the QS World University Rankings 2026. It is followed by University of California, Berkeley (QS World #28) and Georgia Institute of Technology (QS World #123). The universities on this list offer 733 matching courses between them.

201 universities · ranked best first

how we rank
101Ranked
SJ Saint Joseph's University logo
#639 in United States United States
#639 in United States · by research impact
157,671 citations · h-index 162
105Ranked
NU National University logo
#657 in United States United States
#657 in United States · by research impact
147,896 citations · h-index 129
107Ranked
LU LaSalle University logo
#691 in United States United States
#691 in United States · by research impact
133,069 citations · h-index 146
112Ranked
WU Walden University logo
#735 in United States United States
#735 in United States · by research impact
109,580 citations · h-index 115

By university type

How these universities are ranked

18 of these universities hold a QS World position, from #15 (Princeton University) to #575 (University of South Carolina); they are listed first, in that order. The rest are ordered by research impact. University of California, Berkeley has the largest research record in this group, with 58,388,527 citations and an h-index of 1,903. 9 universities have neither a QS position nor a research record yet and appear at the end, marked "Not yet ranked".

Public, private and where they are

The split is 201 public to 0 private institutions. By location, New York (2), Texas (2) and California (1) account for the most of those we can place. The oldest is University of California, Berkeley, founded in 1868. University of California, Berkeley is the largest, with 45,000 students.

What the courses look like

The most common subjects are Medicine & Health Sciences (151), Education (93), Engineering (84) and Social Sciences & Psychology (80). The usual length is 4–6 years and null. 94% are full-time and 32 can be studied online. Start dates lean to Fall (100% of courses with a stated intake) and Spring (0% of courses with a stated intake). New Mexico State University offers the widest choice, with 29 of these courses.

What it costs

We hold indicative fees for 8 of these universities. CUNY Graduate School and University Center is the least expensive at USD 15,185 a year and University of California, Berkeley the most at USD 44,000; the middle of the range is about USD 33,671. Check each university's own fee page before you budget — figures change every year.

Frequently asked questions

What are the top universities for Public PhD in the United States?

Princeton University (QS World #15), University of California, Berkeley (QS World #28) and Georgia Institute of Technology (QS World #123) lead this list. QS World positions come first; the rest are ranked by research impact.

Which is the cheapest university for Public PhD in the United States?

Of those with published fees, CUNY Graduate School and University Center is the least expensive at about USD 15,185 a year. Fees are indicative — confirm on the university's site.

How many public universities offer Public PhD in the United States?

201 public and 0 private universities are on this list.

How long does a Public PhD course take in the United States?

Most listed courses run 4–6 years, with null the next most common.

When do Public PhD courses start in the United States?

Fall is the main intake — 100% of courses with a stated start date begin then, and Spring is the second.

Can I study Public PhD online with a university in the United States?

32 of these courses are listed as online.

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