Educads

2,465 Best Public Universities in the United States

California Institute of Technology tops our list of 2,465 Public universities in the United States at #10 in the QS World University Rankings 2026. University of Pennsylvania (QS World #12) and Cornell University (QS World #13) complete the top three. Across the whole list there are 41,584 courses to choose from.

2,465 universities · ranked best first

how we rank
241Ranked
UN University of New Hampshire-Main Campus logo
#249 in United States Durham, New Hampshire, United States

University of New Hampshire-Main Campus

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

USD 39,852/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
11,261Students
International
Admissions open
#249 in United States · by research impact
2,917,544 citations · h-index 568
243Ranked
UA University of Arkansas logo
#251 in United States Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States

University of Arkansas

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

USD 29,966/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
28,677Students
International
Admissions open
#251 in United States · by research impact
2,899,009 citations · h-index 444
244Ranked
UA University of Arkansas - Fayetteville logo
#252 in United States United States

University of Arkansas - Fayetteville

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#252 in United States · by research impact
2,899,009 citations · h-index 444
252Ranked
MS Mississippi State University logo
#260 in United States United States

Mississippi State University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#260 in United States · by research impact
2,583,265 citations · h-index 454
253Ranked
UR University of Rhode Island logo
#261 in United States United States

University of Rhode Island

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#261 in United States · by research impact
2,521,962 citations · h-index 472
255Ranked
OU Ohio University-Main Campus logo
#263 in United States Athens, Ohio, United States

Ohio University-Main Campus

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

USD 24,838/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
19,633Students
International
Admissions open
#263 in United States · by research impact
2,474,147 citations · h-index 461
259Ranked
NM New Mexico State University-Carlsbad logo
#267 in United States United States

New Mexico State University-Carlsbad

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#267 in United States · by research impact
2,383,475 citations · h-index 506
260Ranked
NM New Mexico State University-Dona Ana logo
#268 in United States United States

New Mexico State University-Dona Ana

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#268 in United States · by research impact
2,383,475 citations · h-index 506
261Ranked
NM New Mexico State University-Main Campus logo
#269 in United States Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States

New Mexico State University-Main Campus

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

USD 25,307/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
11,946Students
International
Admissions open
#269 in United States · by research impact
2,383,475 citations · h-index 506
264Ranked
JB Johnson Bible College logo
#272 in United States United States
#272 in United States · by research impact
2,297,815 citations · h-index 480

By university type

How these universities are ranked

153 of these universities hold a QS World position, from #10 (California Institute of Technology) to #600 (Tulane University); they are listed first, in that order. The rest are ordered by research impact. University of Washington has the largest research record in this group, with 98,078,141 citations and an h-index of 3,639. 177 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 2,465 public to 0 private institutions. By location, New York (20), Texas (13) and Ohio (8) account for the most of those we can place. The oldest is University of California, Berkeley, founded in 1868. Arizona State University Campus Immersion is the largest, with 64,674 students.

What the courses look like

By level: 23,970 bachelor's, 4,338 master's, 2,602 diploma and 1,119 professional. The most common subjects are Social Sciences & Psychology (5,139), Business & Management (5,074), Medicine & Health Sciences (4,406) and Education (3,474). The usual length is 4 years and 1–2 years. 94% are full-time and 2,034 can be studied online. Start dates lean to Fall (100% of courses with a stated intake) and Spring (96% of courses with a stated intake). Humboldt State University offers the widest choice, with 303 of these courses.

What it costs

We hold indicative fees for 134 of these universities. University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez is the least expensive at USD 5,274 a year and University of Virginia-Main Campus the most at USD 59,512; the middle of the range is about USD 23,082. Check each university's own fee page before you budget — figures change every year.

Frequently asked questions

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

California Institute of Technology (QS World #10), University of Pennsylvania (QS World #12) and Cornell University (QS World #13) lead this list. QS World positions come first; the rest are ranked by research impact.

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

Of those with published fees, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez is the least expensive at about USD 5,274 a year. Fees are indicative — confirm on the university's site.

How many public universities offer Public in the United States?

2,465 public and 0 private universities are on this list.

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

Most listed courses run 4 years, with 1–2 years the next most common.

When do Public 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 online with a university in the United States?

2,034 of these courses are listed as online.

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