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
314Ranked
UT The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley logo
#323 in United States Edinburg, Texas, United States

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Public University · 0 courses

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

USD 19,827/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
28,666Students
International
Admissions open
#323 in United States · by research impact
1,410,570 citations · h-index 475
315Ranked
UT The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley logo
#324 in United States United States
#324 in United States · by research impact
1,410,570 citations · h-index 475
317Ranked
UN The University of North Carolina at Greensboro logo
#326 in United States United States
#326 in United States · by research impact
1,339,685 citations · h-index 375
318Ranked
UN University of North Carolina at Greensboro logo
#327 in United States Greensboro, North Carolina, United States

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Public University · 0 courses

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

USD 24,012/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
14,062Students
International
Admissions open
#327 in United States · by research impact
1,339,685 citations · h-index 375
320Ranked
UM University of Missouri-St Louis logo
#329 in United States Saint Louis, Missouri, United States

University of Missouri-St Louis

Public University · 0 courses

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

USD 35,112/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
5,024Students
International
Admissions open
#329 in United States · by research impact
1,326,294 citations · h-index 363
321Ranked
US University of San Diego logo
#330 in United States United States

University of San Diego

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#330 in United States · by research impact
1,313,209 citations · h-index 390
324Ranked
MU Marquette University logo
#333 in United States United States
#333 in United States · by research impact
1,247,328 citations · h-index 317
325Ranked
WU Wilmington University logo
#334 in United States United States
#334 in United States · by research impact
1,246,980 citations · h-index 396
326Ranked
UM University of Massachusetts at Lowell logo
#335 in United States United States

University of Massachusetts at Lowell

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#335 in United States · by research impact
1,246,750 citations · h-index 343
327Ranked
UM University of Massachusetts-Lowell logo
#336 in United States Lowell, Massachusetts, United States

University of Massachusetts-Lowell

Public University · 0 courses

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

USD 36,264/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
11,434Students
International
Admissions open
#336 in United States · by research impact
1,246,750 citations · h-index 343
328Ranked
UN University of North Dakota logo
#337 in United States United States
#337 in United States · by research impact
1,246,285 citations · h-index 305
332Ranked
UA University of Alabama in Huntsville logo
#341 in United States Huntsville, Alabama, United States

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Public University · 0 courses

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

USD 26,408/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
6,591Students
International
Admissions open
#341 in United States · by research impact
1,182,214 citations · h-index 357
333Ranked
UN University of New Orleans logo
#342 in United States United States

University of New Orleans

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#342 in United States · by research impact
1,173,453 citations · h-index 374
335Ranked
BG Bowling Green State University-Main Campus logo
#344 in United States Bowling Green, Ohio, United States

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Public University · 0 courses

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

USD 22,448/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
12,812Students
International
Admissions open
#344 in United States · by research impact
1,171,634 citations · h-index 359
336Ranked
EV Eastern Virginia Medical School logo
#345 in United States United States

Eastern Virginia Medical School

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#345 in United States · by research impact
1,168,932 citations · h-index 363

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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