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
363Ranked
UA University of Alaska - Southeast logo
#376 in United States United States

University of Alaska - Southeast

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#376 in United States · by research impact
849,131 citations · h-index 315
364Ranked
GC Geneva College logo
#377 in United States United States

Geneva College

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#377 in United States · by research impact
848,205 citations · h-index 333
368Ranked
FU Fordham University logo
#381 in United States United States

Fordham 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
#381 in United States · by research impact
816,948 citations · h-index 306
369Ranked
TS Texas State University logo
#382 in United States United States

Texas 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
#382 in United States · by research impact
813,631 citations · h-index 273
370Ranked
CS California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt logo
#383 in United States Arcata, California, United States

California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Public University · 0 courses

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

USD 20,850/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
5,612Students
International
Admissions open
#383 in United States · by research impact
800,217 citations · h-index 307
374Ranked
CS Cleveland State University logo
#387 in United States United States

Cleveland 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
#387 in United States · by research impact
775,540 citations · h-index 307
376Ranked
UN University of Nebraska at Omaha logo
#389 in United States Omaha, Nebraska, United States

University of Nebraska at Omaha

Public University · 0 courses

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

USD 23,206/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
11,488Students
International
Admissions open
#389 in United States · by research impact
768,803 citations · h-index 294
377Ranked
UN University of Nebraska, Omaha logo
#390 in United States United States
#390 in United States · by research impact
768,803 citations · h-index 294
378Ranked
WL West Los Angeles College logo
#391 in United States United States

West Los Angeles College

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#391 in United States · by research impact
768,519 citations · h-index 344
380Ranked
ET East Tennessee State University logo
#393 in United States United States
#393 in United States · by research impact
761,466 citations · h-index 242
381Ranked
HU Hampton University logo
#394 in United States United States

Hampton 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
#394 in United States · by research impact
760,414 citations · h-index 291
382Ranked
DU DePaul University logo
#395 in United States United States

DePaul 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
#395 in United States · by research impact
759,011 citations · h-index 291
383Ranked
CS California State University, Long Beach logo
#396 in United States United States
#396 in United States · by research impact
747,272 citations · h-index 283
384Ranked
AC Amherst College logo
#397 in United States United States

Amherst College

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#397 in United States · by research impact
742,949 citations · h-index 270

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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