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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
745Ranked
SB Santa Barbara City College logo
#768 in United States United States

Santa Barbara City 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
#768 in United States · by research impact
96,902 citations · h-index 128
746Ranked
WT West Texas A & M University logo
#769 in United States Canyon, Texas, United States

West Texas A & M University

Public University · 0 courses

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

USD 10,996/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
6,917Students
International
Admissions open
#769 in United States · by research impact
96,449 citations · h-index 123
747Ranked
WT West Texas A&M University logo
#770 in United States United States
#770 in United States · by research impact
96,449 citations · h-index 123
749Ranked
SU Stockton University logo
#772 in United States Galloway, New Jersey, United States

Stockton University

Public University · 0 courses

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

USD 24,524/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
7,537Students
International
Admissions open
#772 in United States · by research impact
96,070 citations · h-index 125
751Ranked
CM California Maritime Academy logo
#774 in United States United States
#774 in United States · by research impact
94,284 citations · h-index 111
755Ranked
US University of Sioux Falls logo
#778 in United States United States

University of Sioux Falls

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#778 in United States · by research impact
92,869 citations · h-index 149
756Ranked
SU State University of New York at Plattsburgh logo
#779 in United States United States
#779 in United States · by research impact
92,869 citations · h-index 142
758Ranked
WS Weber State University logo
#781 in United States United States

Weber 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
#781 in United States · by research impact
92,502 citations · h-index 123
759Ranked
UM University of Maryland Eastern Shore logo
#782 in United States United States

University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#782 in United States · by research impact
91,869 citations · h-index 116
760Ranked
IR Indian River State College logo
#783 in United States United States

Indian River State 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
#783 in United States · by research impact
91,532 citations · h-index 124
762Ranked
RC Rollins College logo
#785 in United States United States

Rollins 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
#785 in United States · by research impact
91,274 citations · h-index 133
763Ranked
MU Monmouth University logo
#786 in United States United States
#786 in United States · by research impact
90,771 citations · h-index 122
766Ranked
SU State University of New York at Fredonia logo
#789 in United States United States

State University of New York at Fredonia

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#789 in United States · by research impact
88,843 citations · h-index 114
767Ranked
RM Robert Morris University logo
#790 in United States United States
#790 in United States · by research impact
88,015 citations · h-index 129
768Ranked
AC ASA College logo
#791 in United States United States

ASA 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
#791 in United States · by research impact
87,939 citations · h-index 116

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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