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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
1465Ranked
HC Holyoke Community College logo
#1,504 in United States United States

Holyoke Community 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
#1,504 in United States · by research impact
7,305 citations · h-index 44
1467Ranked
IE Illinois Eastern Community Colleges logo
#1,506 in United States United States

Illinois Eastern Community Colleges

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#1,506 in United States · by research impact
7,194 citations · h-index 42
1470Ranked
EI Eastern Idaho Technical College logo
#1,509 in United States United States

Eastern Idaho Technical 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
#1,509 in United States · by research impact
7,157 citations · h-index 30
1472Ranked
DA De Anza College logo
#1,511 in United States United States

De Anza 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
#1,511 in United States · by research impact
7,140 citations · h-index 48
1473Ranked
EC Edmonds Community College logo
#1,512 in United States United States

Edmonds Community 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
#1,512 in United States · by research impact
7,130 citations · h-index 47
1475Ranked
FC Fox College logo
#1,514 in United States United States

Fox 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
#1,514 in United States · by research impact
7,063 citations · h-index 37
1476Ranked
FS Florida State College at Jacksonville logo
#1,515 in United States United States

Florida State College at Jacksonville

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#1,515 in United States · by research impact
7,060 citations · h-index 40
1478Ranked
CC Chaffey College logo
#1,517 in United States United States

Chaffey 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
#1,517 in United States · by research impact
7,049 citations · h-index 32
1479Ranked
WS West Shore Community College logo
#1,518 in United States United States

West Shore Community 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
#1,518 in United States · by research impact
7,031 citations · h-index 38
1480Ranked
AC Austin Community College logo
#1,519 in United States United States

Austin Community 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
#1,519 in United States · by research impact
7,009 citations · h-index 40
1482Ranked
NN Northwest Nazarene College logo
#1,521 in United States United States

Northwest Nazarene 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
#1,521 in United States · by research impact
6,908 citations · h-index 39
1484Ranked
MC Montgomery County Community College logo
#1,523 in United States United States

Montgomery County Community 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
#1,523 in United States · by research impact
6,896 citations · h-index 43
1485Ranked
FR Front Range Community College logo
#1,524 in United States United States

Front Range Community 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
#1,524 in United States · by research impact
6,831 citations · h-index 44
1486Ranked
PC Platt College logo
#1,525 in United States United States

Platt 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
#1,525 in United States · by research impact
6,826 citations · h-index 44
1488Ranked
WC Wilmington College logo
#1,527 in United States United States

Wilmington 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
#1,527 in United States · by research impact
6,751 citations · h-index 43

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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