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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
1850Ranked
VU Virginia University of Lynchburg logo
#1,890 in United States United States

Virginia University of Lynchburg

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#1,890 in United States · by research impact
1,832 citations · h-index 22
1851Ranked
CC Colorado Community College System logo
#1,891 in United States United States

Colorado Community College System

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#1,891 in United States · by research impact
1,823 citations · h-index 15
1852Ranked
NC Nashua Community College logo
#1,892 in United States United States

Nashua 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
#1,892 in United States · by research impact
1,815 citations · h-index 19
1855Ranked
IC Independence Community College logo
#1,895 in United States United States

Independence 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
#1,895 in United States · by research impact
1,799 citations · h-index 26
1856Ranked
LC Lenoir Community College logo
#1,896 in United States United States

Lenoir 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
#1,896 in United States · by research impact
1,797 citations · h-index 22
1857Ranked
RC Rowan College at Burlington County logo
#1,897 in United States United States
#1,897 in United States · by research impact
1,795 citations · h-index 23
1859Ranked
EO Eastern Oklahoma State College logo
#1,899 in United States United States

Eastern Oklahoma 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
#1,899 in United States · by research impact
1,793 citations · h-index 16
1864Ranked
CC Cuesta College logo
#1,904 in United States United States

Cuesta 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
#1,904 in United States · by research impact
1,730 citations · h-index 23
1865Ranked
ES Enterprise State Community College logo
#1,905 in United States United States

Enterprise State 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
#1,905 in United States · by research impact
1,725 citations · h-index 18
1866Ranked
LC Labette Community College logo
#1,906 in United States United States

Labette 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
#1,906 in United States · by research impact
1,717 citations · h-index 20
1867Ranked
WT Wake Technical Community College logo
#1,907 in United States United States
#1,907 in United States · by research impact
1,712 citations · h-index 20
1871Ranked
EU ECPI University logo
#1,911 in United States United States
#1,911 in United States · by research impact
1,666 citations · h-index 17

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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