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
171Ranked
OH Oregon Health Sciences University logo
#179 in United States United States
#179 in United States · by research impact
12,780,767 citations · h-index 964
172Ranked
UG University of Georgia logo
#180 in United States United States

University of Georgia

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#180 in United States · by research impact
12,136,789 citations · h-index 878
175Ranked
UT The University of Tennessee-Knoxville logo
#183 in United States Knoxville, Tennessee, United States

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Public University · 0 courses

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

USD 33,256/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
30,418Students
International
Admissions open
#183 in United States · by research impact
10,857,057 citations · h-index 781
177Ranked
UC University of Cincinnati logo
#185 in United States United States
#185 in United States · by research impact
10,215,229 citations · h-index 780
178Ranked
UC University of Cincinnati-Main Campus logo
#186 in United States Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Public University · 0 courses

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

USD 29,310/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
29,882Students
International
Admissions open
#186 in United States · by research impact
10,215,229 citations · h-index 780
180Ranked
UM University of Missouri-Columbia logo
#188 in United States Columbia, Missouri, United States

University of Missouri-Columbia

Public University · 64 courses

All 64 courses →
USD 36,056/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
23,929Students
International
Admissions open
#188 in United States · by research impact
9,198,017 citations · h-index 762
181Ranked
UN University of New Mexico logo
#189 in United States United States

University of New Mexico

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#189 in United States · by research impact
8,689,773 citations · h-index 802
182Ranked
UN University of New Mexico-Main Campus logo
#190 in United States Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

University of New Mexico-Main Campus

Public University · 0 courses

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

USD 33,060/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
17,244Students
International
Admissions open
#190 in United States · by research impact
8,689,773 citations · h-index 802
183Ranked
LS Louisiana State University logo
#191 in United States United States

Louisiana 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
#191 in United States · by research impact
8,611,254 citations · h-index 826
186Ranked
UN University of Nebraska, Lincoln logo
#194 in United States United States

University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#194 in United States · by research impact
8,459,456 citations · h-index 783
190Ranked
VC Virginia Commonwealth University logo
#198 in United States United States

Virginia Commonwealth 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
#198 in United States · by research impact
7,375,348 citations · h-index 754
192Ranked
MU Medical University of South Carolina logo
#200 in United States United States

Medical University of South Carolina

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#200 in United States · by research impact
7,169,506 citations · h-index 650

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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