The Best Public University in Every State
/granite-web-prod/2b/f9/2bf958022d8b46e1866de41930e86a69.jpeg)
University of Wisconsin.Not sure if you can afford private school tuition, but still want a top-level education? Check out our state-by-state list of the top public four-year colleges in the country. To make our list, we consulted Niche’s 2020 general rankings of America’s public universities.
Read more about our methodology, or get right to the list.
Alabama: Auburn University
/granite-web-prod/b9/54/b9544f015aa743b9afb1d4de7d4612b4.jpeg)
Location: Auburn
Net price per year: $22,613
Acceptance rate: 84 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 40
Auburn University is the top public university in the Heart of Dixie. The school has over 21,000 undergraduate students, with multi-sport athlete Bo Jackson and actress Octavia Spencer among its alumni.
Alaska: University of Alaska, Southeast
/granite-web-prod/e8/be/e8bea837d9db44b1b1c2ed866564c548.jpeg)
Location: Juneau
Net price per year: $10,451
Acceptance rate: 71 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 285
The population of less than 700 undergraduate students mostly studies liberal arts and humanities, business and nursing. It comes in at No. 26 on Niche’s list of the best online colleges in America as well.
Arizona: Arizona State University
/granite-web-prod/29/81/2981cc50d67643aa97b83fd37e84da03.jpeg)
Location: Tempe
Net price per year: $12,947
Acceptance rate: 84 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 45
ASU is also the top school overall in the Grand Canyon State. The university has a massive student body at 40,000 undergraduates, making it one of the biggest public schools. It’s also one of the country’s best party schools. Party carefully, Sun Devils!
Arkansas: University of Arkansas
/granite-web-prod/3c/43/3c43e9282ee6468b8f7088c4dee4555f.jpeg)
Location: Fayetteville
Net price per year: $15,966
Acceptance rate: 66 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 54
The home of the Razorbacks was founded by chemistry professor Barnett Sure at the beginning of the 20th century. The school has just over 20,000 undergraduate students.
California: University of California, Los Angeles
/granite-web-prod/f4/56/f4562ec20a0b4cd0a8ea075763e49d4f.jpeg)
Location: Los Angeles
Net price per year: $14,760
Acceptance rate: 16 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 2
UCLA is one of the nation’s top party schools but also has a highly competitive admissions process. The school announced plans to reserve more places for Golden State residents in the upcoming years. UCLA has over 30,000 undergraduate students, making it one of the largest public universities on our list.
Colorado: Colorado School of Mines
/granite-web-prod/72/0d/720de6c11b2348548264dbe66fbe0789.jpeg)
Location: Golden
Net price per year: $25,472
Acceptance rate: 56 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 17
This small public school in Coors beer country focuses on STEM and has just over 4,500 students. According to Niche, new Mines grads go on to earn the highest starting salaries of all the public universities on our list at $69,200.
Connecticut: University of Connecticut
/granite-web-prod/9e/43/9e43a87363a5450298e1976659405d34.jpeg)
Location: Storrs
Net price per year: $18,699
Acceptance rate: 48 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 50
UCONN, as it is locally known, is famous for its basketball teams. Although the main campus is in Storrs, there are six other locations across the state.
Delaware: University of Delaware
/granite-web-prod/5a/3d/5a3d5586473b403b9f721c7dc73fffa5.jpeg)
Location: Newark
Net price per year: $16,286
Acceptance rate: 63 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 33
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is an alum of UD, which has just over 18,000 undergraduate students. Niche also gives the University of Delaware an A- in academics and an A+ in partying.
Florida: University of Florida
/granite-web-prod/cd/18/cd18c94f0ea64ca984037cabe1728289.jpeg)
Location: Gainesville
Net price per year: $15,283
Acceptance rate: 42 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 11
Home of the Florida Gators, the school in the Sunshine State has over 30,000 students and is also the top school in the state, public or private, according to Niche.
Georgia: Georgia Institute of Technology
/granite-web-prod/f6/01/f6010912d0a34eb5b54c9c1256a7d4cc.jpeg)
Location: Atlanta
Net price per year: $15,873
Acceptance rate: 23 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 5
Established in 1885, Georgia Tech, as it’s known, has more than 32,000 students. Similar to Colorado’s School of Mines, Georgia Tech grads go on to earn higher starting salaries than the rest of their counterparts from public universities, averaging $65,500 annually.
Hawaii: University of Hawaii, Manoa
/granite-web-prod/f6/ea/f6eac9f89b70454aa4de7e4d99b45ebf.jpeg)
Location: Honolulu
Net price per year: $15,479
Acceptance rate: 83 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 188
The public research university is the main campus of the University of Hawaii system and the alma matter of President Barack Obama’s mother. According to Niche, it is also the best value college in Hawaii.
Idaho: University of Idaho
/granite-web-prod/a8/c4/a8c45cba95c84c0aa840dea075ce74b5.jpeg)
Location: Moscow
Net price per year: $14,997
Acceptance rate: 73 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 102
The University of Idaho is the top school in the Gem State, with a little over 7,000 undergraduates. It was Idaho’s only university for 71 years, until 1963.
Illinois: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
/granite-web-prod/8b/88/8b889595322b4d6192735794b643e341.jpeg)
Location: Champaign
Net price per year: $16,638
Acceptance rate: 62 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 13
The public research institution founded in 1867 has nearly 33,000 undergraduate students. The school forms part of the University of Illinois system, and is part of the NCAA Division I and the Big Ten Conference. Niche gives Illinois an A in academics and an A+ for its party scene.
Indiana: Purdue University
/granite-web-prod/d7/aa/d7aa559a7be44d16865289d433747b26.jpeg)
Location: West Lafayette
Net price per year: $12,117
Acceptance rate: 57 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 16
Purdue is the best public university in the Hoosier State. With nearly 44,000 students, the school in West Lafayette was founded in 1869 by local businessman John Purdue (think Purdue foods).
Iowa: University of Iowa
/granite-web-prod/4f/2f/4f2f054060174022a0c5beedfa99feec.jpeg)
Location: Iowa City
Net price per year: $14,845
Acceptance rate: 86 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 39
Home of the Hawkeyes, the public research institution is the oldest college in the state; the school dates to 1847. Approximately 33,000 students attend the school.
Kansas: University of Kansas
/granite-web-prod/92/59/9259133fc93f47cc93259804dedc7197.jpeg)
Location: Lawrence
Net price per year: $18,365
Acceptance rate: 93 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 57
With a high acceptance rate, this top university has just over 17,000 undergraduate students. Home of the Jayhawks, the University of Kansas is known for its men’s basketball team.
Kentucky: University of Kentucky
/granite-web-prod/e9/26/e9267e6cf1a24c459e8985f9047911ec.jpeg)
Location: Lexington
Net price per year: $19,361
Acceptance rate: 96 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 93
The school, which has more than 20,000 undergrads, is known for its rich Greek life. It counts actress Ashley Judd and Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell among its alumni.
Louisiana: Louisiana State University
/granite-web-prod/eb/87/eb878770de654c3489ef6dc008acf5b3.jpeg)
Location: Baton Rouge
Net price per year: $19,224
Acceptance rate: 74 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 95
Famous for its purple and gold colors, LSU’s main campus is in Baton Rouge. LSU has over 22,000 undergrads and was founded in 1853.
Maine: Maine Maritime Academy
/granite-web-prod/38/14/381408565e444083aaa34f8ab6e4f424.jpeg)
Location: Castine
Net price per year: $21,003
Acceptance rate: 80 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 125
The Maine Maritime Academy is a public college and nautical training institution. Unlike WestPoint Military Academy in New York, a congressional nomination or a Service-Connected nomination is not required to attend this institute, and it isn’t free, either.
Maryland: University of Maryland, College Park
/granite-web-prod/60/c3/60c3690ea0fc4e85891435505960e718.jpeg)
Location: College Park
Net price per year: $17,241
Acceptance rate: 45 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 26
Kiplinger listed the University of Maryland among the top ten U.S. public colleges for in-state students in 2019. UM has nearly 28,000 undergraduate students, making it one of the larger schools on our list.
Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
/granite-web-prod/6e/60/6e60667185064d6db1d80543f6cbf3bd.jpeg)
Location: Amherst
Net price per year: $21,281
Acceptance rate: 58 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 35
UMass counts actors Richard Gere and Bill Pullman among its alumni and has over 30,000 students. Niche gives it an A in academics and an A+ for its party scene.
Michigan: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
/granite-web-prod/c8/8d/c88d8043525a41d3a98b857932c5823c.jpeg)
Location: Ann Arbor
Net price per year: $16,408
Acceptance rate: 27 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 1
The top-ranked public university overall has a 27 percent acceptance rate and nearly 30,000 undergraduate students. It’s also the best school in Michigan, public or private.
Minnesota: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
/granite-web-prod/51/3f/513f2025913d45ebb6cfafb4f8044b09.jpeg)
Location: Minneapolis
Net price per year: $16,808
Acceptance rate: 50 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 18
The school has a 50 percent acceptance rate and nearly 30,000 undergraduates. Niche gives UM an A in academics and an A+ in partying.
Mississippi: Mississippi State University
/granite-web-prod/81/82/818287d71cda44dc8a4dd194fdcf793f.jpeg)
Location: Mississippi State
Net price per year: $16,056
Acceptance rate: 62 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 65
The top school in the Magnolia State is known for its Greek life and counts Sen. Marsha Blackburn and author John Grisham among its alumni. MSU has nearly 17,000 undergrads.
Missouri: University of Missouri
/granite-web-prod/5f/fd/5ffdbe892e754e8bbd996fe93cb469a0.jpeg)
Location: Columbia
Net price per year: $17,762
Acceptance rate: 78 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 56
Home of the Tigers, the University of Missouri, or Mizzou, was founded in 1839 and has over 22,000 undergraduate students. The school colors are black and gold.
Montana: Montana State University
/granite-web-prod/b7/e6/b7e6a3126dcf46a8bef34fee54312003.jpeg)
Location: Bozeman
Net price per year: $15,411
Acceptance rate: 83 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 141
The public university in Bozeman is the largest university in Montana, a state with a population just above 1,000,000 people. It has more than 12,000 undergraduate students, and is home to the Fighting Bobcats.
Nebraska: University of Nebraska
/granite-web-prod/32/47/3247146868ce40a2ac41ad552ac9b6e2.jpeg)
Location: Lincoln
Net price per year: $16,813
Acceptance rate: 64 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 59
The Cornhusker state’s top university has nearly 20,000 undergraduate students. Niche gives Nebraska an overall A- and an A for its party scene.
Nevada: University of Nevada, Reno
/granite-web-prod/3b/b3/3bb3d0d74a1946519231e6c9b348704b.jpeg)
Location: Reno
Net price per year: $16,230
Acceptance rate: 88 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 130
The public university has over 15,000 undergraduate students and accepts 88 percent of applicants. It’s known for its earthquake research.
New Hampshire: University of New Hampshire
/granite-web-prod/2d/ef/2def5f18cf404bd08ac8f28dde731b4c.jpeg)
Location: Durham
Net price per year: $22,888
Acceptance rate: 77 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 97
The Granite State’s top public university gets a B+ in academics from Niche and an A for its party scene. The school has nearly 13,000 undergraduates and is part of the Colonial Athletic Association.
New Jersey: Rutgers University
/granite-web-prod/0e/de/0ede7e848fa14207879fd2d55d9b06e8.jpeg)
Location: Piscataway
Net price per year: $16,016
Acceptance rate: 58 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 38
Established in 1766, the school has over 40,000 students and is one of the oldest universities in the United States.
New Mexico: New Mexico Tech
/granite-web-prod/62/ce/62ce5daff0f14bbf865d640994155dbb.jpeg)
Location: Socorro
Net price per year: $13,741
Acceptance rate: 22 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 62
With an acceptance rate of just 22 percent, this school is one of the most competitive public universities on our list. The small school has just over 1,000 undergraduate students and counts Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton Hotels chain, among its alumni.
New York: United States Military Academy, West Point
/granite-web-prod/84/1f/841ff5c32be34874914a5cd7ec8441dd.jpeg)
Location: West Point
Net price per year: 0
Acceptance rate: 10 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 4
Home of the Black Knights, the military school has less than 5,000 students, and less than 10 percent of applicants are accepted. Students at the top public university in the Empire State don’t have to pay a dime in tuition and instead receive $10,000 annually as a stipend. Nice!
North Carolina: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
/granite-web-prod/c4/43/c443348d9ca54b179274c7c38257ae58.jpeg)
Location: Chapel Hill
Net price per year: $11,100
Acceptance rate: 24 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 7
The country’s first public university, the home of the Tar Heels was established in 1789. The school has just over 18,000 undergrads.
North Dakota: North Dakota State University
/granite-web-prod/7c/e7/7ce72812089c452198985d98d6dcb395.jpeg)
Location: Fargo
Net price per year: $14,848
Acceptance rate: 92 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 113
Niche gives NDSU a B+ in academics and an A for its party scene. Home of the Thundering Herd, the school is part of the Missouri Valley Conference.
Ohio: Ohio State University
/granite-web-prod/a0/e3/a0e399c8e46a4f4e8839b023931d1c47.jpeg)
Location: Columbus
Net price per year: $18,042
Acceptance rate: 48 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 21
Home of the Buckeyes, OSU was founded in 1870. The school has a massive campus and one of the largest student bodies with over 42,000 undergrads. Niche ranks it as No. 10 among all schools for athletics.
Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma
/granite-web-prod/9d/a2/9da2796cd70149c8bf337f0e556b90d7.jpeg)
Location: Norman
Net price per year: $20,003
Acceptance rate: 74 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 44
The school has nearly 20,000 undergraduate students. Frank Lloyd Wright named the school’s architectural style “Cherokee Gothic.” Home of the Sooners, the school’s notable alumni include football player Adrian Peterson and actress Olivia Munn.
Oregon: University of Oregon
/granite-web-prod/9e/4f/9e4fc4d22f534a4f801d704490305df9.jpeg)
Location: Eugene
Net price per year: $15,100
Acceptance rate: 83 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 68
The school gets an A- in academics from Niche and an A+ for its party scene. In sports, it’s part of the NCAA Division I and the Pacific 12 Conference. The school counts itself as among the top research universities in the country.
Pennsylvania: Penn State University
/granite-web-prod/0a/9a/0a9a834a548c4070b501181935333d82.jpeg)
Location: University Park
Net price per year: $25,346
Acceptance rate: 50 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 20
Penn State recently got lots of attention for its environmental policy that has helped cut the school’s emissions in half and save money — money that can help fund scholarships or academic and athletic programs.
Rhode Island: University of Rhode Island
/granite-web-prod/d8/1d/d81da370fa914aba98941646f202869c.jpeg)
Location: Kingston
Net price per year: $18,739
Acceptance rate: 70 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: Unranked nationally in the Niche ratings
Home of the Rams, the school has a 73 percent acceptance rate and was established in 1892. Niche gives URI a B grade overall.
South Carolina: Clemson University
/granite-web-prod/e1/80/e180cc8667b74fec8229f606ff9195c7.jpeg)
Location: Clemson
Net price per year: $18,757
Acceptance rate: 47 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 24
The university has nearly 19,000 undergraduate students and is the best school in the state, public or private. Clemson counts former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Robert Brooks, the founder of Hooters, among its noteworthy alumni.
South Dakota: South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
/granite-web-prod/32/af/32af903db1514a478c9fb8a460070deb.jpeg)
Location: Rapid City
Net price per year: $19,577
Acceptance rate: 83 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 83
Located in Rapid City, the home of the Hardrockers has less than 3,000 students. It also has a museum of geology.
Tennessee: University of Tennessee
/granite-web-prod/79/70/797062a7d4a9411f932073509eea8a82.jpeg)
Location: Knoxville
Net price per year: $20,995
Acceptance rate: 77 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 87
With the main campus in Knoxville, the school has just under 30,000 students. It was founded in 1794.
Texas: University of Texas, Austin
/granite-web-prod/98/48/984868d3657c40689485df8799c2fa17.jpeg)
Location: Austin
Net price per year: $14,356
Acceptance rate: 36 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 8
Located in what Texans call “The Republic of Austin,” for its progressive values, lifestyle and entrepreneurial sector, UT Austin is considered a “public Ivy.” UT gets an A+ in academics and partying from Niche.
Utah: University of Utah
/granite-web-prod/8a/48/8a489c3d5ac644efbd4d6c8247e94ba3.jpeg)
Location: Salt Lake City
Net price per year: $12,363
Acceptance rate: 66 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 42
The University of Utah is the state’s flagship university and has over 22,000 undergrads. The school’s team is named after the Ute tribe of Native Americans.
Vermont: University of Vermont
/granite-web-prod/29/12/291259fc908e429b84e6d8a0297f9cf6.jpeg)
Location: Burlington
Net price per year: $19,815
Acceptance rate: 67 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 78
Founded in 1791, the school is one of the original “public Ivy” schools in the country. Home to the Catamounts, it is also one of the oldest schools in the country.
Virginia: University of Virginia
/granite-web-prod/9d/f9/9df900017e2142ac967bcca7264eba22.jpeg)
Location: Charlottesville
Net price per year: $16,594
Acceptance rate: 27 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 3
The university has nearly 16,000 undergraduate students and was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. UVa is also the top university, public or private, in the state of Virginia, according to Niche’s 2020 Best Universities list.
Washington: University of Washington
/granite-web-prod/17/9e/179e3572bb814767ae2bd9869c8afcdf.jpeg)
Location: Seattle
Net price per year: $9,443
Acceptance rate: 46 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 19
UW has nearly 29,000 undergraduate students and also ranks as the No. 13 school for studying information technology. A natural fit, given it shares a city with Amazon and Microsoft.
West Virginia: West Virginia University
/granite-web-prod/d5/6d/d56dab7aee284e6284d872aa2af5e7cc.jpeg)
Location: Morgantown
Net price per year: $11,486
Acceptance rate: 72 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 94
At the top of our list for the best schools in West Virginia, public or private, WVU has nearly 21,000 undergraduate students.
Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin
/granite-web-prod/25/69/25697e33e9284b718d5efb7c061d2c73.jpeg)
Location: Madison
Net price per year: $15,910
Acceptance rate: 54 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 12
The home of the Badgers has an undergraduate population of almost 29,000. UW ranks as the No. 3 party school (public or private) in the country and the No. 12 top public university in the country overall.
Wyoming: University of Wyoming
/granite-web-prod/9b/9d/9b9d78b90e61450f89b9b45d0c1c75a1.jpeg)
Location: Laramie
Net price per year: $13,441
Acceptance rate: 97 percent
Overall rank among U.S. public universities: 79
UW is the only school on Niche.com’s 2020 Best Universities in Wyoming, and thus it is also the best university in Wyoming, public or private. The university was founded in 1886, four years before it became the 44th state. The school has just over 8,000 undergraduate students.