Best Public Colleges
The majority of students attend a public college in their home state. For many, it’s the most affordable option. If you live in one of the states below, set your sights on these nationally competitive public universities.
Published on August 25, 2020. Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson's, PayScale.com, Money/College Measures calculations.
College Name Overall Money Rank | Est. price 2020-21 without aid | Est. price with average grant | % of students with need who get grants | Graduation rate | Average student debt | Early career earnings |
|---|
College Name Overall Money Rank | Est. price 2020-21 without aid | Est. price with average grant | % of students with need who get grants | Graduation rate | Average student debt | Early career earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 1 Ann Arbor, MI | $31,000 | $17,600 | 81% | 92% | $16,610 | $63,700 |
6 2 Charlottesville, VA | $34,200 | $18,600 | 87% | 94% | $17,760 | $61,400 |
9 3 La Jolla, CA | $33,700 | $14,100 | 95% | 86% | $16,810 | $59,300 |
10 4 Davis, CA | $36,100 | $16,400 | 97% | 86% | $13,000 | $57,100 |
11 5 College Station, TX | $30,500 | $20,000 | 82% | 82% | $18,500 | $59,200 |
13 6 Irvine, CA | $35,200 | $15,700 | 96% | 83% | $15,890 | $55,900 |
15 7 | $29,800 | $13,300 | 80% | 71% | $17,790 | $55,500 |
16 8 Gainesville, FL | $21,700 | $11,800 | 62% | 90% | $16,250 | $54,100 |
17 9 Berkeley, CA | $39,000 | $18,700 | 94% | 91% | $13,750 | $65,800 |
19 10 Los Angeles, CA | $35,500 | $15,700 | 96% | 91% | $15,000 | $57,600 |
20 11 Seattle, WA | $28,400 | $10,200 | 85% | 84% | $15,000 | $58,200 |
21 12 Atlanta, GA | $29,500 | $17,700 | 88% | 87% | $23,750 | $69,600 |
22 13 Champaign, IL | $30,900 | $16,500 | 83% | 84% | $19,000 | $61,200 |
23 14 West Lafayette, IN | $23,500 | $12,400 | 80% | 81% | $19,500 | $61,500 |
24 15 San Jose, CA | $30,100 | $15,200 | 76% | 65% | $15,720 | $60,600 |
26 16 Lexington, VA | $32,300 | $15,500 | 77% | 78% | $21,630 | $59,300 |
27 17 Long Beach, CA | $25,400 | $9,900 | 77% | 69% | $15,000 | $48,800 |
28 18 Madison, WI | $26,700 | $14,800 | 77% | 87% | $20,500 | $55,000 |
29 19 Austin, TX | $27,300 | $14,800 | 77% | 83% | $20,000 | $57,900 |
31 20 Williamsburg, VA | $40,100 | $16,300 | 89% | 91% | $18,330 | $53,300 |
33 21 New York, NY | $33,400 | $4,300 | 92% | 69% | $11,500 | $55,600 |
34 22 Fullerton, CA | $28,600 | $8,600 | 82% | 68% | $15,000 | $47,300 |
35 23 Raleigh, NC | $24,500 | $15,400 | 92% | 81% | $20,500 | $56,700 |
36 24 Buzzards Bay, MA | $28,700 | $16,000 | 76% | 73% | $26,650 | $63,700 |
37 25 Blacksburg, VA | $27,800 | $19,200 | 69% | 84% | $22,900 | $61,300 |
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40 26 Harrisonburg, VA | $28,200 | $18,500 | 55% | 84% | $20,500 | $53,800 |
41 27 Newark, DE | $30,100 | $16,600 | N/A | 83% | $24,390 | $56,200 |
43 28 Chapel Hill, NC | $24,300 | $12,200 | 91% | 89% | $16,120 | $50,700 |
45 29 Northridge, CA | $23,700 | $8,900 | 84% | 54% | $14,490 | $48,600 |
46 30 Storrs, CT | $33,200 | $20,500 | 71% | 85% | $21,500 | $58,400 |
47 31 Los Angeles, CA | $27,000 | $4,600 | 96% | 48% | $13,380 | $47,500 |
48 32 Riverside, CA | $36,400 | $13,500 | 95% | 75% | $19,000 | $51,600 |
51 33 San Luis Obispo, CA | $29,000 | $20,900 | 89% | 82% | $19,500 | $64,300 |
52 34 Chico, CA | $25,500 | $14,800 | 79% | 66% | $16,850 | $54,500 |
55 35 Santa Barbara, CA | $37,800 | $17,700 | 95% | 82% | $15,310 | $54,800 |
55 35 Turlock, CA | $22,700 | $7,200 | 88% | 58% | $14,250 | $46,900 |
55 35 East Lansing, MI | $29,500 | $16,900 | 73% | 80% | $25,000 | $53,300 |
58 38 Bloomington, IN | $25,300 | $12,500 | 80% | 78% | $20,500 | $50,900 |
58 38 Minneapolis, MN | $28,500 | $17,400 | 85% | 80% | $19,500 | $55,600 |
62 40 Fresno, CA | $22,000 | $7,100 | 89% | 54% | $15,000 | $48,000 |
64 41 Chicago, IL | $31,800 | $12,800 | 85% | 59% | $17,400 | $55,400 |
66 42 Hayward, CA | $25,800 | $11,900 | 94% | 48% | $15,330 | $54,400 |
67 43 Clemson, SC | $32,000 | $20,400 | 82% | 83% | $21,500 | $56,500 |
68 44 Ewing, NJ | $35,800 | $24,500 | 42% | 86% | $23,740 | $56,200 |
69 45 Stony Brook, NY | $26,900 | $15,500 | 86% | 74% | $19,000 | $55,200 |
70 46 Sacramento, CA | $27,300 | $10,300 | 90% | 51% | $15,570 | $52,100 |
72 47 Amherst, MA | $31,600 | $22,700 | 89% | 80% | $23,250 | $55,000 |
73 48 Vestal, NY | $27,600 | $17,200 | 83% | 81% | $19,500 | $56,200 |
74 49 | $24,400 | $4,700 | 85% | 45% | $14,500 | $46,500 |
75 50 Ames, IA | $21,700 | $15,300 | 97% | 75% | $22,980 | $55,100 |
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
Blacksburg, VA
Money rank
37
Est. price after average aid
$19,200
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
College Station, TX
Money rank
11
Est. price after average aid
$20,000
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
San Luis Obispo, CA
Money rank
51
Est. price after average aid
$20,900
21
22
23
24
25
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26
27
28
29
30
Santa Barbara, CA
Money rank
55
Est. price after average aid
$17,700
31
32
33
34
Pomona, CA
Money rank
15
Est. price after average aid
$13,300
35
Champaign, IL
Money rank
22
Est. price after average aid
$16,500
36
37
38
Chapel Hill, NC
Money rank
43
Est. price after average aid
$12,200
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Raleigh, NC
Money rank
35
Est. price after average aid
$15,400
46
Los Angeles, CA
Money rank
47
Est. price after average aid
$4,600
47
48
49
50
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