Best Public Universities

Binghamton University, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, typically ranks among the very top public universities in the northeast. For its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, Binghamton University was awarded a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. 84% of students come from the top 25% of their high school class.

• Location: Vestal, New York
• Enrollment: 14,435 (11,515 undergraduates)
• Athletics: NCAA Division I America East Conference
• For acceptance rates, test scores and other admissions data, see the Binghamton University profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Binghamton

Clemson University is situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along Lake Hartwell. The university's academic units are divided into five separate colleges with the College of Business and Behavioral Science and the College of Engineering and Science having the highest enrollments. For its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, Clemson was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

• Location: Clemson, South Carolina
• Enrollment: 17,585 (14,270 undergraduates)
• Athletics: NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference
• For acceptance rates, test scores and other admissions data, see the Clemson profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Clemson

The University of Connecticut at Storrs (UConn) is the state's flagship institution of higher learning. It is a Land and Sea Grant University made up of 10 different schools and colleges. UConn's faculty is heavily involved in research, but the university was also awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for its strengths in undergraduate education in the arts and sciences.

• Location: Storrs, Connecticut
• Enrollment: 23,692 (16,348 undergraduates)
• Athletics: NCAA Division I Big East Conference
• For acceptance rates, test scores and other admissions data, see the UConn profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Uconn

The University of Delaware is the largest university in the state of Delaware. The university is made up of seven different colleges of which the College of Arts and Sciences is the largest. UD's College of Engineering and its College of Business and Economics often place well on national rankings. The University of Delaware's strengths in liberal arts and sciences earned it a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society.

• Location: Newark, Delaware
• Enrollment: 20,342 (16,937 undergraduates)
• Athletics: NCAA Division I Colonial Athletic Association
• For acceptance rates, test scores and other admissions data, see the Delaware profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Delaware

Florida offers a huge range of undergraduate and graduate programs, but they have most made a name for themselves in pre-professional areas such as business, engineering and the health sciences. General strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned Florida a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Research strengths earned the school membership in the Association of American Universities.

• Location: Gainesville, Florida
• Explore the Campus: University of Florida Photo Tour
• Enrollment: 51,725 (35,189 undergraduates)
• Athletics: NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference
• For acceptance rates, test scores and other admissions data, see the Florida profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Florida

Founded in 1785, UGA has the distinction of being the oldest state-chartered university in the U.S. Georgia's attractive 615-acre campus features everything from historic buildings to contemporary high rises. For the high-achieving student who wants the feel of a liberal arts college education, UGA has a well-respected Honors Program of about 2,500 students. The university can also boast of a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

• Location: Athens, Georgia
• Enrollment: 33,831 (25,335 undergraduates)
• Athletics: NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference
• For acceptance rates, test scores and other admissions data, see the Georgia profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Georgia

Indiana University in Bloomington is the flagship campus of Indiana's state university system. The school has received numerous accolades for its academic programs, its computing infrastructure, and the beauty of its campus. The school has a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and its research strengths earned it membership in the Association of American Universities. The 2,000-acre campus is defined by its buildings constructed from local limestone and its wide array of flowering plants and trees.

• Location: Bloomington, Indiana
• Enrollment: 38,990 (30,394 undergraduates)
• Athletics: NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference
• For acceptance rates, test scores and other admissions data, see the Indiana University profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Indiana

James Madison University, JMU, offers 68 undergraduate degree programs with areas in business being the most popular. JMU has a high retention and graduation rate compared to similar public universities, and the school frequently does well on national rankings for both its value and its academic quality. The attractive campus features an open quad, a lake, and the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum.

• Location: Harrisonburg, Virginia
• Enrollment: 18,454 (16,916 undergraduates)
• Athletics: NCAA Division I Colonial Athletic Association
• For acceptance rates, test scores and other admissions data, see the James Madison profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for JMU

Located just north of Washington, D.C., the University of Maryland is an easy Metro ride into the city and the school has many research partnerships with the federal government. UMD has a strong Greek system, and about 10% of undergrads belong to fraternities or sororities. Maryland's strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned it a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and its strong research programs earned it membership in the Association of American Universities.

• Location: College Park, Maryland
• Enrollment: 36,014 (25,857 undergraduates)
• Athletics: NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference
• For acceptance rates, test scores and other admissions data, see the Maryland profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Maryland

The campus occupies both the east and west banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, and the agricultural programs are located on the quieter St. Paul campus. U of M has many strong academic programs, especially in economics, the sciences, and engineering. It's liberal arts and sciences earned it a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. For outstanding research, the university gained membership in the Association of American Universities.

• Location: Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota
• Enrollment: 50,883 (32,294 undergraduates)
• Athletics: NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference
• For acceptance rates, test scores and other admissions data, see the Minnesota profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Minnesota