Top Public Universities in USA in 2026: Ranking, Courses & Tuition Fees

There are over 3,000 universities in the USA and they are further divided into public and private universities. While studying at private universities in the USA is a big deal, yet cracking admission at a public university in the USA is equally good. There are various reasons why international students should set their eyes on public universities to study in the USA and apply for admission too. The process may be the same for both private and public universities, but selectivity rates are always higher at public universities in the USA.

Top 10 Public Universities in USA for 2026

Thinking of studying at public universities in the US, check out the top 10 ranking public universities in the USA for the year 2026 by QS and THE World Rankings in the table below: 

List of Other Government Universities in USA 

Apart from the above-given public universities in the USA, international students can also think of applying to other public universities in the USA. The following is a list of the next best set of public universities in the USA for international students: 

• University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill 

• University of California - Irvine 

• University of Georgia 

• Michigan State University 

• Texas A&M University 

• University of Florida 

• University of Maryland 

• University of South Florida 

• University of Pittsburgh 

• Virginia Tech 

• University of Oregon 

• Florida State University 

• University of Washington 

• Ohio State University 

• Indiana University 

There are many others on the list too and students are free to choose from those public universities in the USA. Students must note that the application process is the same as for the other US universities but the channel of application submission and selection process may differ per se.

Why Study at Public Universities in USA? 

There are various pros of studying at public universities in the USA for international students. From being cheaper on the pocket to exposure to a wide range of opportunities, the following is a list of why international students should choose to study at public universities in the USA: 

• Public universities in the USA are 15-20% cheaper in the USA in comparison to private universities in the USA. 
• A higher chance of bagging a scholarship depending upon the availability is more prominent for public university admissions. 
• Acceptance rates are lower for public universities in the USA in comparison to private universities. 
• There are better course offerings and a higher number of specialization options to choose from at public universities in the USA. 
• Moreover, unlike a few private universities, there are a handful US universities that do not charge application fees.

Best Public Universities in USA for MS

If applicants are willing to apply for MS in USA, can consider applying to top public universities in USA. Majority of the public universities in USA for MS offer affordable education for various specialised courses. Some of the best public universities in USA for Masters are as follows:

MS in Computer Science is widely offered across these public universities in USA. Apart from this, MS in Data Science and Business Analytics is also offered. There are other specialised MS courses in Engineering that are also available here. MS in USA at public universities is most widely applied course annually.

Best Public Universities in USA for STEM Courses

STEM or Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics focused public universities in USA are more than 100. Each subject focus of STEM is available across different course levels, specialisations and universities in USA. Talking about STEM courses, here are some of the best public universities in USA for STEM courses:

Science

With majority of programs in Computer Science and Data Science, majority of public universities in USA rank globally for Science courses. As per QS Subject Rankings 2026 for Science, here are top five public universities that rank in 2025:

• University of California, San Francisco ranks at #6 for Medicine courses.
• UCB ranks at #6 for Environmental Science.
• UCLA ranks at #15 for Chemistry courses.
• University of California, Santa Barbara ranks at #25 for Physics and Astronomy courses.
• University of Washington ranks at #10 for Earth and Marine Sciences.

Engineering & Technology

As per QS Subject Rankings 2025 for Engineering and Technology, over 50+ public universities in USA rank. The top five ranking public universities in USA offering Engineering Technology related courses are as follows:

• UCB ranks at #6
• Georgia Institute of Technology ranks at #15
• UCLA ranks at #22
• UIUC ranks at #23
• Purdue University ranks at #29 

Mathematics

Mathematics is another important part of STEM education and courses around Mathematics are also widely offered at public universities in USA. Some of the top ranking universities in USA (public) that rank for offering Mathematics courses are as follows:

• UCB ranks at #6
• UCLA ranks at #13
• University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranks at 26
• Georgia Institute of Technology ranks at #27
• University of Texas at Austin ranks at #43

Top Public Universities in USA for Bachelor’s Degrees

Apart from MS and STEM education courses, public universities in USA are also known for their undergraduate course offering. The public universities in USA for bachelor's degrees are popular for science, social science, humanities and business administration courses and majors. There is a list of government universities in USA below with their popularly opted majors at the undergraduate level below:

For those who wish to apply for undergraduate courses at USA's public universities should confrm the course and major being offered and then apply for admission.

Cost of Studying in Top Public Universities in USA 

Since the cost of studying in the USA is not budget-friendly, considering to study in public universities in the USA can still be a cheaper option for international students. If applicants look at the fee comparison of public and private universities in USA, they will see a sharp difference;

• In 2025, the average tuition cost at public four-year colleges was USD 31,880 for international students.
• On the other hand, the average tuition cost of studying at private universities in USA was USD 45,350 for international students.

The cost of studying at public universities for international students has grown YoY%. To understand the percentage increase, it is important to analyse previous year's fee. Here’s a comparison year-wise of the fee charged at public universities in the USA for international students:

It can be noted from the data above, that the maximum percentage drop in tuition rates for out-of-state or international students was recorded post-pandemic that is, between the years 2020 to 2022. The reason being, lower admissions across US universities, on-campus fee reductions and online classes for all students during the worldwide pandemic exigencies which led to a ban on travel and resulted in lockdowns in several places. A stark rise is also seen between 2023 and 2024 fee. The tuition rates are expected to increase by 3-4% in the upcoming years.

Cheapest Public Universities in USA for Indian Students

While most of the government funded colleges in USA are affordable, there are some well known ones that offer cheaper courses to international students. Here is a list of some of the cheapest public universities in USA for Indian students below for 2026:

This is not the only list of affordable universities in USA that are public. There are various others that can be considered. Applicants can consider public university systems and check out their individual colleges fees because they are relatively cheaper.

Eligibility for Top Public Universities in the USA

The eligibility for admission to popular public universities in USA will vary per course, specialisation and university. However, there are some common points of eligibility which must be noted before shortlisting and applying to US public universities. These are as follows:

Academic Requirements

• To fulfil academic requirements, international applicants must have completed 10+2 for bachelor's and graduation for master's admission.
• The minimum GPA to apply can vary between 3.0 to 3.5 on a 4.0 point scale.

Standardised & English Proficiency Test Requirements

• Majority of the public universities in USA will require undergraduate applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores. Postgraduate applicants must submit GMAT or GRE scores. There may be exceptions where these scores may not be mandatory.
• In addition, international or Indian applicants must submit IELTS, TOEFL, or Duolingo scores to demonstrate English proficiency. The minimum requirements will again vary with the university of application.
• If applying for medical courses, MCAT scores may be required.

Documents Required

Commonly, the following documents will be required for admission to public universities in USA:

• Transcripts or marksheets
• SOP 
• 2-3 LORs
• Admission essay
• CV (for MBA admissions)
• Portfolio (for professional courses)
• Financial documents like bank statements and proof of funding

Applications for admission to public universities in USA are accepted through either Common or Coalition Application for undergraduates. In some cases, applications may be accepted directly through the official university's website for both undergraduate and postgraduate admissions from international students.

Scholarships for Public Universities in the USA

There are plenty of scholarships available study at publicly funded universities in USA. There are merit based scholarships along with SAT or ACT based scholarships. The cost of studying at public universities is already low but there is an option to avail scholarships as well. Some of the scholarships for public universities in USA are:

Studying at public universities in USA is a game changer because of various reasons. They are not only affordable, but offer quality education, has renowned faculty and high level research opportunities. Despite being affordable, there are scholarship options too. Some publicly funded universities in USA also offer common tuition rates for residents and international students. So, if you are looking at studying in USA, consider applying to public universities in USA.

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