The best public colleges in America for 2023, ranked

Public colleges are a popular option for higher education. They receive state funding, so tuition may be more affordable. The colleges themselves are often on the large side, frequently with more extracurricular opportunities (especially in athletics) as well as course offerings. 

But which public universities are the best for 2023? College research company Niche maintains an annual ranking, relying on student and alumni reviews, as well as data from the U.S. Department of Education regarding academics, admissions, finances, and student life. The University of Oklahoma, in Norman, is a top-rated school, according to Niche. There were 18,564 people on campus in 2022, and the most popular majors are liberal arts and the humanities.  The most popular major at the University of South Carolina is finance. With a student population of 26,174 in 2022, this Columbia-based campus is thriving.  Located in Auburn, Alabama, this college has a yearly tuition of $24,028. The most popular major is business, and the 2022 enrollment was 22,458 students. More affectionately known as "Ole Miss," this college is located in Oxford. The tuition is $13,540 a year, with graduates earning an average annual salary of $42,700 six years after earning a degree. At last look, this Ames campus was home to 24,461 students, who pay around $16,105 a year. After graduation, former students can expect to make an average of $50,700 annually.  The University of Cincinnati has an A+ rating for location and is a bustling Ohio university.  As of 2022, there were 24,301 undergrads with an annual tuition of $22,767. This Miami college is ranked highly for its campus -- and its campus food.  This relatively small college, with 1,028 undergrads, is in Kings Point, N.Y. It has a fairly steep acceptance rate: Roughly 24% of applicants get in.  ASU, which has an A+ diversity rating, is located in Tempe. The tuition is $14,653 and there are more than  57,000 students enrolled. UAB is known for quality professors, who have an A+ rating. The 10,402 students pay an average of $16,978 in tuition yearly. The more than 18,700 students who attend this Salt Lake City college pay an average of $12,881 a year for tuition. More than 20,000 students currently call this public college home. The annual tuition is $17,452, and the most popular major is kinesiology and exercise science. This Orlando college had more than 43,000 undergrads in 2022. Tuition runs an average of $11,108 a year, and the campus has an A+ student-life rating. There are 22,212 students enrolled at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2022, more commonly referred to as UMass. The average tuition cost per year is $22,505. The professors at Michigan Tech, located in Houghton, have an A+ rating, which is good news for the 5,778 students on campus.  The more than 31,600 students at Indiana University—Bloomington pay an average of $13,191 a year in tuition, and 95% of graduates are employed two years after leaving school. The net price of yearly tuition at OSU (located in Stillwater) is $14,763.  Located in New Brunswick, N.J., Rutgers is home to 33,788 undergrads who end up paying an average of $17,835 annually in tuition.  This Clemson, S.C., public college has 20,021 people enrolled in undergraduate programs for 2022. In addition to an A+ rating for its athletics program, the school is also known for student life programs. Tuition at Michigan State (in East Lansing) costs students an average of $16,655 a year. Unlike many colleges. The school offers rolling admissions, so prospective students can apply at any time. There were 34,588 students in full-time enrollment for 2022. With a 51% acceptance rate, this is a fairly competitive school to get into. The most popular majors at the Tampa-based school are science-based, with health-service preparatory studies at the top of the list.  This engineering-and-science-based school is considered one of the most academically rigorous among public colleges. There were 5,201 students enrolled in 2022. It costs students an average of $17,729 annually to attend this Minneapolis campus. There's a 70% acceptance rate. This Pennsylvania public college has a 4:1 student-teacher ratio. This college has 22,480 students enrolled, and the most popular major is sociology. It's also rated as the No. 1 party school in the U.S. The professors and the diversity on campus both receive an A+ rating from Niche. There were 30,186 students enrolled for 2022, and the yearly tuition average is $17,026.  There are nearly 23,000 students enrolled at this school, located in Raleigh. The tuition is $14,600 a year, with Niche reporting that the most popular major is business. This Columbus college is more commonly shortened to Ohio State. Niche gives OSU A+ ratings in athletics, campus food, professors, student life and the party scene. This campus is located in West Lafayette. There are 33,575 students enrolled in undergraduate programs for 2022, and tuition is $12,294 a year. UC—San Diego is known for its STEM programs — the most popular major is biology. Six years after earning a degree, graduates earn an average of $59,900 a year. If you're ready to root for the Aggies, this athletics-focused College Station university is ranked as a choice. There were 49,442 enrolled undergraduate students for 2022, and tuition is $19,906 a year. Located in the heart of Seattle, this school attracts many students interested in experimental psychology. There are 29,350 students enrolled at present. Tuition is $20,247 a year. The Blacksburg campus has A+ ratings for its value and professors. Graduates earn an average of $58,400 annually six years after getting degrees. Students can expect to pay $26,151 annually for tuition, with information science being the most popular major. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, William & Mary dubs itself a "public Ivy" college, and Niche ranks its academics and value with an A+ rating.  FSU, in Tallahassee, has a 32% acceptance rate. There were 29,072 students enrolled in undergraduate programs in 2022. In 2022, the school served 32,107 students from all over the world. Neither SAT/ACT scores nor high school GPA are required. UW—Madison ranks highly in academics and athletics, and professors and party scenes — so students work hard and party hard. In 2022, this Athens college was home to 27,888 undergraduate students, who are paying $16,580 a year for tuition, on average. People who want to get into UC—Berkeley have to work hard: The acceptance rate is 17%. For students who do get in, the graduation rate is 92%. Students (all 37,404 of them) tend to love UT—Austin for its A+ ratings in athletics, academics, and student life. UNC tuition is, on average, $10,038 a year. Niche found that the most popular major on campus is communications. Overall, the No. 1 college for athletics is UF, located in Gainesville. But it also ranks highly in academics, with the most popular major being biology. Most people refer to this college as West Point, after its location in New York. The school has A+ ratings in safety, academics and value.  This competitive Charlottesville college is known for its liberal arts and humanities majors.  Georgia Tech calls bustling Atlanta home, which may be why Niche has given the location an A+ rating. Its famous engineering school is considered one of the country's best.  Located in Ann Arbor, this school is one of the best public colleges in the U.S. The median yearly tuition is $17,832. UCLA has an A+ ranking in almost all of the categories that Niche rates.

Here's Niche's list of the best public colleges in the U.S. for 2023. All of these colleges have an A rating. (The annual tuition listed for each university is the average after students receive financial aid, like a grant or a scholarship.) The SAT and ACT are optional for admission, and there's an 83% acceptance rate. Annual tuition is around $21,836. Six years after graduation, the average alumnus's income is $51,100 a year. Tuition is around $21,784 a year, and the median earnings of graduates average out to $44,900 annually.  Six years after graduation, the median income for alumni is $48,800 a year. An estimated 87% of current students feel confident they will get a job after graduating. There were 15,485 enrolled students for 2022, and Niche places Ole Miss at No. 3 for Greek life. The most popular major is mechanical engineering, and the acceptance rate is 88%. Most students have a mix of online and in-person classes, with marketing being the most popular major. Six years after earning a degree, students' average salary is $42,300 a year. The tuition is $8,988 a year, and Niche reports that 90% of graduates are working two years later, with a median income of $46,300 six years later. For the students who do get in, the tuition comes out to an average of $4,574 a year — with alumni earning an average annual salary of $88,100 six years after graduating. The most popular major is marine science. Graduates make a median of $47,700 a year after earning a degree. The most popular major is business support services. There's an acceptance rate of 81%, and students who graduate earn an average annual salary of $41,200 six years afterward. After earning a degree, graduates typically make an income of $53,000. The most popular major is communications. About 90% of students are employed two years after graduating. After graduation, the average income for alumni six years out is $51,900. The median earnings for graduates after six years are $45,400. According to Niche, the most common major is psychology and former students can expect to earn around $51,400 annually. Students pay around $17,356 a year in tuition, and it reportedly pays off — the average earnings six years after graduation are $66,400. There's a 70% acceptance rate. The most popular major by far is business. A Niche poll has respondents reporting that students at the school are typically friendly. There's a 67% acceptance rate. The most popular major at Rutgers is information science, and Niche gives the school an A+ in diversity. Graduates earn an average of $57,900 six years after earning a degree. Tuition costs $22,935 a year, while alumni are making an average of $52,400 annually six years after graduating. The most popular major is advertising, and six years after getting their degrees, students earn a median $53,600 annually.  Tuition costs $17,643 a year, but alumni report earning an average annual salary of $62,900 six years after they graduate.  It costs students $10,004 annually for tuition, with the average earnings for graduates six years afterward coming in at $43,500 a year. The yearly tuition is $27,675; graduates from CSM earn an average of $84,900 six years after earning their degrees. Niche gives the school an A+ for value. Neither SAT/ACT scores nor GPA averages are required for admission, but they are considered. Six years after graduating, degree-earners make around $51,900 a year. Tuition is $22,346 a year and the median earnings for students six years after graduation are $53,900 annually. The price of yearly tuition is $17,223, while graduates earn an average of $55,300 six years after earning a degree. The acceptance rate is 46%, making it fairly competitive, but graduates are earning an annual salary of $58,200 six years later. Graduates are making an average of $52,500 annually six years after they leave college. Tuition is $18,884 annually, and this large campus is home to nearly 43,000 students. The median earnings of degree-earners six years after graduation are $46,100 a year. An estimated 95% of graduates are employed two years after graduating, with median earnings at $55,100 annually after six years. There were currently 30,939 students enrolled for 2022, with annual tuition being $15,222. Niche reports that the acceptance rate is 63%, and that the median earnings for graduates after six years are $58,000 annually.  The average salary six years after graduation is $57,700 a year — not necessarily bad, considering that tuition is about $9,661 annually. Six years after graduation, former students earn annually, on average, $62,500. There were 28,990 enrolled students for 2022, with tuition costing $13,106 a year. In the six-year time period after graduating, former students make an average of $50,100 a year. Students pay $18,588 a year for tuition. The median earnings six years after graduating are $58,500 annually. Tuition is $12,815 annually, with students making $46,400 a year in median earnings six years after graduating. Students end up paying $13,517 in tuition on average. Six years after graduating, however, degree earners are making a median of $61,500 a year. In 2022, 30,063 undergraduate students were enrolled. Tuition costs a median of $14,030 annually, while the average earnings of graduates six years later are $56,200 a year. The median earnings of a graduate six years later are $50,500 annually. The most popular major, according to Niche, is finance. The 29,300 students on campus in 2022 were paying an average annual tuition of $19,329 a year, with graduates earning $64,700 annually after six years. The net price of tuition is $16,892 a year, but the median earnings for students six years after graduation are $58,200 annually. But what are students earning six years after graduating? On average, it's $55,600 a year. The average price of tuition is $10,075 a year. In the six years after earning a degree, graduates make a median of $56,000 annually. The acceptance rate is only 9% — the lowest on this list. That's because if you get in, there is no tuition, as students who get into West Point are part of the U.S. Army and thus eligible for free college, board and medical care. The median net price of tuition is $19,043 annually. There were 14,485 enrolled undergraduate students for 2022, with tuition costing, on average, $17,410 a year. Six years after graduation, the median earnings for students are $79,100. The most popular major is information science, and the school has a 26% acceptance rate, making it competitive. Six years after getting a degree, graduates earn $63,400 a year. With a fairly small acceptance rate of 17%, the school's the most popular major is economics. The net price of tuition is $16,474 a year.