According to a publication from The Lincoln Project by the American Academy of the Arts and Sciences, American public universities, particularly those with a focus on research, play a critical and indispensable role in the landscape of higher education in the United States. The publication emphasizes that these universities offer accessible educational opportunities to Americans, a significance heightened by their presence in all states across the country.
List of 10 Best Colleges in America
1. University of California, Berkeley
Location: Berkeley, California
Average Cost of Attendance: $39,550 (in-state) / $69,304 (out-of-state)
Research Activity: Very high
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 19:1
Average Early-Career Salary: $74,500
The University of California, Berkeley, the state’s inaugural land-grant university and the first campus of the University of California system, stands among the top 110 colleges nationwide. Renowned for academic excellence in sciences, it has gained recognition for programs in engineering, biological sciences, and earth sciences.
2. University of Michigan
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Average Cost of Attendance: $31,484 (in-state) / $66,698 (out-of-state)
Research Activity: Very high
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 15:1
Average Early-Career Salary: $67,800
Established in 1817, the University of Michigan is one of the original “Public Ivies,” known for its ability to rival Ivy League schools in academic rigor and faculty quality. It excels in pharmacy, social work, sociology, and nursing-midwifery.
3. United States Military Academy
Location: West Point, New York
Cost of Attendance: $0
Research Activity: No information available
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 7:1
Average Early-Career Salary: $84,800
Admission to the United States Military Academy requires a nomination by a member of the U.S. Congress or the president/vice president. Cadets can earn a Bachelor of Science degree in majors such as Applied Statistics and Data Science, Electrical Engineering, and Operations Research.
4. United States Naval Academy
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
Cost of Attendance: $0
Research Activity: No information available
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 8:1
Average Early-Career Salary: $79,600
Similar to the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy offers Bachelor of Science degrees in majors such as Aerospace Engineering, Information Technology, and Quantitative Economics, along with honors and scholarship programs.
5. University of Virginia
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
Cost of Attendance: $42,500 (in-state) / $60,500 (out-of-state)
Research Activity: Very high
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 15:1
Average Early-Career Salary: $65,700
As Virginia’s flagship university, the University of Virginia excels in law, engineering, and business. Its Academical Village, designed by Thomas Jefferson, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
6. University of California, Los Angeles
Location: Los Angeles, California
Cost of Attendance: $36,767 (in-state) / $66,521 (out-of-state)
Research Activity: Very high
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 18:1
Average Early-Career Salary: $65,600
Another original Public Ivy, UCLA boasts numerous Nobel Prize laureates, Fields Medalists, and Turing Award winners. It excels in Fine Arts, Psychology, Education, Sociology, and Public Health.
7. United States Air Force Academy
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Cost of Attendance: $0
Research Activity: No information available
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 8:1
Average Early-Career Salary: $81,100
The United States Air Force Academy offers Bachelor of Science degrees in various majors, including Astronautical Engineering, Cyber Science, and Space Operations. Its research program encompasses 27 research centers in fields such as hypersonic vehicle simulation and warfighter effectiveness research.
8. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Cost of Attendance: $24,266 (in-state) / $52,026 (out-of-state)
Research Activity: Very high
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 14:1
Average Early-Career Salary: $59,000
Granting degrees since the 18th century, UNC-Chapel Hill offers over 240 degree programs. It excels in medicine, pharmacy, public health, journalism, and hospitality.
9. College of William & Mary
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
Cost of Attendance: $40,034 (in-state) / $63,370 (out-of-state)
Research Activity: High
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 11:1
Average Early-Career Salary: $62,100
The second-oldest institution of higher education in the USA, the College of William and Mary, is nationally recognized for student satisfaction and undergraduate teaching. It offers 80+ undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional degree programs.
10. United States Coast Guard Academy
Location: New London, Connecticut
Cost of Attendance: $0
Research Activity: No information available
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 7:1
Average Early-Career Salary: $76,500
As the smallest of the five service academies in the USA, the United States Coast Guard Academy awards Bachelor of Science degrees in nine fields of study, commissioning students as Coast Guard ensigns upon graduation.