Top Public Universities

William and Mary typically ranks at or near the top of small public universities. The college has well-respected programs in business, law, accounting, international relations and history. Founded in 1693, the College of William and Mary is the second oldest institution of higher learning in the country. The campus is located in historic Williamsburg, Virginia, and the school educated three U.S. presidents: Thomas Jefferson, John Tyler and James Monroe.

Located on a 400-acre urban campus in Atlanta, Georgia Tech consistently ranks as one of the best public universities in the United States. Georgia Tech's greatest strengths are in the sciences and engineering, and the school places heavy emphasis on research. Along with strong academics, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets compete in NCAA Divsion I intercollegiate athletics.

Berkeley consistently ranks as the best public university in the country. It offers students a bustling and beautiful campus in the San Francisco Bay area, and top-ranked programs in the humanities, sciences, and engineering. Well known for its liberal and activist personality, Berkeley provides its students with a rich and vibrant social environment.

Located on 419 acres in Los Angeles' Westwood Village just 8 miles from the Pacific Ocean, UCLA sits on a piece of prime real estate. With over 4,000 teaching faculty and 25,000 undergraduates, the university provides a bustling and vibrant academic environment. UCLA is part of the public University of California system, and stands as one of the top-ranked public schools in the country.

One of the "Public Ivies," UCSD consistently ranks in top ten list of best public universities. The school is particularly strong in the sciences, social sciences and engineering. With its coastal location in La Jolla, California, and with the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, UCSD gets top marks for oceanography and the biological sciences. The school has a system of six undergraduate residential colleges modeled after Oxford and Cambridge, and each college has its own curricular focus.

The large flagship campus of the University of Illinois spans the twin cites of Urbana and Champaign. UIUC consistently ranks among the top public universities in the country. The school boasts over 42,000 students and 150 different majors, and it is particularly well known for its outstanding engineering and science programs. Illinois has the largest university library in the United States outside of the Ivy League. Along with strong academics, UIUC is a member of the Big Ten Conference and fields 19 varsity teams.

Located in Ann Arbor Michigan, the University of Michigan consistently ranks as one of the best public institutions in the country. The university has a highly talented undergraduate student body -- about 25% of admitted students had a 4.0 high school GPA. The school also boasts of impressive athletic programs as a member of the Big Ten Conference. With roughly 40,000 students and 200 undergraduate majors, the University of Michigan has strengths in a wide range of academic areas.

UNC Chapel Hill is one of the so-called "Public Ivy" schools. It consistently ranks in the top five among public universities, and its total costs are generally lower than the other top-ranked schools. Chapel Hill's schools of medicine, law, and business all have excellent reputations. The university's beautiful and historic campus was opened in 1795. UNC Chapel Hill also boasts excellent athletics -- the Tar Heels compete in NCAA Divisin I competition.

Established about 200 years ago by Thomas Jefferson, the University of Virginia has one of the most beautiful and historic campuses in the U.S. The school also consistently ranks among the top public universities, and with an endowment now over $5 billion it is the wealthiest of the state schools. UVA is part of the Atlantic Coast Conference and fields numerous Division I teams. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, the university is near Jefferson's home at Monticello. The schools has strengths in a wide range of academic areas, from the humanities to engineering.