These state universities stand out as schools that offer students high earning potential with low debt burdens and a great return on their investment.

_{By Emma Whitford, Forbes Staff}

While prestigious private colleges—particularly the eight Ivies—get the lion’s share of media attention, it’s public colleges that educate a majority of America’s undergraduates. Three out of every five bachelor’s degree-seeking students in the U.S. attend a state school. And as the cost of higher education continues to rise, it’s worth giving your own state’s offerings a serious look.

During the 2023-24 academic year, the average net price for tuition and fees—that is, the out-of-pocket cost after student aid is factored in—paid by private college students and their families was $15,910, compared with a net tuition and fees cost of only $2,730 for in-state public college students, according to the College Board. California high schoolers are especially lucky—seven in-state universities land on this top 25 list. But Texas, Florida and New York, the next three most populous U.S. states, can also claim universities on this list. And all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico are home to at least one public college on Forbes’ top 500.

To determine this year’s top 25 public colleges, Forbes applied the same methodology to all four-year public colleges with at least 300 undergraduates that we used to determine the 500 schools on the America’s Top Colleges list. Our methodology prioritizes, among other things, high alumni salaries, low student debt levels and high returns on investment.

The following schools, which educate a combined 709,000 students, stood out as high performers on all 14 of our metrics. They’re listed in order of how highly they scored against their peers. Interested in learning more about one of these colleges? Click on its name to view the full college profile.

University of California-Berkeley

Routinely the top-ranked public college on Forbes’ annual list of 500, the University of California-Berkeley is well-known for its rigorous academics and science programs. It’s a competitive ticket—in 2024, the school’s admissions rate was around 11%. Graduates of the Bay Area public university earn a median $74,919 six years after matriculating (or, for most undergraduate students, two years after graduating), and a median $92,446 six years out. Nearly 500 UC Berkeley graduates go on to earn a PhD each year.

University of California-Los Angeles

Of the public colleges on the Forbes’ top 50, The University of California-Los Angeles is the toughest to get into, with an admissions rate of about 9%. The public university boasts nationwide name recognition and a significant chunk of its undergraduate student body—23%—come from outside the state or the country. Some of the most popular undergraduate programs at the university include psychology, economics and sociology.

University of Florida

The University of Florida, located in Gainesville, offers students a great return on their investment—Third Way estimates that it takes graduates about nine months to make up the net cost of their education in post-graduate earnings. Six years after stepping foot on campus, graduates earn a median $56,398, and a median $123,700 ten years after they graduate. The public university is well-known for its Division I Florida Gators sports teams, and students and alumni have earned 143 Olympic medals. The school was recently named a “New Ivy” by Forbes for admitting top talent and earning praise from employers for producing high-achieving, hard working graduates.

University of California-San Diego

The University of California-San Diego is the third of six University of California schools on this list (which is no surprise, given how well the state university system routinely scores on Forbes’ annual rankings). Its picturesque campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla, California is a draw of its own, and a boon to its surf team, which is one of the best in the country and has won six national championships. The public research university is also popular for its biology, computer science and cognitive science programs, and students earn a median $​​79,200 two years after graduating.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the oldest public university in the United States, having opened its doors to students in 1795. The university’s rigorous academics prepares students well for graduate school—on average, 244 alumni earn a PhD each year, federal data shows. But it’s not all work and no play. UNC Chapel Hill is also famous for its Tar Heels sports teams, especially its men’s basketball team, which has won six national championships. About 18% of students take out loans to attend the university, and nearly 90% of them are able to make payments toward their loan principal (as opposed to paying only interest) within five years of entering repayment. UNC was also named a New Ivy by Forbes.

University of California-Santa Barbara

Almost any student could find their niche at the University of California-Santa Barbara, which offers more than 200 undergraduate majors, the most popular of which include sociology, econometrics and communications. Graduates then go on to earn a median $72,700 and $148,600 six and ten years out from graduation, respectively. The university enrolls a significant share of low-income students—30% of undergraduates receive Pell grants.

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Only 16% of students take out loans to attend The University of Washington, making it one of only a handful of schools on this list where fewer than one in five students borrow for their degree. The school draws in a lot of out-of-staters—24% of undergraduates come from outside Washington, compared with 60% from in-state and 15% from outside the U.S. Some of the most popular majors include social science, biomedical science and computer science.

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Among the top 25 public colleges, the University of Michigan ranks behind only UC Berkeley when it comes to the number of alumni on the Forbes American Leaders list; Wolverines on this year’s list include Ohio congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, Guggenheim fellow Julia Wolfe and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree Olivia Weinstock. Graduates of the University of Michigan earn a median $80,300 six years after graduation, and a median $137,500 ten years after receiving their diploma. The University of Michigan is another one of Forbes’ New Ivies.

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Located in Charlottesville, the University of Virginia-Main Campus is popular among students who major in social science, business and the liberal arts. Among the top 25 public schools, UVA has the highest graduation rate—95% of all students graduate with a bachelor’s degree within six years. It also boasts the highest graduation rate for low-income students—92% of Pell grant recipients graduate within six years. UVA is also one of Forbes’ New Ivies.

University of California-Irvine

The University of California-Irvine enrolls a diverse student body, 81% of which hails from within California. Thirty-eight percent of undergraduates are Asian, 27% are Hispanic or Latino and 13% are white. Nearly four in ten students at the public university receive Pell grants, with the average Pell grant award worth $5,644 and 65% of all students at UC Irvine get some kind of grant aid to attend. Social science, business, management and marketing are all popular majors at the university.

University of Maryland-College Park

The University of Maryland-College Park draws students from in and out of state—72% of undergraduates hail from Maryland while 26% live elsewhere in the U.S. Its proximity to Washington, D.C. makes the school ideal for students interested in politics and policy, though computer science, social science and engineering are the most popular programs among undergraduates. The university has a 95% three-year average retention rate, showing that year after year, a large majority of freshmen return as sophomores. Maryland, too, was named a New Ivy.

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Graduates from the Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus earn some of the highest mid-career salaries of any public university on this list. Six years after stepping foot on campus, students earn a median $102,772, and 10 years after graduation, that median salary hits an impressive $163,500. Georgia Tech, a favorite of employers, also made the Forbes New Ivies list.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign gets high marks on Forbes’ academic metrics. The university enrolls or has graduated 20 people who have, within the past year, become Rhodes, Truman, Fulbright or Goldwater scholars. Each year, more than 300 University of Illinois alumni go on to earn a PhD. Popular programs at the midwestern university include engineering, business and marketing. The school also qualified as a New Ivy.

University of California-Davis

The University of California-Davis has strong international appeal—the university enrolls 18% of its students from outside the U.S. Of the university’s nearly 32,000 undergraduates, 31% are Asian, 24% are Hispanic or Latino and 21% are white. Those students who take out federal student loans to attend UC Davis borrow a median of $11,000 and about nine in 10 graduates pay some of their principal loan amount within five years of entering repayment.

The University of Texas at Austin

Students love the University of Texas at Austin—95% of first-time undergraduates return for a second year. Employers also love UT Austin. Its great reputation among hiring managers landed it a spot on Forbes’ New Ivies list. The urban university enrolls nearly 40,000 undergraduates, who favor programs in biology, engineering, communications and journalism, and go on to earn a median salary of $60,896 two years after graduating.

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Named a public New Ivy by Forbes in May, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is well-known by employers for producing smart, hard-working graduates. It’s the biggest feeder school into healthcare records giant Epic, located just miles away from the University of Wisconsin’s Isthmus campus. Computer science, economics and psychology are all popular among undergraduates at the university.

William & Mary

William & Mary is unique in that despite being classified as a doctoral, public research university, its student population is largely made up of undergraduates and its 12-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio give it a liberal arts campus feel. The Virginia public college’s acceptance rate hovers around 33%, making it fairly attainable compared to other schools of its size and prestige. William & Mary has a long, rich history—U.S. presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and John Tyler attended the college, and other founding fathers, including George Washington, had connections to the school, earning it the nickname “Alma Mater of the Nation.”

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo boasts high starting and mid-career median salaries for its graduates, who often go on to work in technology, engineering and business. Two years after graduating from a four-year program, Cal Poly alumni earn a median $72,358. Later on in their careers, 10 years after graduation, their median salaries hover around $148,600. About one fifth of students take on debt to attend the university, with the median debt load sitting around $15,000.

Purdue University-Main Campus

Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, Purdue University enrolls more than 36,000 full-time undergraduates who can choose from more than 100 majors, including chemical engineering, forestry and UX design. About a quarter of students take out loans to attend Purdue, with the median loan value at $15,000. Of those students, 90% are able to pay some of their loan principal within five years of graduation.

Florida State University

Florida State University offers its students a great return on their investment. According to Third Way, graduates of the public university in Tallahassee take less than a year to make up their net cost in earnings. Eighty-six percent of students receive some kind of grant aid to attend, with the average aid award sitting at $8,731. The most popular majors for undergraduates include psychology, criminal justice and finance.

University of Georgia

Of the 29,680 full-time undergraduates at the University of Georgia, three quarters come from within the state while the remaining quarter come from other parts of the U.S. Some of the most popular programs among students at the public university are psychology, public health and biology. The Georgia Bulldogs are popular collegiate teams, and they have won national championships in football, baseball, men’s and women’s tennis and golf, to name a few.

CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

One of the most cost-effective colleges on our list, CUNY Bernard M Baruch College costs New Yorkers $31,482 to attend, and out-of-staters $39,432—both prices before student aid. Return on investment for students at the New York City public college is high—Third Way estimates that it takes graduates about four months to make up the net cost in earnings, and low-income graduates do so in less than three months. Of all 25 schools on this list, Baruch College enrolls the highest percentage of low-income students—52% of undergraduates receive Pell grants. Only 11% of Baruch College undergraduates take out loans to attend the school, and the median debt burden is $10,000.

Texas A & M University-College Station

By far the largest school on this list with more than 50,000 undergraduates, Texas A&M University-College Station is known for its engineering, agriculture and veterinary science programs. Graduates of the university go on to earn a median $72,600 six years after graduation and a median $139,700 10 years out. Texas A&M does not require applicants to submit test scores, and admits around 64% of applicants—the large majority of which are in-state students.

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Graduates from North Carolina State University at Raleigh earn a median salary of $70,800 six years after graduation and $128,600 ten years after graduation. It takes about two years for graduates from North Carolina State to make up their net cost in earnings, according to Third Way, but low-income students typically do so in less than a year after graduation. Engineering is by far the most popular program at the university, followed by business and biology.

San Diego State University

The seventh California public college on this list, and one of the 23 schools in the California State University system, is San Diego State University. The university enrolls 28,524 undergraduates, who can choose from majors like criminal justice, psychology and mechanical engineering. About one in five students take on loans to attend San Diego State, and the median loan amount is just under $13,000.