The 10 best public colleges and universities in the U.S.—none are in California
Kamaron McNair
September 13, 2023
Private colleges often take up the top spots on college rankings. In fact, Princeton University ranks No. 1 overall in The Wall Street Journal’s 2024 Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings.
They’re not necessarily better schools simply because they’re private, but many of these colleges, such as all of the Ivy League institutions, have proven records of churning out high-earners, industry leaders and notable innovators that help bolster their rankings.
But don’t count out public colleges and universities, which have their own advantages.
Generally speaking, public schools are often more affordable and sometimes have better campus resources than private institutions.
“Due to their access to public funds, some of these [public] universities have support for multi-year research studies,” Amy Hubbard, education consultant at Knovva Academy tells CNBC Make It.
