The Best Big Colleges
These are the top ranked large, public and private, four-year colleges in the United States as ranked by CollegeSimply. These schools all have total enrollment of 20,000 or more. Leading the list for 2027 is Harvard University. Learn how the Best Large Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
University of South Carolina Columbia
- Public 4 Year
- Columbia, SC
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 38,532 total enrollment
South Carolina is a large public university known for undergraduate international business and hospitality management. The historic Horseshoe anchors the campus in downtown Columbia.
- SAT Range 1180-1360
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.69
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $24,488
The University of Tennessee Knoxville
- Public 4 Year
- Knoxville, TN
-
4.8 | 5 reviews
- 38,728 total enrollment
Tennessee is a large public university known for undergraduate supply chain management, business, and nuclear engineering. The campus borders the Tennessee River in Knoxville.
- SAT Range 1200-1370
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 42%
- Net Price $21,648
University of Iowa
- Public 4 Year
- Iowa City, IA
-
3.0 | 3 reviews
- 30,779 total enrollment
Iowa is a large public university known for undergraduate creative writing and journalism. The campus sits in the college town of Iowa City along the Iowa River.
- SAT Range 1130-1330
- Avg GPA 3.81
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $21,765
Michigan State University
- Public 4 Year
- East Lansing, MI
-
4.5 | 6 reviews
- 52,089 total enrollment
Michigan State is a large public university known for undergraduate supply chain management, education, and agriculture. The campus spreads across the college town of East Lansing with the Red Cedar River running through it.
- SAT Range 1180-1360
- Avg GPA 3.72
- Acceptance Rate 85%
- Net Price $23,657
The University of Texas at Dallas
- Public 4 Year
- Richardson, TX
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- 29,886 total enrollment
UT Dallas is a public university known for undergraduate computer science, engineering, and business. The suburban Richardson campus sits in the Dallas area's tech corridor.
- SAT Range 1160-1410
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.78
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $14,916
George Mason University
- Public 4 Year
- Fairfax, VA
-
3.7 | 3 reviews
- 39,766 total enrollment
George Mason is a large public university known for undergraduate economics, public policy, and computer science. The suburban Fairfax campus sits near Washington, D.C.
- SAT Range 1160-1360
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $18,823
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Norman, OK
-
4.0 | 2 reviews
- 30,851 total enrollment
OU is a large public university known for undergraduate meteorology and petroleum engineering. Norman is a classic college town built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1140-1330
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $18,574
James Madison University
- Public 4 Year
- Harrisonburg, VA
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- 22,740 total enrollment
JMU is a large public university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and education. Harrisonburg is a college town in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.
- SAT Range 1170-1340
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $18,856
DePaul University
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
3.3 | 3 reviews
- 21,210 total enrollment
DePaul is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate business, film, and theater. Its urban campuses sit in Chicago's Lincoln Park and Loop neighborhoods.
- SAT Range 1140-1330
- Avg GPA 3.8
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $34,135
University of Utah
- Public 4 Year
- Salt Lake City, UT
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- 36,894 total enrollment
Utah is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and ballet. The campus sits in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains overlooking Salt Lake City.
- SAT Range 1190-1380
- Avg GPA 3.64
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $16,583
Rowan University
- Public 4 Year
- Glassboro, NJ
-
2.7 | 6 reviews
- 21,026 total enrollment
Rowan is a public university known for undergraduate engineering and education. Glassboro is a South Jersey college town built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1110-1310
- Avg GPA 3.44
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $23,761
University of Missouri Columbia
- Public 4 Year
- Columbia, MO
-
4.0 | 2 reviews
- 31,543 total enrollment
Mizzou is a large public university known for undergraduate journalism and agriculture. Columbia is a Midwestern college town built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1150-1330
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $22,169
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Denver, CO
-
3.0 | 5 reviews
- 23,124 total enrollment
CU Denver is a public university known for undergraduate architecture, business, and engineering. The urban campuses include downtown Denver and the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.
- SAT Range 980-1220
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $14,831
University of Arizona
- Public 4 Year
- Tucson, AZ
-
| 0 reviews
- 56,365 total enrollment
Arizona is a large public university known for undergraduate astronomy, optical sciences, and planetary science. The main campus sits in the Sonoran Desert in Tucson.
- SAT Range 1150-1420
- Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $19,055
CUNY Hunter College
- Public 4 Year
- New York, NY
-
| 0 reviews
- 22,538 total enrollment
Hunter College is a public CUNY college known for undergraduate nursing, education, and psychology. The urban campus is on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
- SAT Range 1100-1420
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 54%
- Net Price $4,431
Auburn University
- Public 4 Year
- Auburn, AL
-
4.6 | 9 reviews
- 34,145 total enrollment
Auburn is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and agriculture. The residential campus anchors the classic college town of Auburn.
- SAT Range 1260-1390
- Avg GPA 3.97
- Acceptance Rate 46%
- Net Price $25,242
University of California Riverside
- Public 4 Year
- Riverside, CA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 26,384 total enrollment
UC Riverside is a large public university known for undergraduate entomology, plant sciences, and business. The suburban campus lies in California's Inland Empire east of Los Angeles.
- SAT Range 1080-1280
- Avg GPA 3.84
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $14,562
University of Kansas
- Public 4 Year
- Lawrence, KS
-
3.5 | 6 reviews
- 29,792 total enrollment
KU is a large public university known for undergraduate journalism, pharmacy, and business. The hillside campus sits in the college town of Lawrence.
- SAT Range 1070-1300
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $19,205