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.
Oregon State University
- Public 4 Year
- Corvallis, OR
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 37,163 total enrollment
Oregon State is a large public university known for undergraduate forestry, marine science, and engineering. Corvallis is a college town built around the campus in Oregon's Willamette Valley.
- SAT Range 1140-1400
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $22,467
University of Hawaii at Manoa
- Public 4 Year
- Honolulu, HI
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- 20,028 total enrollment
UH Manoa is a large public university known for undergraduate marine science, oceanography, and Hawaiian studies. The campus occupies Manoa Valley in Honolulu.
- SAT Range 1081-1293
- Avg GPA 3.67
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $17,202
Iowa State University
- Public 4 Year
- Ames, IA
-
4.0 | 4 reviews
- 30,380 total enrollment
Iowa State is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and design. Ames is a college town built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1120-1360
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $17,779
University of Oregon
- Public 4 Year
- Eugene, OR
-
5.0 | 4 reviews
- 24,404 total enrollment
Oregon is a large public university known for undergraduate journalism, architecture, and business. Eugene is a classic college town built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1130-1360
- Avg GPA 3.73
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $24,605
Louisiana State University
- Public 4 Year
- Baton Rouge, LA
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
- 41,705 total enrollment
LSU is a large public university known for undergraduate petroleum engineering, agriculture, and business. The campus sits along the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge.
- SAT Range 1180-1340
- Avg GPA 3.77
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $21,430
San Diego State University
- Public 4 Year
- San Diego, CA
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
- 41,137 total enrollment
SDSU is a large public university known for undergraduate international business, hospitality management, and communications. The urban campus sits in San Diego's College Area with Spanish Colonial Revival buildings.
- SAT Range 1090-1300
- Avg GPA 3.82
- Acceptance Rate 36%
- Net Price $14,704
Colorado State University Fort Collins
- Public 4 Year
- Fort Collins, CO
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- 34,096 total enrollment
Colorado State is a large public university known for undergraduate natural resources, agriculture, and engineering. The campus sits in the college town of Fort Collins near the Rocky Mountain foothills.
- SAT Range 1080-1290
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $21,011
University of Mississippi
- Public 4 Year
- University, MS
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- 26,449 total enrollment
Ole Miss is a large public university known for undergraduate accountancy and business. Oxford is a classic college town built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1000-1200
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $15,045
University of Nevada Reno
- Public 4 Year
- Reno, NV
-
5.0 | 4 reviews
- 23,024 total enrollment
Nevada is a large public university known for undergraduate mining engineering, earth sciences, and journalism. The Reno campus sits near the base of the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe.
- SAT Range 1060-1290
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $17,226
University of Nebraska Lincoln
- Public 4 Year
- Lincoln, NE
-
| 0 reviews
- 24,393 total enrollment
Nebraska is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, engineering, and journalism. Students attend classes on a large campus in Lincoln, the state capital.
- SAT Range 1098-1330
- Avg GPA 3.63
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $18,322
Arizona State University
- Public 4 Year
- Tempe, AZ
-
3.3 | 6 reviews
- 79,818 total enrollment
ASU is a large public university known for undergraduate journalism, business, and sustainability. The Tempe campus sits in the Phoenix metro area.
- SAT Range 1100-1320
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $17,779
Washington State University
- Public 4 Year
- Pullman, WA
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- 25,685 total enrollment
WSU is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, engineering, and communications. Pullman is a classic college town set in the Palouse region of eastern Washington.
- SAT Range 1020-1210
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $18,171
University of Louisville
- Public 4 Year
- Louisville, KY
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- 23,065 total enrollment
UofL is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering and business. Most undergraduates study on the urban Belknap Campus in Louisville.
- SAT Range 1040-1270
- Avg GPA 3.64
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $19,785
Indiana University Indianapolis
- Public 4 Year
- Indianapolis, IN
-
| 0 reviews
- 22,534 total enrollment
IU Indianapolis is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and philanthropic studies. The urban campus is located in downtown Indianapolis.
- SAT Range 1030-1240
- Avg GPA 3.52
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $12,228
University of South Florida
- Public 4 Year
- Tampa, FL
-
4.0 | 4 reviews
- 49,622 total enrollment
USF is a large public university known for undergraduate public health, business, and engineering. The main campus is a large urban site in Tampa near Tampa Bay.
- SAT Range 1130-1320
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.64
- Acceptance Rate 43%
- Net Price $11,579
University of Central Florida
- Public 4 Year
- Orlando, FL
-
4.2 | 6 reviews
- 69,713 total enrollment
UCF is a large public university known for undergraduate hospitality management, aerospace engineering, and digital media. The large suburban campus sits in east Orlando near the region's tourism industry.
- SAT Range 1200-1350
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.64
- Acceptance Rate 40%
- Net Price $13,351
The University of Alabama
- Public 4 Year
- Tuscaloosa, AL
-
5.0 | 7 reviews
- 40,846 total enrollment
Alabama is a large public university known for undergraduate business and communications. Tuscaloosa is a classic college town built around the historic campus.
- SAT Range 1170-1400
- Avg GPA 3.76
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $22,559
University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Public 4 Year
- Birmingham, AL
-
| 0 reviews
- 20,905 total enrollment
UAB is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and biomedical programs. The urban campus is anchored by a major academic medical center in Birmingham.
- SAT Range 1210-1450
- Avg GPA 3.82
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $17,997