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 undergraduate enrollment over 15,000. Leading the list for 2027 is Duke University. Learn how the Best Large Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
Michigan State University
- Public 4 Year
- East Lansing, MI
-
4.5 | 6 reviews
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
- May 1 application deadline
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
- Feb 1 application deadline
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
- Feb 1 application deadline
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
- Jan 15 application deadline
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
- Feb 1 application deadline
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 California Santa Cruz
- Public 4 Year
- Santa Cruz, CA
-
4.3 | 6 reviews
- Nov 30 application deadline
UC Santa Cruz is a public university known for undergraduate marine science, environmental studies, and astronomy. The residential-college campus sits among redwood forests overlooking Monterey Bay.
- SAT Range 1160-1360
- Avg GPA 3.63
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $18,059
University of Utah
- Public 4 Year
- Salt Lake City, UT
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- Apr 1 application deadline
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
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
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
- Aug 1 application deadline
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
Miami University Oxford
- Public 4 Year
- Oxford, OH
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Miami University is a public university known for undergraduate business and education. The residential red-brick campus anchors the small college town of Oxford.
- SAT Range 1220-1390
- Avg GPA 3.85
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $28,229
University of Arizona
- Public 4 Year
- Tucson, AZ
-
| 0 reviews
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
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
- Feb 1 application deadline
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
- Nov 30 application deadline
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
CUNY City College
- Public 4 Year
- New York, NY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
CCNY is a public college in the CUNY system known for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and the sciences. The urban campus is located in Harlem in northern Manhattan.
- SAT Range 1070-1430
- Avg GPA 3.2
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $4,664
University of Kansas
- Public 4 Year
- Lawrence, KS
-
3.5 | 6 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
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