University of Virginia-Main Campus has the highest graduation rate, which is the percentage of graduate candidates who complete their degree or certificate within 150 percent of normal time (for example, within 6 years for 4-years BS degree). Its graduatation rate was 96% last year.
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus with 94% and University of California-Berkeley with 93% of graduation rates followed it in the ranking of Public Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rate.
For the ranking, we exclude schools with fewer than 5,000 students.
The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the schools is $41,110 and graduate tuition & fees is $32,433 for the academic year 2024-2025.
Among these top-tier Public Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rate, the average acceptance rate is 35.50% and the average SAT score is 1,404, reflecting a competitive admissions environment and strong academic performance.
| School Name | Graduation Rate | Undergraduate Tuition & Fees | Yield | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Total Population | Students to Faculty Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - | University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VAPublic, 4-year | 96.00% 1.00% | $61,591 ($23,118) | 39.97% | 16.81% | 1,480 | 26,409 | 15 to 1 |
| 2 1 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GAPublic, 4-year | 94.00% 2.00% | $34,484 ($12,058) | 45.60% | 14.07% | 1,480 | 53,363 | 17 to 1 |
| 3 - | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CAPublic, 4-year | 93.00% 1.00% | $47,265 ($15,377) | 45.99% | 10.98% | - | 45,882 | 18 to 1 |
| 3 - | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CAPublic, 4-year | 93.00% 1.00% | $46,121 ($14,233) | 50.40% | 8.97% | - | 47,335 | 20 to 1 |
| 3 1 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MIPublic, 4-year | 93.00% - | $63,081 ($18,848) | 47.34% | 15.64% | 1,460 | 52,855 | 11 to 1 |
| 6 1 | University of Florida Gainesville, FLPublic, 4-year | 91.00% - | $28,659 ($6,381) | 42.20% | 24.20% | 1,400 | 56,311 | 16 to 1 |
| 6 3 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NCPublic, 4-year | 91.00% 1.00% | $41,203 ($8,994) | 45.45% | 15.34% | 1,480 | 32,438 | 15 to 1 |
| 8 3 | University of Georgia Athens, GAPublic, 4-year | 90.00% 3.00% | $31,688 ($11,450) | 38.30% | 37.70% | 1,370 | 43,146 | 17 to 1 |
| 8 1 | University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WIPublic, 4-year | 90.00% 1.00% | $42,103 ($11,603) | 28.59% | 45.20% | 1,460 | 51,044 | 18 to 1 |
| 10 - | University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MDPublic, 4-year | 89.00% 1.00% | $41,186 ($11,809) | 21.63% | 44.79% | 1,465 | 41,725 | 17 to 1 |
| 10 1 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TXPublic, 4-year | 89.00% 2.00% | $44,908 ($11,688) | 47.43% | 26.64% | 1,390 | 53,864 | 18 to 1 |
| 10 3 | William & Mary Williamsburg, VAPublic, 4-year | 89.00% 2.00% | $51,038 ($25,734) | 26.62% | 34.07% | 1,470 | 9,818 | 12 to 1 |
| 13 2 | Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OHPublic, 4-year | 88.00% 1.00% | $40,022 ($13,244) | 21.78% | 60.57% | 1,400 | 61,443 | 16 to 1 |
| 14 3 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CAPublic, 4-year | 87.00% 2.00% | $46,640 ($14,752) | 19.22% | 28.57% | - | 37,297 | 19 to 1 |
| 14 3 | Clemson University Clemson, SCPublic, 4-year | 87.00% - | $40,866 ($15,554) | 20.69% | 38.34% | 1,320 | 29,077 | 16 to 1 |
| 16 1 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CAPublic, 4-year | 86.00% 1.00% | $33,230 ($12,161) | 24.61% | 31.32% | - | 23,069 | 19 to 1 |
| 16 1 | University of California-Davis Davis, CAPublic, 4-year | 86.00% 1.00% | $47,692 ($15,804) | 16.36% | 41.83% | - | 40,065 | 22 to 1 |
| 16 5 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CAPublic, 4-year | 86.00% 1.00% | $47,676 ($15,788) | 20.41% | 26.71% | - | 44,256 | 19 to 1 |
| 16 19 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FLPublic, 4-year | 86.00% 4.00% | $21,683 ($6,517) | 30.89% | 24.22% | 1,350 | 43,889 | 17 to 1 |
| 16 1 | The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJPublic, 4-year | 86.00% 1.00% | $25,752 ($19,632) | 19.66% | 62.29% | 1,240 | 8,141 | 14 to 1 |
| 16 1 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PAPublic, 4-year | 86.00% 1.00% | $41,790 ($20,644) | 17.11% | 60.56% | 1,330 | 50,737 | 16 to 1 |
| 16 - | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VAPublic, 4-year | 86.00% - | $37,764 ($15,948) | 25.35% | 54.78% | 1,360 | 38,857 | 17 to 1 |
| 23 1 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, ILPublic, 4-year | 85.00% 1.00% | $40,096 ($18,267) | 28.83% | 42.37% | 1,440 | 59,238 | 20 to 1 |
| 23 1 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MNPublic, 4-year | 85.00% 1.00% | $38,362 ($17,214) | 22.34% | 79.75% | 1,410 | 56,666 | 17 to 1 |
| 23 1 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NCPublic, 4-year | 85.00% 1.00% | $32,847 ($8,799) | 31.76% | 41.74% | 1,370 | 38,464 | 15 to 1 |
| Average | 88.68% | $41,110 ($14,625) | 31.14% | 35.50% | 1,404 | 41,816 | 17 to 1 |