The 20 Smartest Public Colleges In America

With some private college prices topping $60,000 per year, it’s no wonder that more students are considering lower-cost public colleges as an alternative.

According to US News & World Report, the average cost of attending an in-state public school is $8,500 per year, compared to the average annual private school cost of $30,500 — a difference of $22,000 a year.

But choosing a public college doesn’t have to mean sacrificing quality. Many public colleges are just as competitive as private colleges–at a significantly lower price point.

SUNY Geneseo, located in upstate New York, offers a great mix of quality and affordability but costs significantly less than a private college.

Top public colleges offer great bang for the buck

For high-achieving students concerned about the cost of college, considering the top public colleges is a good idea. Check out Business Insider‘s list of America’s Smartest Public Colleges, based on the students’ average SAT scores:

1 Georgia Institute of Technology 1385
2 University of California-Berkeley 1375
3 College of William and Mary 1365
4 United States Air Force Academy 1360
5 University of Virginia 1355
6 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 1340
6 Colorado School of Mines 1340
8 University of California-Los Angeles 1320
9 University of Maryland-College Park 1310
10 University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill 1305
11 Ohio State University-Columbus 1300
12 SUNY Binghamton 1294
13 University of California-San Diego 1290
14 University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign 1285
14 New College of Florida 1285
16 United States Military Academy (3) 1283
17 United States Naval Academy 1280
18 United States Coast Guard Academy (3) 1275
19 University of Pittsburgh 1270
20 SUNY Geneseo 1269

We’re excited to see two State of New York (SUNY) colleges make the list. SUNY Binghamton and SUNY Geneseo, both located near our headquarters in Western New York, provide a great mix of quality and affordability–as do all of the colleges on this list.

To find out what other colleges score high marks, check out the full list on Business Insider’s website.