美国的大学中，私立大学占了很大的比重，但是也有不少与名列前茅的私立并肩的公立大学，想要申请美国公立大学的同学可以看看Forbes给出的排名，美国最佳公立大学排名TOP25，作为选校的参考：
1. United States Military Academy 美国军事学院
United States Military Academy
Overall Rank: No. 11
2. United States Naval Academy 美国海军学院
United States Naval Academy
Overall Rank: No. 27
Public Rank: No. 2
3. University of California, Berkeley 加州大学伯克利分校
University of California, Berkeley
Overall Rank: No. 35
4. University of Virginia 弗吉尼亚大学
University of Virginia
Overall Rank: No. 36
5. United States Air Force Academy 美国空军学院
United States Air Force Academy
Overall Rank: No. 38
6. College of William and Mary 威廉玛丽学院
College of William and Mary
Overall Rank: No. 39
7. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 密歇根大学
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Overall Rank: No. 41
8. University of California, Los Angeles 加州大学洛杉矶分校
University of California, Los Angeles
Overall Rank: No. 45
9. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Overall Rank: No. 49
10. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 伊利诺伊大学香槟分校
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Overall Rank: No. 68
11. University of Wisconsin, Madison 威斯康星大学
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Overall Rank: No. 69
12. University of Washington 华盛顿大学
University of Washington
Overall Rank: No. 76
Public Rank: No. 12
13. University of Texas, Austin 德克萨斯州大学奥斯汀分校
University of Texas, Austin
Overall Rank: No. 82
Public Rank: No. 13
14. University of Florida 佛罗里达大学
University of Florida
Overall Rank: No. 83
15. Georgia Institute of Technology 佐治亚理工学院
Georgia Institute of Technology
Overall Rank: No. 90
Public Rank: No. 15
16. University of Maryland, College Park 马里兰大学帕克分校
University of Maryland, College Park
Overall Rank: No. 93
17. United States Coast Guard Academy 美国海岸警卫队学院
United States Coast Guard Academy
Overall Rank: No. 101
18. University of Georgia 佐治亚大学
University of Georgia
Overall Rank: No. 102
19. University of California, Santa Barbara 加州大学圣塔芭芭拉分校
University of California, Santa Barbara
Overall Rank: No. 103
20. Indiana University-Bloomington 印第安纳大学伯明顿分校
Indiana University, Bloomington
Overall Rank: No. 112
Public Rank: No. 20
21. University of Colorado, Boulder 科罗拉多大学巨石城分校
University of Colorado, Boulder
Overall Rank: No. 114
22. University of California, Davis 加州大学戴维斯分校
University of California, Davis
Overall Rank: No. 121
23. Virginia Tech 弗吉尼亚理工大学
Virginia Tech
Overall Rank: No. 122
Public Rank: No. 23
24. University of California, San Diego 加州大学圣地亚哥分校
University of California, San Diego
Overall Rank: No. 123
25. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities 明尼苏达大学双城分校
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Overall Rank: No. 130
Public Rank: No. 25
