The States with the Best Colleges: A Comprehensive Overview

Choosing the right college is a significant decision, often feeling like navigating a complex maze. A helpful starting point in this journey is to explore the top colleges by state, whether you prefer to stay close to home or venture further afield. This article provides a structured overview of states with strong college presences, top-ranked universities, and factors to consider when making your choice.

States with a High Volume of Colleges

The number of colleges in a state often correlates with its population. Topping the list is California, the most populated state, boasting an impressive 644 institutions. Following California, the top five states with the most colleges are New York, Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania. All these colleges and universities are Title IV institutions, as reported by the Department of Education, offering at least one program leading to a degree.

Here’s a breakdown of the top 15 states with the highest number of colleges:

State	Total Institutions
1. California	644
2. New York	423
3. Texas	394
4. Florida	328
5. Pennsylvania	301
6. Ohio	270
7. Illinois	234
8. North Carolina	164
9. Michigan	159
10. New Jersey	155
11. Massachusetts	148
12. Tennessee	148
13. Virginia	143
14. Missouri	142
15. Georgia	141

States with Top-Ranked Universities

While the sheer number of colleges is important, the presence of top-ranked universities is another crucial factor. Here's a look at some states that stand out in this regard:

California: California is home to several top-ranked colleges, including Stanford University, Pomona College, and the California Institute of Technology. Notable public universities include the University of California - Los Angeles, University of California - Berkeley, and University of Southern California. The state’s high-income earners, from film and television celebrities in Los Angeles to tech giants in Silicon Valley, are heavily taxed in the state, which hosts the largest entertainment and fashion industries in the country. Aside from real estate, the computer and electronic products manufacturing industry contribute to the state's economy. California is also home to some of the nation's most beautiful landscapes. Yosemite National Park draws in millions of people each year to revel in the park’s towering waterfalls, massive rock formations and sprawling forests, including a stand of ancient great Sequoias.

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New York: New York boasts the second-most top-ranked universities in the USA, including two Ivy League schools: Cornell University and Columbia University in the City of New York. The state is also home to institutions such as the United States Military Academy, Barnard College, and schools in the State University of New York system. Since 2012, the state has been pumping money into its higher education system, with total support for the 2020 fiscal year estimated at $7.6 billion. New York is the only state to host two Ivy League schools: Cornell and Columbia Universities.
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania is home to the Ivy League's University of Pennsylvania, as well as other highly-ranked colleges and universities like Carnegie Mellon University and Haverford College. The home of the nation's first capital, Pennsylvania is a state steeped in history.
Massachusetts: While Massachusetts ranks 11th in the number of colleges by state, it holds the 4th position in the number of top-ranked schools. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University consistently rank among the top 5 schools in the nation. Other notable institutions include Amherst College, Boston College, and Boston University. Boston, Massachusetts has one of the highest concentrations of universities in the nation. Within its metropolitan area are Boston College, Boston University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, Harvard University, Tufts University, and many others. Massachusetts has the best college graduation rate in the nation, with 44% of students graduating from their post-secondary studies.

Factors Influencing College Rankings

Appily determines its "Best Colleges" list using publicly available information from the US Department of Education. Factors considered include admitted students’ academic caliber, expected career outcomes after graduation, and the college’s investment in accessibility for all students.

State Spotlights: A Deeper Dive

To provide a more nuanced understanding, let's examine a few states in more detail:

Florida

Florida is the overall best state for college students-and this has nothing to do with spring break! It has the best overall ranking for cost, graduation rate, and the number of college students in the state. With millions of visitors each year to its beaches, major amusement parks centered around Orlando and cruise ships departing from ports on both coasts, tourism is a major contributor to Florida's gross domestic product. Tourism, which pays a sizable share of the state’s sales tax, also has enabled Florida to remain among the states without a personal income tax - adding to the allure of the nation’s leading retirement haven. The state has a sizable system of state universities and community colleges. The University of Florida in Gainesville and Florida State University in Tallahassee have been rivaled in enrollment by the University of South Florida in Tampa, University of Central Florida in Orlando, and Florida International University in Miami. The University of Florida secures the top spot among the top universities in Florida, while being ranked 168th in the world. The University of Florida has earned its best score for their international research network, placed 24th in the world - a reflection of its high level of research output. News & World Report found the University of Florida to be the fifth-best public university in the country in 2022.

Wyoming

Wyoming first became a territory in 1868 and was formed from portions of the Dakota, Utah and Idaho territories. Two decades later, Congress declared Wyoming the 44th state. Its nickname, the Equality State, stems from the state’s early advancement of women's rights, some of which were established before its statehood. Wyoming was the first state to allow women to vote and to elect a female governor. Today, much of Wyoming's culture stems from its early frontier days. The state is often associated with cowboys and rodeo. Some of the state's major industries include agriculture, energy and engineering. It costs more than twice as much to be a student in Vermont than in Wyoming. The cost difference between being a college student in Vermont (the most expensive state) and Wyoming (the most affordable) is $16,405 per academic year. In the least populous state in the US, we have the University of Wyoming in 1001-1200 in this year’s world rankings. Wyoming’s natural beauty and location in the mountain region of the west of the US make it an enviable place to be a student.

Washington

The Evergreen State is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream with its geological diversity, including mountains, deserts, rainforests and a Pacific coastline. In addition to its scenic treasures, Washington is known as the birthplace of Starbucks coffee, The Boeing Co. and Microsoft Corp. Additionally, Washington is crucial to the nation’s food and agriculture industry, producing many of the country’s apples, and also leading in milk, potato and cattle production. The aerospace industry and the military and defense sector are major economic drivers in the state. Seattle - marked by its iconic Space Needle, which rests high above the rest of the city and lights up the night sky - is by far the state’s most populous city. In the state of Washington (not to be confused with Washington D.C.) the top-ranked university is the University of Washington in 63rd place in the world this year. The University of Washington scores highest in international research network and citations per faculty while being ranked in the top 10 in the world for several subjects such as library and information management (third), nursing (fourth) and data science (seventh). Sometimes, a university can help a city to develop, like Seattle's University of Washington, which played a key role in growing the city's tech industry.

Colorado

Colorado is the eighth-largest state in terms of landmass. While its geographic diversity and natural resources have been an economic boon as well as a draw for tourism, the state's government has made efforts to diversify the economy over the past decades. Whether tourists come to the state as skiers, outdoor enthusiasts or fans of the rapidly developing pot tourism industry, the state's investments have paid off in the form of billions of tourism dollars per year. Historically, the state has been rich in agriculture, livestock and mineral extraction. Colorado is a highly affluent state that draws its wealth from both mineral extraction and its technical affiliation with the federal government. The state's schools reflect this paradigm. Taking the top spot in Colorado, we have the University of Colorado at Boulder, also ranked joint 264th in the world.

South Dakota

Soon after, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explored the Missouri River stretch of present-day South Dakota, meeting Yankton and Lakota Sioux tribes along the way. North and South Dakota were admitted as the 39th and 40th states in 1889. Because of controversy over which state should be signed into the Union first, President Benjamin Harrison did not record the order. Today, agriculture generates much of the state’s economic activity. Augustana University is South Dakota's largest private undergraduate university. News & World Report's list of Best Regional Universities Midwest 2022.

Additional State University Rankings

To further enrich your understanding, here's a compilation of top-ranked universities by state, drawing from global university rankings:

Alabama: Auburn University (801-850 globally)
Alaska: University of Alaska Fairbanks (781-790 globally)
Arizona: Arizona State University (179th globally)
Arkansas: University of Arkansas (1001-1200 globally)
California: Stanford University (5th globally)
Colorado: University of Colorado at Boulder (Joint 264th globally)
Connecticut: Yale University (highest scores for its academic and employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, employment outcome and sustainability while being ranked third in the world for faculty-student ratio.)
Delaware: University of Delaware (498th globally)
Florida: University of Florida (168th globally)
Georgia: Georgia Institute of Technology (97th globally)
Hawaii: University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (386th globally)
Idaho: University of Idaho (1001-1200 globally)
Illinois: University of Chicago (11th globally)
Indiana: Purdue University (99th globally)
Iowa: Iowa State University (Joint 400th globally)
Kansas: University of Kansas (Joint 410th globally)
Kentucky: University of Kentucky (681-690 globally)
Louisiana: Tulane University (Joint 600th globally)
Maryland: Johns Hopkins University (28th globally)
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (1st globally)
Michigan: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (33rd globally)
Minnesota: University of Minnesota Twin Cities (195th globally)
Mississippi: Mississippi State University (1001-1200 globally)
Missouri: Washington University in St. Louis (Joint 154th globally)
Nebraska: University of Nebraska Lincoln (Joint 551st globally)
New Hampshire: Dartmouth College (Joint 237th globally)
New Jersey: Princeton University (Joint 17th globally)
New Mexico: University of New Mexico (631-640 globally)
New York: Cornell University (13th globally)
North Carolina: Duke University (57th globally)
Ohio: The Ohio State University (Joint 151st globally)
Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma (641-650 globally)
Oregon: Oregon State University (505th globally)
Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania (highest-ranked in Pennsylvania)
Rhode Island: Brown University (Joint 73rd globally)
South Carolina: University of South Carolina (Joint 575th globally)
Tennessee: Vanderbilt University (261st globally)
Texas: University of Texas at Austin (58th globally)
Utah: University of Utah (Joint 441st globally)
Vermont: University of Vermont (901-950 globally)
Virginia: University of Virginia (260th globally)
Washington: University of Washington (63rd globally)
Washington D.C.: Georgetown University (297th globally)
West Virginia: West Virginia University (901-950 globally)
Wyoming: University of Wyoming (1001-1200 globally)

The World University Rankings: Indicators

The world university rankings are compiled using nine indicators: academic and employer reputation, faculty student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio, international students' ratio, international research network, employment outcomes and sustainability.

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