One of the most stressful and consequential decisions a looming college freshman can make is in regards to which specific higher education institution they will attend.
Do you want a big school or a small school? A school with great athletics or a school with quaint scenery? One that has a loosely regulated curriculum with plenty of unique courses or a highly specific school that urges students to concentrate on one subject area?
If you answered the former to each of those questions, than you most likely wish to attend a public institution. Public universities are known for their expansive campuses and student bodies, powerhouse football and basketball programs, and the freedom that they allow to students to find their academic calling.
Plus, there is one huge benefit to public colleges and universities: In-state or not, public colleges are often way cheaper for the student than are private institutions.
However, all things considered, public colleges are still expensive. Because of this, many undergraduate freshman will still depend on financial aid to begin their journey at the public institution of their choosing.
The Student Loan Report is here to tell you at which public colleges and universities can freshman undergraduate students expect to receive the most financial aid. We have done so by using Peterson's Financial Aid Dataset, which provides financial aid data self-reported by the respective higher education institutions.
Please keeping reading to discover the 250 public colleges and universities that have been recognized by The Student Loan Report as the public institutions that distribute the most financial aid to freshman students.
Top 250 Public Schools for Freshman Financial Aid
Rank | School Name | Freshmen Financial Aid |
---|---|---|
1 | University of California, Riverside | 22,241 |
2 | University of Virginia | 21,517 |
3 | University of California, Los Angeles | 21,100 |
4 | University of California, Santa Barbara | 20,526 |
5 | University of California, Davis | 20,328 |
6 | University of California, Santa Cruz | 20,079 |
7 | University of California, Irvine | 20,049 |
8 | Rutgers University–New Brunswick | 19,765 |
9 | University of California, San Diego | 19,028 |
10 | University of Vermont | 17,711 |
11 | University of Michigan | 17,410 |
12 | The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 17,240 |
13 | The College of William and Mary | 15,468 |
14 | University of California, Berkeley | 15,053 |
15 | University of Washington, Tacoma | 15,000 |
16 | University of Washington, Bothell | 15,000 |
17 | University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign | 14,652 |
18 | Purdue University | 14,008 |
19 | University of Washington | 14,000 |
20 | University of Illinois at Chicago | 13,899 |
21 | The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina | 13,821 |
22 | University of Illinois at Springfield | 13,815 |
23 | The University of Alabama | 13,777 |
24 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 13,482 |
25 | The College of New Jersey | 13,272 |
26 | Ramapo College of New Jersey | 13,210 |
27 | Virginia Military Institute | 12,953 |
28 | Georgia Institute of Technology | 12,920 |
29 | Arizona State University at the Downtown Phoenix campus | 12,702 |
30 | Indiana University Bloomington | 12,495 |
31 | Massachusetts Maritime Academy | 12,373 |
32 | Arizona State University at the Tempe campus | 12,360 |
33 | University of Houston–Downtown | 12,002 |
34 | Rutgers University–Newark | 11,909 |
35 | Rutgers University–Camden | 11,710 |
36 | San Jose State University | 11,596 |
37 | Texas A&M University | 11,549 |
38 | Washington State University | 11,490 |
39 | The University of Tennessee | 11,488 |
40 | University of Colorado Boulder | 11,465 |
41 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 11,465 |
42 | Western Carolina University | 11,349 |
43 | Arizona State University at the West campus | 11,298 |
44 | Texas A&M University–Commerce | 11,201 |
45 | Arizona State University at the Polytechnic campus | 11,152 |
46 | University of Missouri–St. Louis | 11,101 |
47 | University of Pittsburgh at Bradford | 11,048 |
48 | Louisiana Tech University | 10,983 |
49 | University of Wisconsin–Madison | 10,922 |
50 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 10,896 |
51 | California State University, Northridge | 10,802 |
52 | California State University, Monterey Bay | 10,744 |
53 | Florida State University | 10,742 |
54 | California State University, Chico | 10,733 |
55 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | 10,723 |
56 | The Ohio State University | 10,699 |
57 | University of Rhode Island | 10,594 |
58 | California State University, Fresno | 10,573 |
59 | The University of Texas at Dallas | 10,535 |
60 | North Carolina State University | 10,526 |
61 | Sonoma State University | 10,498 |
62 | University of Missouri | 10,495 |
63 | Prairie View A&M University | 10,485 |
64 | University of Massachusetts Boston | 10,463 |
65 | Western Illinois University | 10,459 |
66 | University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus | 10,456 |
67 | Clemson University | 10,441 |
68 | St. Mary's College of Maryland | 10,408 |
69 | University of Georgia | 10,337 |
70 | University of Houston | 10,308 |
71 | California State University, San Bernardino | 10,298 |
72 | The University of Arizona | 10,288 |
73 | Miami University | 10,287 |
74 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 10,282 |
75 | University of Minnesota, Morris | 10,266 |
76 | California State University, Stanislaus | 10,231 |
77 | University of Minnesota, Crookston | 10,221 |
78 | Stony Brook University, State University of New York | 10,195 |
79 | Montclair State University | 10,145 |
80 | University of Delaware | 10,142 |
81 | Michigan State University | 10,138 |
82 | Buffalo State College, State University of New York | 10,105 |
83 | University of Maryland, College Park | 10,072 |
84 | University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | 10,070 |
85 | New Mexico State University | 10,052 |
86 | University of Montevallo | 10,048 |
87 | University of Houston–Clear Lake | 10,025 |
88 | University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma | 10,007 |
89 | University of Pittsburgh | 9,960 |
90 | Central Washington University | 9,959 |
91 | Illinois State University | 9,916 |
92 | New Jersey City University | 9,884 |
93 | University of Massachusetts Lowell | 9,853 |
94 | Towson University | 9,832 |
95 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | 9,831 |
96 | State University of New York College at Potsdam | 9,812 |
97 | Winthrop University | 9,785 |
98 | University of Louisville | 9,768 |
99 | Stephen F. Austin State University | 9,758 |
100 | California State University, East Bay | 9,758 |
101 | Francis Marion University | 9,736 |
102 | New College of Florida | 9,728 |
103 | Adams State University | 9,719 |
104 | Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis | 9,706 |
105 | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona | 9,695 |
106 | The University of Texas at Austin | 9,642 |
107 | San Diego State University | 9,600 |
108 | University of North Texas | 9,579 |
109 | Rowan University | 9,557 |
110 | The University of Texas at El Paso | 9,521 |
111 | University of Mississippi | 9,519 |
112 | Northern Illinois University | 9,519 |
113 | Stockton University | 9,491 |
114 | Michigan Technological University | 9,425 |
115 | The University of Alabama in Huntsville | 9,402 |
116 | University of Maryland, Baltimore County | 9,373 |
117 | The University of Toledo | 9,361 |
118 | Wayne State University | 9,352 |
119 | University of Northern Colorado | 9,348 |
120 | California State University, San Marcos | 9,343 |
121 | Texas Woman's University | 9,318 |
122 | Sam Houston State University | 9,271 |
123 | William Paterson University of New Jersey | 9,222 |
124 | Texas A&M University–Kingsville | 9,207 |
125 | University of Maine | 9,199 |
126 | Humboldt State University | 9,186 |
127 | University of Oregon | 9,185 |
128 | San Francisco State University | 9,109 |
129 | The Evergreen State College | 9,090 |
130 | Auburn University | 9,078 |
131 | Binghamton University, State University of New York | 9,067 |
132 | University of Maine at Machias | 9,050 |
133 | University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg | 9,033 |
134 | University of South Florida | 9,005 |
135 | Massachusetts College of Art and Design | 9,005 |
136 | Kentucky State University | 8,967 |
137 | State University of New York College at Oneonta | 8,934 |
138 | Tarleton State University | 8,929 |
139 | Kean University | 8,910 |
140 | California State University, Sacramento | 8,867 |
141 | Purchase College, State University of New York | 8,807 |
142 | University at Albany, State University of New York | 8,794 |
143 | Radford University | 8,754 |
144 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 8,751 |
145 | Eastern Illinois University | 8,743 |
146 | Eastern Washington University | 8,734 |
147 | Midwestern State University | 8,728 |
148 | State University of New York College of Technology at Canton | 8,722 |
149 | University of Nebraska at Kearney | 8,711 |
150 | The University of Texas of the Permian Basin | 8,650 |
151 | University of Minnesota, Duluth | 8,648 |
152 | California State University, Los Angeles | 8,622 |
153 | Western Washington University | 8,614 |
154 | Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 8,605 |
155 | Truman State University | 8,587 |
156 | Central Michigan University | 8,560 |
157 | Nicholls State University | 8,557 |
158 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 8,529 |
159 | University of Southern Maine | 8,477 |
160 | Florida Atlantic University | 8,472 |
161 | Frostburg State University | 8,469 |
162 | Appalachian State University | 8,447 |
163 | Penn State Lehigh Valley | 8,429 |
164 | Texas Tech University | 8,411 |
165 | The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga | 8,382 |
166 | University of Missouri–Kansas City | 8,378 |
167 | James Madison University | 8,376 |
168 | University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown | 8,367 |
169 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | 8,345 |
170 | Oklahoma State University | 8,337 |
171 | Iowa State University of Science and Technology | 8,333 |
172 | State University of New York at Oswego | 8,317 |
173 | Keene State College | 8,277 |
174 | Old Dominion University | 8,273 |
175 | University of North Carolina School of the Arts | 8,256 |
176 | The University of Iowa | 8,225 |
177 | University of Utah | 8,212 |
178 | Elizabeth City State University | 8,201 |
179 | Penn State Abington | 8,148 |
180 | Penn State Greater Allegheny | 8,142 |
181 | Temple University | 8,129 |
182 | Colorado State University | 8,107 |
183 | Oakland University | 8,102 |
184 | Jackson State University | 8,102 |
185 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 8,070 |
186 | Grand Valley State University | 8,060 |
187 | California State University Maritime Academy | 8,030 |
188 | University of Southern Indiana | 7,997 |
189 | Texas State University | 7,953 |
190 | University at Buffalo, the State University of New York | 7,952 |
191 | East Carolina University | 7,882 |
192 | College of Coastal Georgia | 7,875 |
193 | University of Nebraska–Lincoln | 7,875 |
194 | Rhode Island College | 7,802 |
195 | Penn State Shenango | 7,788 |
196 | Northeastern Illinois University | 7,774 |
197 | Indiana University Kokomo | 7,762 |
198 | Texas A&M International University | 7,741 |
199 | Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi | 7,734 |
200 | California State University, Long Beach | 7,731 |
201 | University of Florida | 7,711 |
202 | North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University | 7,701 |
203 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 7,672 |
204 | East Tennessee State University | 7,636 |
205 | Indiana University East | 7,627 |
206 | Lamar University | 7,618 |
207 | The University of Virginia's College at Wise | 7,606 |
208 | Eastern Oregon University | 7,574 |
209 | Oregon State University | 7,563 |
210 | Georgia Southern University | 7,559 |
211 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 7,550 |
212 | The University of Kansas | 7,545 |
213 | University of Maine at Presque Isle | 7,523 |
214 | Penn State Beaver | 7,497 |
215 | Penn State Erie, The Behrend College | 7,493 |
216 | Penn State Schuylkill | 7,488 |
217 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 7,427 |
218 | University of South Carolina Aiken | 7,426 |
219 | Penn State Harrisburg | 7,395 |
220 | Penn State Hazleton | 7,387 |
221 | Penn State Brandywine | 7,384 |
222 | Northwest Missouri State University | 7,375 |
223 | Saginaw Valley State University | 7,368 |
224 | Clayton State University | 7,335 |
225 | Austin Peay State University | 7,329 |
226 | Morrisville State College | 7,325 |
227 | Penn State Berks | 7,280 |
228 | University of Central Oklahoma | 7,259 |
229 | George Mason University | 7,258 |
230 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 7,255 |
231 | Longwood University | 7,235 |
232 | Farmingdale State College | 7,225 |
233 | Penn State Worthington Scranton | 7,212 |
234 | Indiana University South Bend | 7,206 |
235 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 7,205 |
236 | Salisbury University | 7,197 |
237 | University of Colorado Denver | 7,195 |
238 | Valley City State University | 7,187 |
239 | Pennsylvania College of Technology | 7,186 |
240 | University of South Alabama | 7,184 |
241 | Rogers State University | 7,177 |
242 | Penn State University Park | 7,155 |
243 | Western Michigan University | 7,104 |
244 | Western State Colorado University | 7,083 |
245 | Western Oregon University | 7,060 |
246 | Marshall University | 7,050 |
247 | Penn State Wilkes-Barre | 7,044 |
248 | Southern Oregon University | 7,043 |
249 | University of North Carolina at Asheville | 7,040 |
250 | Northeastern State University | 7,035 |
Methodology
The data used in this report was pulled using licensed data from Peterson's Financial Aid Dataset. These values pertain to the academic year of 2015 - 2016. The data used from Peterson's dataset are self-reported by the colleges themselves.
Each school in this report was ranked from highest to lowest based on the freshman financial aid awarded by the school.