Big university, big benefits. So say many students and graduates of a Big U, which is a lot of people. Large alumni networks, academic variety, and vast social and extracurricular opportunities are among the reasons people choose big schools. Another plus: Big state schools are typically cheaper than smaller private schools.
Which big schools offer the most benefits to students? Niche broke it down by ranking four-year public and private universities with undergraduate populations over 15,000 by nine factors, with academics (40 percent) and value (27. 5 percent) by far the leading indicators. These 25 big schools topped the list.
10. University of Florida
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Location: Gainesville, Florida
Undergraduate students: 31,384
Acceptance rate: 42 percent
SAT range: 1240-1400
Net price (annual): $15,283
What else is good about it? Florida’s best college, according to Niche, graduates 88 percent of its students, far higher than the national average of 49 percent. Athletics are huge on campus. It’s the No. 1 ranked school for college athletics and the No. 4 school for student-athletes. It also ranks No. 3 for sports management.
9. Virginia Tech
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Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
Undergraduate students: 26,603
Acceptance rate: 70 percent
SAT range: 1180-1360
Net price (annual): $18,700
What else is good about it? It’s the No. 2 school for food and the No. 9 school for best student life. What do students at Virginia Tech study? Management sciences and information systems, and mechanical engineering, are the top-two majors.
The graduation rate is 84 percent.
8. University of Texas
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Location: Austin, Texas
Undergraduate students: 37,740
Acceptance rate: 36 percent
SAT range: 1220-1460
Net price (annual): $14,356
What else is good about it? The net annual cost of attending is $14,356, more than $1,000 less than average. And the median earnings six years after graduation is $58,200, which is almost double the national average. It’s a solid value.
7. New York University
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Location: New York, New York
Undergraduate students: 25,347
Acceptance rate: 28 percent
SAT range: 1290-1490
Net price (annual): $36,256
What else is good about it? This is the school for city lovers. Niche ranks it the school with the No. 3 setting in the U.S. Academically, it ranks No. 2 for film and photography, No. 3 for informatio
6. University of North Carolina
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Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Undergraduate students: 18,303
Acceptance rate: 24 percent
SAT range: 1270-1460
Net price (annual): $11,100
What else is good about it? Niche ranks UNC in the top 10 in seven different categories, including best big colleges. The other six ranks:
- Best for student athletes (No. 6)
- Best for education (No. 6)
- Best for college athletics (No. 7)
- Top public universities (No. 7)
- Best colleges for communications (No. 8)
- Best for global studies (No. 10)
5. University of California, Berkeley
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Location: Berkeley, California
Undergraduate students: 29,351
Acceptance rate: 17 percent
SAT range: 1260-1480
Net price (annual): $18,178
What else is good about it? The first of three California schools in the top five ranks No. 4 among the most liberal schools in the country. The graduation rate is 91 percent, and the top three majors are economics, cellular biology and computer science.
4. University of Virginia
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Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
Undergraduate students: 15,766
Acceptance rate: 27 percent
SAT range: 1310-1500
Net price (annual): $16,594
What else is good about it? The student-to-faculty ratio at the institution founded by Thomas Jefferson is 15:1. The top major: Liberal arts and humanities. As befits a school with a beautiful campus, the school ranks No. 8 among the best colleges for architecture.
3. University of California, Los Angeles
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Location: Los Angeles, California
Undergraduate students: 30,458
Acceptance rate: 16 percent
SAT range: 1220-1450
Net price (annual): $14,760
What else is good about it? Niche ranks UCLA in the top 10 in seven different categories, including best big colleges. The other six ranks:
- Best college campus (No. 1)
- Best food (No. 1)
- Best student life (No. 2)
- Top public universities (No. 2)
- Best for design (No. 6)
- Best for film and photography (No. 6)
2. University of Michigan
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Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Undergraduate students: 28,702
Acceptance rate: 27 percent
SAT range: 1330-1500
Net price (annual): $16,408
What else is good about it? Niche ranks Michigan in the top 10 in ten different categories, including best big colleges. The other nine ranks:
- Best for sports management (No. 2)
- Best for education (No. 3)
- Best student life (No. 3)
- Top public universities (No. 1)
- Best for kinesiology and physical therapy (No. 4)
- Best for business (No. 5)
- Best for nursing (No. 7)
- Best for student athletes (No. 8)
- Best for film and photography (No. 10)
1. University of Southern California
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Location: Los Angeles, California
Undergraduate students: 18,631
Acceptance rate: 17 percent
SAT range: 1300-1500
Net price (annual): $32,892
What else is good about it? Not only is it the top-ranked big school, according to Niche, it also ranks No. 1 in student life, design, and film and photography.
While the cost of the private school is high, with a net annual cost of more than $32,000, the return is also high. The median earnings of Trojans six years after graduation: $74,000.
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