List of state and territorial universities in the United States explained
In the United States, a state college or state university is one of the public colleges or universities funded by or associated with the state government. In some cases, these institutions of higher learning are part of a state university system, while in other cases they are not. Several U.S. territories also administer public colleges and universities.
Although most of these institutions are associated with state governments, a small number of public institutions are directly funded and governed by the U.S. federal government, including the service academies, the Community College of the Air Force, the Naval Postgraduate School, the Air Force Institute of Technology, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, military War colleges and staff colleges, and Haskell Indian Nations University. A few universities - George Washington University, Georgetown University, Gallaudet University, Howard University, and American University - are private universities in the District of Columbia that are federally chartered by the United States Government.
Most state universities receive at least part of their funding from the state, although many have substantial income from tuition and fees, endowment proceeds, donations (such as from alumni or philanthropists), and revenue from royalties. State universities usually offer lower tuition costs to in-state residents. Substantial financial support is also provided by the federal government, particularly through federal financial aid.
In some states, there is a campus designated as the "flagship" campus in the state's university system. The flagship campus is the most prestigious or the one with the largest student population, e.g. the University of Maryland, College Park campus in the University System of Maryland, the Indiana University Bloomington campus in the Indiana University System, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville campus in the University of Tennessee System.[1]
There are a number of states that have more than one university system, e.g. California with 2; Colorado with 2; Indiana with 2; New York with 2; Tennessee with 2; and Texas with 7 (the most).Notes:
- The list includes schools that grant first-professional doctorates only (e.g., medical schools, law schools, or veterinary schools) that are independent of any other school in a state system.
- Satellite campuses that do not have accreditation separate from the mother institution are not included in the list, e.g. University of Washington Tacoma remains an integral part of the University of Washington, which is based in Seattle. On the other hand, institutions like University of Houston–Downtown and University of California, Santa Cruz are provided separate entries as they are considered independent, autonomous institutions.
- To see a list of community colleges and technical centers in the United States that offer only associate's degrees, visit the community colleges list.
- To see a list of tribal colleges and universities in the United States, visit the tribal colleges and universities list.
- Non-bachelor's degree-granting institutions, such as graduate schools, are listed in italics.
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
- University of California system
- University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Cal, UCB)
- University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD)
- University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine, UCI)
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
- University of California, Merced (UC Merced, UCM)
- University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside, UCR)
- University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego, UCSD)
- University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
- University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara, UCSB)
- University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz, UCSC)
- University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (UC Law SF) (law school; administered separately from the other UC campuses)
- California State University system
- California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB)
- California State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI)
- California State University, Chico (Chico State)
- California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH)
- California State University, East Bay (CSUEB)
- California State University, Fresno (Fresno State)
- California State University, Fullerton (CSUF, Cal State Fullerton)
- California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt (Cal Poly Humboldt)
- California State University, Long Beach (Long Beach State, LBSU, Cal State Long Beach, CSULB)
- California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA, Cal State LA)
- California Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime, The Academy)
- California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB)
- California State University, Northridge (CSUN)
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona, CPP)
- California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State, Sac State)
- California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB)
- San Diego State University (SDSU, San Diego State)
- San Francisco State University (SFSU)
- San Jose State University (SJSU, San Jose State)
- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly SLO)
- California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM)
- Sonoma State University (SSU)
- California State University, Stanislaus (Stan State)
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Universities chartered by Congress (Congressional Charter) are not public state or territorial universities; they are private non-profit universities that do not grant in-state tuition discounts to District of Columbia residents unlike other government-funded state or territorial universities. The United States Federal Government provides tuition grants to District of Columbia residents through the DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DC TAG) towards the difference in price between in-state and out-of-state tuition at public four-year colleges/universities and private Historically Black Colleges and Universities throughout the U.S., Guam, and Puerto Rico. Small amounts of the grant can be used for Washington Metropolitan Area private universities within close proximate of the District.[2]
Florida
Georgia
Guam
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Note: Washburn University in Topeka is a municipally-chartered, state-coordinated university. Some funds are sourced from municipal and county taxes, while some financial support is also received from the state of Kansas.
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
- Maine Maritime Academy
- University of Maine System
- University of Maine (UMaine or Maine) (Orono – flagship university)
- University of Maine School of Law
- University of Maine at Augusta (UMaine Augusta, UM-Augusta, or UMA)
- University of Maine at Farmington (UMaine Farmington, UM-Farmington, or UMF)
- University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMaine Fort Kent, UM-Fort Kent, or UMFK)
- University of Maine at Machias (UMaine Machias, UM-Machias, or UMM, pronounced "UM M")
- University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMaine Presque Isle, UM-Presque Isle, or UMPI, pronounced "UM PI")
- University of Southern Maine (Southern Maine or USM)
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
- Montana University System (Listed below are the state universities. The MUS also includes the state's community, technical, and tribal colleges.)
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Northern Mariana Islands
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PaSSHE)
The 14 universities in PaSSHE are state-owned. They are directly governed by gubernatorial appointees sitting on the PaSSHE Board of Governors. Each university also has an independent Council of Trustees appointed by the Commonwealth's governor.
- State-owned universities:
Commonwealth System of Higher Education
Universities of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education receive public funds and reduce tuition for residents of Pennsylvania. Gubernatorial appointees are always a minority of their respective governing boards. Each university is a multi-campus institution throughout the state.
- State-related institutions:
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
- University of Houston System
- Texas A&M University System
- Texas Tech University System
- Academic institutions
- Health institutions
- Texas Woman's University System-The system was created in 2021. Texas Woman's University in Denton is currently the only system component; however, the establishing legislation anticipates the university's branch campuses becoming standalone institutions within the system.[3]
- Texas Woman's University
- Dallas branch
- Houston branch
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Virgin Islands
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Notes and References
- http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2012/02/29/krichert/a_single_outdated_word_board_president_addresses_u_i_flagship_fl Idaho
- Web site: DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) . DC.gov.
- Web site: Texas Legislature Online - 87(R) History for SB 1126. Texas Legislature. September 5, 2023.
