Four diverse students walk down sunny street, backpacks, featured schools logo

Great Public Colleges and Universities in the Northeast

Public colleges are fairly priced for residents and offer a lot to any student. Check out these comprehensive and liberal arts options in the Northeast!

Public colleges and universities are amazing institutions of higher learning that are highly recommended to students during the college search for their affordability and unmatched resources. The following public comprehensive and liberal arts institutions are well known in the Northeast for their outstanding reputations and dedication to their students. The best part is you can get in touch with them quickly and easily just by clicking the green “Connect Me” button underneath each school. Start searching for your best-fit college today!

Bishop's University

Bishop's University logoBishop's University is a public liberal arts university located in Sherbrooke in the province of Quebec, Canada. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in a variety of academic programs covering Business, Education, Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. In addition to a wide array of internship and training experiences, as an English university in a French community, Bishop’s also offers students the opportunity to learn, improve, or become fully bilingual in both languages.

Connect me with Bishop’s!

College of Staten Island, CUNY

The College of Staten Island, CUNY logoThe College of Staten Island is a City University of New York public liberal arts college in Staten Island, New York. The College offers its 10,000+ students a choice of 52 majors and 58 minors in 23 fields of study and a 16:1 student-faculty ratio with professors who are experts in their fields. CSI is also home to the Macaulay Honors College University Scholars Program, which provides high-achieving students with a curriculum of innovative and challenging courses during their first and second years of study.

Connect me with CSI!

Kean University

Kean University logoKean University is a public comprehensive university in Union, New Jersey—just 12 miles from New York City. The University offers more than 50 undergraduate degrees and over 70 graduate study options, with a wide range of academic fields for students to explore. Kean’s student body of 16,000+ can also get involved in more than 170 honor societies, cultural groups, and student organizations.

Connect me with Kean!

SUNY Cortland

SUNY Cortland logoSUNY Cortland is a public multipurpose university of arts and sciences in Cortland, New York—30 miles from Syracuse. Reputations for Teacher Education and health-related programs have paved the way for Cortland’s 68 academic majors, which also cover the natural sciences, business, and other in-demand professional fields. In addition, the University’s 6,600+ students enjoy 50 study abroad programs, nearly 80 active student clubs, and an NCAA Division III athletics program with 131 national titles.

Connect me with SUNY Cortland!

SUNY Morrisville 

SUNY Morrisville logoSUNY Morrisville is a public comprehensive college in Morrisville, New York. Morrisville's 2,000+ students, who come from diverse backgrounds, choose from more than 50 associate and bachelor's degree programs that embrace agriculture, technology, business, social sciences, and the liberal arts. As home of the Mustangs, SUNY Morrisville boasts 16 intercollegiate athletics programs that compete at the NCAA Division III level as well as 35 on-campus clubs and organizations.

Connect me with SUNY Morrisville!

SUNY Oneonta

SUNY Oneonta logoSUNY Oneonta is a public college of liberal arts and sciences in Oneonta, New York—75 miles southwest of Albany. The College offers 60+ undergraduate and 17 graduate programs to more than 6,700 students, including an internationally accredited Business Economics program and nationally accredited programs in Dietetics, Education, Human Ecology, Music, and Theatre. With more than 150 Student Association–funded clubs and organizations ranging from the Accounting Society to the Zombie Defense Corps, there’s an activity for every interest at Oneonta.

Connect me with SUNY Oneonta!

William Paterson University

William Paterson University logoWilliam Paterson University is a public multipurpose university in Wayne, New Jersey—just 20 miles west of New York City. William Paterson offers its 10,000 students nearly 150 bachelor's and master’s degrees as well as certificate and pre-professional programs in a wide range of disciplines. The University also has more than 100 clubs and organizations, 28 fraternities and sororities, 13 NCAA Division III athletic teams, and 31 club sports and intramural activities.

Connect me with WPU!

If the Northeast isn’t your place, you can explore other schools all around the country with our collection of CX featured college lists.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

About CollegeXpress

CollegeXpress

Welcome to CollegeXpress, your one-stop college shop! We’re a free college planning website used by millions of college-bound students, parents, and counselors—anyone who needs help navigating the college search and application process, financial aid opportunities, and more. You’ll find comprehensive College Search and Scholarship Search tools, tons of articles and expert advice, unique college Lists & Rankings, and lots of other resources to help make your life easier. Teen Vogue even named us one of the 7 Best College Search Websites! But current college students and recent grads also love CollegeXpress for our Graduate Program Search and endless information on student life, internships, and beyond. We really have something for everyone, no matter where you are in your college journey. Create a free account to start connecting with colleges, winning scholarships, and more!

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

Drake University

Des Moines, IA


Keaun Brown

Keaun Brown

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2020

As I transition to furthering my education, I can say with certainty that it simply wouldn’t be possible without the help of generous organizations such as CollegeXpress. Those who initially founded CX had no idea their platform would give a plethora of information to a first-generation homeless kid native to the ghettos of over half a dozen states. Everyone at CX and Carnegie Dartlet gave me a chance at a future when the statistics said I had none. And for that, I thank them.

Bri'Yana Brown-Dunn

Bri'Yana Brown-Dunn

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress helped me gain interest in many colleges/universities and many scholarships. I would say the most helpful thing CollegeXpress has done for me is sending me emails that tell me certain types of colleges are interested in me as well as emails about scholarships that I can look at and possibly apply for.

Joycelyn

Joycelyn

High School Class of 2023

I’m currently a college freshman attending Towson University. My major is Information Technology, and I plan to minor in Electronic Media & Film to achieve my goal of becoming a production engineer. Upon graduating high school earlier this year, I was awarded a $5,000 scholarship from CollegeXpress, which greatly assisted in paying my tuition. Truthfully, this financial reward was the difference in affording my room and board and tuition, along with other expenses for school. My family and I haven’t stopped celebrating my award since it was bestowed on me. I will never forget this opportunity for allowing me to get my foot into my university financially.

Heaven Johnson

Heaven Johnson

Back to School Scholarship Winner, High School Class of 2023

I’d like to thank everyone on the CollegeXpress team for their generosity. Not only have I been awarded this scholarship, but CollegeXpress makes it easier to apply and gives amazing tips for schools and scholarships. I am extremely grateful as this will help with my schooling and allow me to be able to enter into the field I’ve been dreaming of all my life. 

Lu Diehl

Lu Diehl

High School Class of 2022

I never would have found the college I plan on attending without CollegeXpress! I've always been a person of ambition and have been dreaming of studying and working on my passion for law, legal studies, and political science. Washington College is where I plan on pursuing my career. My journey with my education has been difficult, and oftentimes, I was told I would never amount to much, but now I'm dual enrolled at Caroll Community College and have had experience in the fields I am dedicated to. Without the help of CollegeXpress (even in its early days), I would never have found Washington College and the information I need to apply and become a part of their community.