We used US News' ranking to compile a list of the 25 best public schools. We used US News & World Report's ranking of best national universities to identify the top 25 public schools in the country. Here are the 25 best public universities across the US. Florida State UniversityThe Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, FloridaDenisTangneyJr/Getty ImagesNational rank: #51 (tie)Florida State University, located in Tallahassee, Florida's capital city, was founded in 1851. Virginia TechApril 18, 2018: Historic Virginia Tech Polytechnic Institute and State University College campus with Burruss hall facade exterior in spring,krblokhin/iStockNational rank: #51 (tie)The town of Blacksburg is home to Virginia Tech, or the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, founded in 1872.