When considering a top public school, next year's applicants can do worse than the University of California system.

According to U.S. News and World Report's 2015 edition of the Best Colleges, UC schools accounted for half of the top 10 public schools. Along with Irvine (11th ranked public school) six UC schools even ranked in U.S. News' top 50 schools overall.

While these schools may be selective, they offer a wide variety of benefits, not limited to outstanding athletic programs and picturesque campuses.

CLICK HERE to see the full list of the nation's best public schools and HERE to see the full methodology behind the list.

Below are the top 10 public schools in the U.S.

1. University of California - Berkeley

Location: Berkeley, Calif.

Acceptance rate: 17.7 percent

Overall ranking: 20

2. University of California - Los Angeles

Location: L.A., Calif.

Acceptance rate: 20.4 percent

Overall ranking: 23

3. University of Virginia (tied for second)

Location: Charlottesville, Va.

Acceptance rate: 30.1 percent

Overall ranking: 23

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.

Acceptance rate: 33.3 percent

Overall ranking: 29

5. University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

Location: Chapel Hill, N.C.

Acceptance rate: 26.7 percent

Overall ranking: 30

6. College of William and Mary

Location: Williamsburg, Va.

Acceptance rate: 33.2 percent

Overall ranking: 33

7. Georgia Institute of Technology

Location: Atlanta, Ga.

Acceptance rate: 41.1 percent

Overall ranking: 35

8. University of California - San Diego

Location: La Jolla, Calif.

Acceptance rate: 36.8 percent

Overall ranking: 37

9. University of California - Davis

Location: Davis, Calif.

Acceptance rate: 41.3 percent

Overall ranking: 38

10. University of California - Santa Barbara

Location: Santa Barbara, Calif.

Acceptance rate: 39.8 percent

Overall ranking: 40