You can check the back of college catalogs to see where professors in your area of interest studied. Also you should ask colleges where their graduates go to graduate school or where they are employed. Sometimes a special program in a college elevates its quality. Above all, try to determine a college's quality by the strength of the academic programs that interest you. In many cases they are.
State universities attract outstanding professors with competitive salaries and benefit packages.
Among my favorite state schools are SUNY Binghamton, UConn, UVM, UMass, UNH and UMaine. Submit your questions to the e-mail below. They will be answered on this page.