by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the college options in New York, it can be hard to know where to start. We have ranked **136** institutions by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual analyzed 136 colleges across over 20 objective factors such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Your ideal college depends on your goals. Drill down by location and field of study, or explore other rankings below. You can also browse by degree level:
Looking to pit your favorite colleges against each other? We built a tool called College Combat to weigh schools on the factors you care about most.
Explore the leading colleges below:
Leading the list is Cornell University, our #1 college in New York. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit school based in Ithaca, NY. Roughly 95% of students complete a degree within six years here. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $69,314. Median early-career earnings reach $75,976. Graduates carry a median of $15,005 in student loans.
A rank of #2 makes Columbia University In The City Of New York one of the top colleges in New York. This private not-for-profit school is set in New York, NY. About 96% of students finish within six years. Students from in state pay about $70,517 in tuition and fees. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $86,770. Graduates carry a median of $23,258 in student loans.
New York University came in at #3 on this year's Best Colleges ranking in New York. Based in New York, NY, New York University is a private not-for-profit institution. New York University posts a six-year graduation rate of 88%. In-state tuition and fees average $62,796. Median early-career earnings reach $64,516. Typical student debt is $21,897.
A rank of #4 makes Colgate University one of the top colleges in New York. Set in Hamilton, NY, Colgate University is a private not-for-profit institution. Colgate University posts a six-year graduation rate of 91%. In-state tuition and fees run about $70,306. Graduates go on to earn a median of $52,924 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $16,286.
Suny Downstate Medical Center came in at #5 on this year's Best Colleges ranking in New York. Suny Downstate Medical Center is a public school based in Brooklyn, NY. Students from in state pay about $7,822 in tuition and fees, compared with $19,662 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $100,079. Typical student debt is $24,882.
Barnard College landed the #6 spot in New York this year. Based in New York, NY, Barnard College is a private not-for-profit institution. About 93% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $69,888. Barnard College graduates report median early-career earnings of $50,790. Typical student debt is $17,609.
Hamilton College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Clinton, NY, Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 91% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $68,960 in tuition and fees. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $48,806. Graduates carry a median of $16,131 in student loans.
University Of Rochester came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Rochester, NY, University Of Rochester is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 85% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $67,080. University Of Rochester graduates report median early-career earnings of $60,865. Students borrow a median of $21,517 to complete a degree here.
Fordham University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Located in Bronx, NY, Fordham University is a private not-for-profit institution. Fordham University posts a six-year graduation rate of 82%. Students from in state pay about $64,470 in tuition and fees. Median early-career earnings reach $59,403. Typical student debt is $25,643.
Suny At Binghamton did well this year, earning the #10 position. Located in Vestal, NY, Suny At Binghamton is a public institution. Suny At Binghamton posts a six-year graduation rate of 82%. In-state tuition and fees run about $10,567, compared with $30,447 for out-of-state students. Early-career graduates earn a median of $51,766. Students borrow a median of $20,691 to complete a degree here.
Jewish Theological Seminary Of America did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in New York, NY, Jewish Theological Seminary Of America is a private not-for-profit institution. About 90% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $71,910. Graduates go on to earn a median of $78,469 early in their careers. The median student debt is $16,750.
Yeshiva University landed the #12 spot in New York this year. Yeshiva University is a private not-for-profit school based in New York, NY. Yeshiva University posts a six-year graduation rate of 85%. In-state tuition and fees average $51,800. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $52,838. Yeshiva University students take on a median of $20,625 in debt.
Stony Brook University did well this year, earning the #13 position. This public school is set in Stony Brook, NY. Stony Brook University posts a six-year graduation rate of 76%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,931, while out-of-state students pay about $32,741. Stony Brook University graduates report median early-career earnings of $60,047. Graduates carry a median of $20,537 in student loans.
Syracuse University placed #14 among the best colleges in New York. Set in Syracuse, NY, Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 84%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,528. Early-career graduates earn a median of $54,785. Students borrow a median of $26,130 to complete a degree here.
Marist College did well this year, earning the #15 position. Marist College is a private not-for-profit school based in Poughkeepsie, NY. Roughly 80% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $47,620. Marist College graduates report median early-career earnings of $60,521. Typical student debt is $25,962.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Set in Troy, NY, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates 84% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $64,078. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $77,378. Graduates carry a median of $24,975 in student loans.
Fashion Institute Of Technology ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Set in New York, NY, Fashion Institute Of Technology is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,174, with out-of-state students paying around $22,696. Median early-career earnings reach $29,250. Graduates carry a median of $17,912 in student loans.
Phillips Beth Israel School Of Nursing placed #18 among the best colleges in New York. Based in New York, NY, Phillips Beth Israel School Of Nursing is a private not-for-profit institution. Phillips Beth Israel School Of Nursing posts a six-year graduation rate of 100%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $46,450. Early-career graduates earn a median of $106,754. Graduates carry a median of $24,095 in student loans.
Weill Cornell Medical College came in at #19 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in New York, NY.
Cuny Bernard M Baruch College placed #20 among the best colleges in New York. Cuny Bernard M Baruch College is a public school based in New York, NY. The six-year graduation rate is 72%. In-state tuition and fees average $7,464, with out-of-state students paying around $15,414. Graduates go on to earn a median of $61,459 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $11,691.
Albert Einstein College Of Medicine landed the #21 spot in New York this year. Based in Bronx, NY, Albert Einstein College Of Medicine is a private not-for-profit institution. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $75,053.
Skidmore College did well this year, earning the #22 position. Located in Saratoga Springs, NY, Skidmore College is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 83%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,140. Early-career graduates earn a median of $34,440. Graduates carry a median of $18,274 in student loans.
Rochester Institute Of Technology landed the #23 spot in New York this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Rochester, NY. About 72% of students finish within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $59,210. Rochester Institute Of Technology graduates report median early-career earnings of $63,515. Typical student debt is $27,491.
Vassar College came in at #24 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Poughkeepsie, NY. Roughly 91% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $71,030. Median early-career earnings reach $37,412. Typical student debt is $18,486.
Adelphi University placed #25 among the best colleges in New York. This private not-for-profit school is set in Garden City, NY. Adelphi University graduates 67% of students within six years. Students from in state pay about $48,775 in tuition and fees. Graduates go on to earn a median of $51,037 early in their careers. The median student debt is $25,487.
These colleges rounded out the top of the list:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.