It's not easy to decide which college to attend when you have so many options available. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Top New York Colleges ranking is part of that endeavor.
Our analysis looked at 143 schools in New York to determine which ones were the best in terms of overall quality. Our ranking is based on over 20 objective factors, including post graduate earnings, freshman retention, and graduation rate. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another.
Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location and field of study. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as value or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering!
Cornell University tops this year’s ranking as the best school in New York for overall quality.Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 7,952 students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Cornell go into careers with an average salary of $91,176 during the early years of their career.
Out of the 143 schools in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, the large private not-for-profit school awarded 13,952 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Columbia go into careers with an average salary of $89,871 during the early years of their career.
Out of the 143 schools in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, New York University landed the #3 spot on the list. NYU is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17,605 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from NYU make an average of $76,040 per year during the early years of their career.
A rank of #4 on our Best Colleges in New York list means Colgate University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Hamilton, New York, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 899 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The school boasts an average 4-year graduation rate of 84%, which is excellent when compared to the national rate of 33%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Colgate make an average of $76,267 per year during the early years of their career.
Out of the 143 schools in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, Teachers College at Columbia University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 1,995 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in New York ranking. RPI is a private not-for-profit institution located in Troy, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2,179 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from RPI make an average of $93,416 per year during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #7, University of Rochester did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in New York list. University of Rochester is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Rochester, New York. It awarded 4,070 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school boasts an average 4-year graduation rate of 78%, which is excellent when compared to the national rate of 33%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from University of Rochester is $68,335 during the early years of their career.
Barnard College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in New York ranking. Barnard is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 676 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Barnard is $71,678 during the early years of their career.
Syracuse University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges in New York ranking. Syracuse is located in Syracuse, New York and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7,630 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse is $71,470 during the early years of their career.
Fashion Institute of Technology landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges in New York ranking. This medium-sized public school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 3,706 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% During the early years of their career, graduates from FIT SUNY make an average of $60,037 a year.
With a ranking of #11, Hamilton College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in New York list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Clinton, New York, and it awarded 597 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Hamilton go into careers with an average salary of $74,340 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #12, Vassar College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in New York list. Vassar is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Poughkeepsie, New York. It awarded 682 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Bachelor’s degree students at the school tend to finish their degree on-time. The 4-year graduation rate is 87%, which is impressive compared to the national rate of 33%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Vassar make an average of $62,332 per year during the early years of their career.
The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges in New York ranking, coming in at #13. The Graduate Center is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2,885 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% During the early years of their career, graduates from The Graduate Center make an average of $58,746 a year.
With a ranking of #14, Fordham University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in New York list.Bronx, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 5,683 students in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Fordham U is $74,578 during the early years of their career.
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges in New York ranking. Located in Syracuse, New York, the small public school awarded 552 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from ESF make an average of $52,901 per year during the early years of their career.
Rochester Institute of Technology landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges in New York ranking. RIT is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rochester, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4,000 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $66,280 during the early years of their career..
With a ranking of #17, Ithaca College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in New York list. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 1,621 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Ithaca is $62,146 during the early years of their career.
Binghamton University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in New York ranking. Binghamton University is a public institution located in Vestal, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5,586 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University is $72,980 during the early years of their career.
Excelsior College did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges in New York ranking, coming in at #19. Excelsior College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Albany, New York. It awarded 5,868 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% During the early years of their career, graduates from Excelsior College make an average of $75,846 a year.
University at Buffalo did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges in New York ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Buffalo, New York, the large public school awarded 9,304 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from University at Buffalo go into careers with an average salary of $62,022 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #21, The New School did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in New York list. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 2,719 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from New School University make an average of $53,981 per year during the early years of their career.
Stony Brook University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in New York ranking. Located in Stony Brook, New York, the large public school handed out 8,678 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Stony Brook go into careers with an average salary of $66,678 during the early years of their career.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges in New York list. The Colleges is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Geneva, New York. It awarded 648 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from The Colleges make an average of $62,980 per year during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #24, Marist College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in New York list. Located in Poughkeepsie, New York, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 1,826 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Marist make an average of $71,226 per year during the early years of their career.
Yeshiva University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges in New York ranking, coming in at #25. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 2,133 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The 4-year grad rate at the school is 80%. That’s impressive when you compare it to the national rate of 33%. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $64,628 during the early years of their career..
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
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