7 Hudson Valley Colleges Among Top 500 In U.S.: Forbes

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Seven colleges in the Hudson Valley are among this year’s top 500 schools in the nation, according to a new ranking by Forbes.

The publication’s 14th annual list of America’s Top Colleges highlights colleges and universities that offer “top academics and career success while minimizing debt for students across America,” according to a statement accompanying the release.

Hudson Valley Schools On America's Top Colleges List:

• VASSAR COLLEGE, POUGHKEEPSIE. Ranked No. 73.
• PACE UNIVERSITY, WHITE PLAINS/NYC. Ranked No. 280.
• MARIST COLLEGE, POUGHKEEPSIE. Ranked No. 335.
• SUNY, COLLEGE AT NEW PALTZ. Ranked No. 337.
• IONA UNIVERSITY, NEW ROCHELLE. Ranked No. 417.
• SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE, YONKERS. Ranked No. 467.
• SUNY at PURCHASE COLLEGE, PURCHASE. Ranked No. 487.

To choose this year’s top schools, Forbes focused on factors including whether students graduated on time, secured high salaries after graduation, and if students went on to have successful careers. Forbes also looked at how much debt students had post-graduation.

Vassar College came in at No. 73 on this year's list. On average, students who attend Vassar receive about $49,181 in grant aid and graduate with approximately $4,818 in debt. Graduates also have a median 10-year salary of $124,800.

“We know that a college degree is a significant investment for any student, and one that’s been compounded by recent years of financial turmoil for many,” Emma Whitford, senior education reporter at Forbes, said in a release. “This list reflects the public and private universities that are going above and beyond to deliver on that investment.”

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Data used to determine the ranking came from two federal government databases. Forbes also used data from its own publications as well as the Seattle-based software and data company PayScale, Washington, D.C.-based public policy think tank Third Way, and the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.

Schools with less than 300 undergraduate students were excluded. The five federal military academies in the United States were ranked in a separate list.

Read more about the 2022 Top Colleges methodology.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology took the top spot on this year’s list followed by the University of California - Berkeley and Stanford University, which tied for No. 2. Meanwhile, Harvard University dropped several spots to No. 15 this year after holding the No. 1 spot from 2017 to 2019.

See the full list of Forbes 2022 Top Colleges.