New York Schools Ranked Among 2021’s Best Colleges: U.S. News

NEW YORK — As students and colleges across the nation grapple with the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, U.S. News & World Report on Monday remained steadfast with the release of its 2021 edition of Best U.S. Colleges, a list that includes several schools in New York.

Despite how the pandemic has forced current and potential students to alter college plans, U.S. News said in a news release that it must “continue providing students and their families with the tools they need to help find the right school for them.”

To rank colleges, U.S. News first placed each school into a category based on its mission and, in some cases, its geographical location in the United States. U.S. News then evaluated more than 1,400 colleges and universities on 17 indicators of academic quality. The colleges are ranked based on their overall scores.

The data used for this year’s rankings was gathered in spring and early summer 2020; however, the publication noted that the pandemic did not affect the numbers.

This year’s edition also includes several methodology updates. The new measures look at timely topics such as student debt, social mobility and test-blind admissions policies. U.S. News also added new weights and indicators to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and added a new ranking for computer science programs.

See more detailed methodologies and frequently asked questions about the rankings.

These New York colleges and universities were included in this year’s rankings:

National Universities

• Columbia University, New York, No. 3
• Cornell University, Ithaca, No. 18
• University of Rochester, Rochester, No. 34
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,Troy, No. 53
• Syracuse University, Syracuse, No. 58
• Fordham University, New York, No. 66
• Yeshiva University, New York, No. 76
• Binghamton University — SUNY, Binghamton, No. 88
• Stony Brook — SUNY, Stony Brook, No. 88
• University of Buffalo — SUNY, Buffalo, No. 88
• Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, No. 112
• SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, No. 118
• Clarkson University, Potsdam, No. 124
• The New School, New York, No. 133
• Hofstra University, Hempstead, No. 160
• University at Albany — SUNY, Albany, No. 160
• Adelphi University, Garden City, No. 170
• St. John's University, Queens, No. 170
• St. John Fisher College, Rochester, No. 176
• Russell Sage College,Troy , No. 206
• Pace University, New York, No. 217
• Long Island University, Brookville, No. 272
• D'Youville College, Buffalo, No. 284
• Touro College, New York, No. 284
• Daemen College, Amherst, No. 298-289

National Liberal Arts Colleges

• Hamilton College, Clinton, No. 9
• Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, No. 13
• United States Military Academy, West Point, No. 15
• Colgate University, Hamilton, No. 20
• Barnard College, New York, No. 22
• Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, No. 36
• Union College, Schenectady, No. 44
• Bard College, Annandale, No. 54
• St. Lawrence University, Canton, No. 54
• Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, No. 63
• Hobart & William Smith College, Geneva, No. 72
• Houghton College, Houghton, No. 127
• Wells College, Aurora, No. 136
• Hartwick College, Oneonta, No. 149
• Purchase College — SUNY, Purchase, No. 155
• The King's College, New York, No. 171-221
• Marymount Manhattan College, New York, No. 171-122

Regional Universities

• Ithaca College, Ithaca, No 9
• Marist College, Poughkeepsie, No. 11
• SUNY Polytechnic Institute — Albany/Utica, Utica, No. 12
• Manhattan College, Riverdale, No. 13
• SUNY — Geneseo, Geneseo, No. 13
• Siena College, Loudonville, No. 15
• CUNY — Baruch College, New York, No. 16
• CUNY — Hunter College, New York, No. 17
• Le Moyne College, Syracuse, No. 17
• Canisius College, Buffalo, No. 19
• St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, No. 19
• Niagara University, Niagara, No. 23
• Molloy College, Rockville Centre, No. 26
• Wagner College, Staten Island, No. 26
• Alfred University, Alfred, No. 45
• Nazareth College, Rochester, No. 45
• SUNY — New Paltz, New Paltz, No. 45
• CUNY — Queens College, Queens, No. 50
• Iona College, New Rochelle, No. 50
• SUNY — Oswego, Oswego, No. 50
• CUNY — Lehman College, Bronx, No. 56
• SUNY Maritime College, Throggs Neck, No. 56
• CUNY — Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, No. 62
• Monroe College, Bronx, No. 62
• CUNY — John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, No. 67
• SUNY — Fredonia, Fredonia, No. 67
• St. Joseph's College — Long Island, Patchogue, No. 71
• SUNY College — Cortland, Cortland, No. 71
• SUNY College — Potsdam, Potsdam, No. 71
• SUNY College — Oneonta, Oneonta, No. 75
• SUNY — Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, No. 75
• Manhattanville College, Purchase, No. 81
• Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester, No. 83
• SUNY Brockport, Brockport, No. 83
• College of Saint Rose, Albany, No. 96
• Utica College, Utica, No. 96
• Mount St. Mary College, Newburgh, No. 105
• SUNY Buffalo State, Buffalo, No. 105
• College of Mount St. Vincent, Bronx, No. 113
• St. Thomas Aquinas College, Sparkill, No. 113
• Keuka College, Keuka Park, No. 121
• CUNY — College of Staten Island, Staten Island, No. 132
• Concordia College, Bronxville, No. 136-176
• Dominican College, Orangeburg, No. 136-176
• Medaille College, Buffalo, No. 136-176
• Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, No. 136-176
• Nyack College, Nyack, No. 136-176
• SUNY College — Old Westbury, Old Westbury, No. 136-176
• SUNY Empire State College, Saratoga Springs, No. 136-176

Regional Colleges

• Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, New York, No. 2
• U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, No. 3
• Elmira College, Elmira, No. 6
• SUNY College of Technology at Alfred, Alfred, No. 9
• Cazenovia College, Cazenovia, No. 12
• St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights, No. 13
• SUNY College of Technology — Delhi, Delhi, No. 14
• SUNY Cobleskill, , No. 18
• SUNY College of Technology — Canton, Canton, No. 19
• Farmingdale State College — SUNY, Farmingdale, No. 21
• Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, Flushing, No. 24
• SUNY Morrisville, Morrisville, No. 25
• Paul Smith's College, Paul Smiths, No. 27
• CUNY — York College, Jamaica, No. 38
• CUNY — New York City College of Technology, Brooklyn, No. 39
• Hilbert College, Hamburg, No. 40
• Boricua College, New York, No. 41-53
• The College of Westchester, White Plains, No. 41-53
• CUNY — Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn, No. 41-53
• Five Towns College, Dix Hills, No. 41-53
• Villa Maria College, Buffalo, No. 41-53

Princeton University is once again No. 1 among National Universities, and Williams College remains in the top spot among National Liberal Arts Colleges.

For Top Public Schools, the University of California — Los Angeles is No. 1 among National Universities. The United States Naval Academy ranks No. 1 for Top Public Schools among National Liberal Arts Colleges.

See all of 2021’s Best U.S. Colleges by U.S. News & World Report.