Stony Brook University Among Top Colleges In U.S.

STONY BROOK, NY — Stony Brook University is among this year’s top 500 schools in the nation, according to a new ranking by Forbes.

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

Emma Whitford, senior education reporter at Forbes, said she knows "a college degree is a significant investment for any student and one that’s been compounded by recent years of financial turmoil for many."

“This list reflects the public and private universities that are going above and beyond to deliver on that investment," she said.

Stony Brook ranked number 86 on the list. On average, students who attend the public school receive about $10, 468 in grant aid and graduate with about $6,671 in debt. Graduates also have a median 10-year salary of $123,800.

While the university's campus is located in the hamlet of Stony Brook, there is also another satellite campus at the former Southampton College.

Other public schools also ranked in the top 100.

Binghamton University, a state school, ranked 65.

Baruch College, a city of New York school, ranked 66.

Other New York schools on this year’s list include:

• Columbia University - Ranked No. 5
• Cornell University - Ranked No. 16
• Hofstra University - Ranked No. 317
• Adelphi University - Ranked No. 368
• St. John's University - Ranked No. 250

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.

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Data used to determine the ranking came from two federal government databases. Forbes also used data from its 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.