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Best universities in New York 2022

Explore the top universities in New York State using data from the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education US College Rankings

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November 9 2021
What is the best university in New York?

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New York, New York, the state that never sleeps. What better place to spend your student years? Four years won’t be nearly enough time to exhaust all there is to see and do in New York but if you’re up to the challenge, it’s definitely worth a try.

Just exploring the museums is an education in itself, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Guggenheim. Each of the  neighbourhoods has its own individual character and you’re bound to find your favourite spot. 

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Choosing a university in New York can be a daunting task, so we've collected the best universities in the state based on the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education US College Rankings 2022 to help you decide. 


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1. Cornell University

Cornell University’s 2,300-acre campus is located in the picturesque Finger Lakes region of New York State.

The campus contains hiking trails for students to explore. Nearby Ithaca has a reputation for being a favourite with foodies.

One of the university’s traditions is the annual Dragon Day parade in late March. Architecture students parade a giant dragon across the campus where it is pitted against a phoenix created by students from the rival College of Engineering.

The university has a number of locations in New York City, including Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Science in Upper Manhattan.

2. Columbia University

Located in Upper Manhattan, Barnard College for women in 1891.

Joseph Pulitzer founded Columbia’s prestigious School of Journalism in 1912. In the 1930s, Columbia School of Law produced two Supreme Court Chief Justices, Charles Evans Hughes and Harlan Fiske Stone. The Columbia University Medical Centre has its own 20-acre campus in Washington Heights, two miles further north. 

3. New York University

Among the top institutions in New York City is New York University, located in the heart of Manhattan. Washington Square Park is the epicentre of New York University activity with many of the university’s halls and academic buildings nearby. Departments are located across the river in downtown Brooklyn.

Founded by the statesman Albert Gallatin in 1831, the university was established to serve students from all walks of life. Today, New York University is among the top universities in the US in terms of academic rankings. It is also one of the largest private universities in the country with more than 44,000 students, and is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities.

One of the university's annual traditions is the Strawberry Festival, a chance for students to celebrate the end of exams and enjoy a slice of the longest strawberry cheesecake in New York City. 


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Best universities in New York 2022

Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2022 profile

New York Rank 2022 US College Rank 2022 University City
1 11 Cornell University Ithaca
2 16 Columbia University New York City
3 26 New York University New York City
4 47 United States Military Academy West Point
5 50 Barnard College New York
=6 =52 Colgate University Hamilton
=6 =52 University of Rochester Rochester
8 =58 Hamilton College Clinton
9 65 Vassar College Poughkeepsie
10 101 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy
11 102 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs
12 =117 Syracuse University Syracuse
13 124 University at Buffalo Buffalo
14 125 Stony Brook University Stony Brook
15 134 Union College Schenectady
16 =138 Yeshiva University New York City
17 =154 Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester
18 =160 Smith Colleges Geneva
19 163 SUNY Binghamton University Vestal
20 171 Fordham University Bronx
21 188 SUNY University at Albany Albany
22 =192 Lawrence University Canton
23 =200 Sarah Lawrence College Bronxville
24 =202 Clarkson University Potsdam
25 =207 Hofstra University Hempstead
26 =212 CUNY City College of New York New York City
27 =231 Ithaca College Ithaca
28 =234 CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College New York City
29 =238 Adelphi University Garden City
30 =244 Pratt Institute Brooklyn
=31 =253 New York Institute of Technology Old Westbury
=31 =253 SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse
33 =256 CUNY Hunter College New York City
34 =256 Manhattan College Riverdale
35 =269 Molloy College Rockville Centre
36 =273 Bard College Annandale-On-Hudson
=37 =291 Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Albany
=37 =291 Siena College Loudonville
39 =317 The New School New York City
40 =320 St John Fisher College Rochester
=41 =337 Le Moyne College Syracuse
=41 =337 Pace University-New York New York City
=43 =344 CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn
=43 =344 CUNY Queens College Queens
45 =349 SUNY New Paltz New Paltz
46 =359 Hartwick College Oneonta
47 362 Canisius College Buffalo
48 =377 Nazareth College Rochester
49 =392 Marist College Poughkeepsie
=50 401-500 CUNY Lehman College Bronx
=50 401-500 Iona College New Rochelle
=50 401-500 Long Island University Brookville
=50 401-500 SUNY Cortland Cortland
=50 401-500 St John's University-New York Queens
=50 401-500 Wagner College Staten Island
=56 501-600 Alfred University Alfred
=56 501-600 CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York City
=56 501-600 D'Youville College Buffalo
=56 501-600 Daemen College Amherst
=56 501-600 College of Mount Saint Vincent Bronx
=56 501-600 Niagara University Lewiston
=56 501-600 SUNY College at Brockport Brockport
=56 501-600 SUNY Buffalo State Buffalo
=56 501-600 SUNY Geneseo Geneseo
=56 501-600 SUNY Oneonta Oneonta
=56 501-600 SUNY Oswego Oswego
=56 501-600 SUNY Plattsburgh Plattsburgh
=56 501-600 SUNY Potsdam Potsdam
=56 501-600 SUNY Purchase College Purchase
=56 501-600 St Bonaventure University Saint Bonaventure
=56 501-600 Touro College New York City
=72 > 600 CUNY College of Staten Island Staten Island
=72 > 600 Manhattanville College Purchase
=72 > 600 Manhattan College New York City
=72 > 600 Mercy College Dobbs Ferry
=72 > 600 SUNY Alfred State College Alfred
=72 > 600 SUNY Farmingdale State College Farmingdale
=72 > 600 SUNY at Fredonia Fredonia
=72 > 600 The College of Saint Rose Albany

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