Best Grad Schools in New York 2023

Best Grad Schools in New York 2023

By James Barham

Published: Mar 22, 2021
Updated: Mar 13, 2023

Graduate school may be a critical step in your higher education, whether you are interested in expanding your knowledge, learning a specialization, or earning advanced credentials required by your profession. The best graduate schools in New York offer advanced degrees, such as master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as opportunities for independent research, mentorships, and professional networking.

10 Best Grad Schools in New York

Columbia University

89%

Cornell University

81%

New York University

81%

City College of New York

68%

University of Rochester

66%

Syracuse University

65%

62%

Rockefeller University

61%

Stony Brook University

61%

Fordham University

60%

Long Island University

93%

Pace University

88%

St. John's University

85%

Rochester Institute of Technology

71%

University at Buffalo

70%

University at Albany, SUNY

68%

Hofstra University

68%

66%

City College of New York

64%

Yeshiva University

63%

20 to 1

Binghamton University

19 to 1

Stony Brook University

19 to 1

University at Albany, SUNY

19 to 1

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

17 to 1

St. John's University

16 to 1

15 to 1

City College of New York

15 to 1

Syracuse University

15 to 1

University at Buffalo

14 to 1

Columbia University

$63,530

Cornell University

$61,015

University of Rochester

$59,378

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

$58,526

$57,968

Syracuse University

$57,591

New York University

$56,500

Fordham University

$56,161

Rochester Institute of Technology

$52,756

$52,494

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

$57,100

Rochester Institute of Technology

$52,092

Columbia University

$50,496

$47,920

University of Rochester

$46,779

Syracuse University

$41,616

$37,549

New York University

$35,982

Yeshiva University

$34,800

Teachers College, Columbia University

$34,078

Pace University

42%

St. John's University

43%

Rochester Institute of Technology

44%

Long Island University

45%

Graduate Center, CUNY

46%

Hofstra University

47%

University at Albany, SUNY

48%

48%

49%

Binghamton University

51%

Columbia University

4%

Cornell University

9%

New York University

13%

University of Rochester

41%

Binghamton University

44%

46%

Stony Brook University

48%

51%

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

53%

Fordham University

58%

Columbia University

6 to 1

Yeshiva University

7 to 1

New York University

8 to 1

9 to 1

9 to 1

Cornell University

9 to 1

Graduate Center, CUNY

10 to 1

Long Island University

10 to 1

University of Rochester

10 to 1

Rochester Institute of Technology

13 to 1

$6,930

$6,930

Graduate Center, CUNY

$6,930

City College of New York

$6,930

University at Buffalo

$7,070

Binghamton University

$7,070

Stony Brook University

$7,070

University at Albany, SUNY

$7,070

Long Island University

$39,290

St. John's University

$46,050

Graduate Center, CUNY

$9,930

$11,090

$11,090

City College of New York

$11,090

University at Buffalo

$11,310

Binghamton University

$11,310

Stony Brook University

$11,310

University at Albany, SUNY

$11,310

Long Island University

$22,047

Fordham University

$23,112

Key Takeaways

Graduate students can expect vast options for their graduate studies in New York City. The city is home to the CUNY schools, the SUNY system, and several private and ivy league institutions.
New York University is one of the most prominent university in the United States, with an undergraduate and graduate enrollment of over 49,000 students at its domestic and international campuses.
New York is one of the priciest states to obtain advanced education, but don’t worry! Financial aid options are always available. The most costly grad schools in New York are Columbia University and Cornell University.

Graduate Schools: New York’s Best

Obtaining a degree in New York is not for the weak and undetermined. New York is known for being one of the country’s most expensive places to live, meaning that students planning to obtain higher education here should expect to pay higher tuition and fees. Additionally, graduate programs in the best grad schools offer rigorous coursework.

However, despite its high cost of living, New York City is still one of the best places to live.

Cost of Living in New York

Living on or off campus will affect your rent costs. The state has numerous possibilities for residents. Off-campus housing will run you an average of $4,000 per month.

Additionally, New York has far higher food prices than most other cities. The national average monthly grocery bills for a single person are $165 and $345. In New York City, the expected monthly grocery bill is $468.

Fortunately, it’s easy to get around in New York City with a car, so getting to your college campus shouldn’t be a problem. In fact, having a car and driving in the city is generally not a good idea if you live in the city, especially if you are a student who doesn’t have a stable income. Remember that New York City has restricted parking, making it common for car owners to rent spaces that cost an average of $199 to more than $500 a month.

Reasons To Study in New York

New York is a major force in business, politics, art, and entertainment. New York’s GDP was $1,853,926,000,000 in 2021, making it the 3rd largest state economy.

The state’s GDP contribution is one of the reasons why colleges and universities charge higher tuition and fees for their top programs.

Top-Notch Academics

When it comes to academics, New York offers dozens of top-ranked universities. Some of the state’s prized higher education institutions include Columbia University, Cornell University, New York University, University of Rochester, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

There is also a roster of top-rated New York law schools or colleges offering legal or law education. The faculty and students at these institutions are frequently the brightest, which gives you a significant advantage in the job market.

Diversity

New York is an extremely diverse state, and New York City is especially so. This American city is full of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Numerous diverse neighborhoods, shops, cuisine, and religions have helped the state became home to thousands of international students.

Better Networking Opportunities

It’s more crucial than ever to expand your network. Graduate students should challenge themselves to step beyond their comfort zone to have better opportunities safely. Fortunately, New York offers a wealth of activities that give students a better chance to build networks that will advance their careers.

Dreamland for Booklovers

More volumes than you could possibly read in a lifetime are housed at the over 100 public libraries in New York. Thanks to their serene atmosphere, you’ll think you’ve traveled back in time. Students can find the necessary respite from the outer world among the millions of books, maps, and magazines available.

Getting Around is Easy

Students often worry about how they will get around after arriving in a new place. Luckily, New York is a bustling city that provides a quick, affordable, 24/7 subway system. Buses are also accessible from any place in the city if the subway is ever too congested.

There’s Always Something for You

New York City is not called “The Big Apple” for nothing. Because it’s a major city with a very diverse population, you’ll always find something that suits your interests.

Colleges and Universities in New York

On average, tuition at New York’s higher education institutes comes in well-below the national average at about $7,900. Students have nearly 80 public school options to choose from, ranging in fees from $1,000 at the United States Merchant Marine Academy up to $10,000 at the University at Buffalo, the largest public university. However, some of the state’s private schools, such as New York University (NYU), charge tuition fees at a much higher cost.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

Although tuition fees at NYU average $52,000, students who attend this school have access to some of the best programs in fields like literature, business, medicine, communications, and law. The school also boasts famous alumni like Whoopi Goldberg and Jonas Salk. New York also offers close to 40 religiously affiliated schools. Students can expect to pay a wide range of tuition costs at these schools, but have the option to major in fields like social work, law, religious studies, business, and nursing.

They say New York is a place where dreams come true. Here, fashion, culture, food, business, art, and many languages comfortably coexist. While The Empire State’s metropolitan landmarks, like the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, are noteworthy, many forget New York also offers access to the Great Lakes, the Atlantic Ocean, and countless cozy cabins tucked away in the verdant Catskills Mountains. Additionally, New York is home to over 200 colleges and universities, making it easy for students to dream big while earning their degrees.

Explore some of the top programs New York higher education institutes have to offer, and make your educational and personal dreams come true.

What are New York’s Colleges & Universities?

New York’s Best Overall

New York's Best Grad Schools Badge — Download Badge

How do we determine New York's best grad schools?

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

There are 42 doctorate-granting graduate schools in New York. Our ranking of the best graduate schools in the New York is composed of both private and public schools. To be included, schools must be fully accredited non-profit institutions, and must offer doctoral degrees and a broad array of graduate degrees.

Best Grad Schools in New York 2022

New York’s Best Grad School for Your Area of Interest

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

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