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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tuition + fees
$64K
Acceptance
4%
Graduation
97%
Student body
26K
Median SAT/ACT
1515/34
Columbia University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$57K
Acceptance
13%
Graduation
87%
Student body
49K
Median SAT/ACT
1455/32
New York University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$61K
Acceptance
9%
Graduation
94%
Student body
25K
Median SAT/ACT
1470/33
Cornell University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$59K
Acceptance
41%
Graduation
86%
Student body
12K
Median SAT/ACT
1420/32
University of Rochester’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$58K
Acceptance
59%
Graduation
82%
Student body
22K
Syracuse University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
48%
Graduation
78%
Student body
26K
Median SAT/ACT
1335/29
Stony Brook University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
57%
Student body
12K
Median SAT/ACT
1155/27
City College of New York’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$48K
Acceptance
63%
Graduation
80%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1275/27
Yeshiva University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
58%
Graduation
83%
Student body
15K
Median SAT/ACT
1320/29
Fordham University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
70%
Graduation
74%
Student body
28K
Median SAT/ACT
1225/26
University at Buffalo’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$52K
Acceptance
66%
Graduation
70%
Student body
9K
Median SAT/ACT
1250/28
The New School’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$59K
Acceptance
53%
Graduation
84%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1400/31
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Student body
<1K
Rockefeller University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
44%
Graduation
84%
Student body
18K
Median SAT/ACT
1370/30
Binghamton University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
46%
Graduation
58%
Student body
20K
Median SAT/ACT
1255/28
Hunter College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
68%
Graduation
66%
Student body
16K
Median SAT/ACT
1170/25
University at Albany, SUNY’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
51%
Graduation
74%
Student body
17K
Median SAT/ACT
1265/28
Baruch College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$49K
Acceptance
68%
Graduation
70%
Student body
9K
Hofstra University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$46K
Acceptance
85%
Graduation
68%
Student body
14K
Median SAT/ACT
1190/26
St. John's University ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$49K
Acceptance
88%
Graduation
59%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1150/25
Pace University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Student body
4K
Teachers College, Columbia University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Student body
5K
Graduate Center, CUNY’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$58K
Acceptance
60%
Graduation
71%
Student body
3K
Bard College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$53K
Acceptance
71%
Graduation
69%
Student body
14K
Median SAT/ACT
1320/30
Rochester Institute of Technology’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$39K
Acceptance
93%
Graduation
47%
Student body
10K
Median SAT/ACT
1185/25
Long Island University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
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.
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.