Best Public Colleges in New York 2024

Badge for BEST IN NEW YORK PUBLIC COLLEGES

Published: Mar 22, 2021
Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Public colleges and universities account for almost 75 percent of all undergraduate students in the U.S. The best public colleges in New York provide broad access to reputable degree programs, affordable tuition, and sprawling educational communities.

10 Best Public Colleges in New York

Stony Brook University
City College of New York
University at Buffalo
Brooklyn College
United States Military Academy
Binghamton University
Hunter College
University at Albany, SUNY
Baruch College
Queens College, City University of New York

City College of New York
United States Military Academy
Brooklyn College
Stony Brook University
University at Buffalo
Hunter College
Binghamton University
Baruch College
Queens College, City University of New York
University at Albany, SUNY

Buffalo State University 86%
State University of New York at Oswego 83%
Alfred State College 82%
State University of New York at Purchase 75%
State University of New York at Geneseo 75%
State University of New York at Oneonta 73%
Farmingdale State College 73%
State University of New York at Plattsburgh 70%
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 70%
Queens College, City University of New York 69%

Stony Brook University 19 to 1
Baruch College 19 to 1
Binghamton University 19 to 1
Farmingdale State College 18 to 1
Fashion Institute of Technology 17 to 1
University at Albany, SUNY 17 to 1
John Jay College of Criminal Justice 16 to 1
Alfred State College 16 to 1
State University of New York at Geneseo 16 to 1
State University of New York at New Paltz 16 to 1

Fashion Institute of Technology $7,170
Stony Brook University $7,070
University at Buffalo $7,070
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry $7,070
Buffalo State University $7,070
Alfred State College $7,070
State University of New York at Plattsburgh $7,070
Farmingdale State College $7,070
State University of New York at Geneseo $7,070
State University of New York at New Paltz $7,070

Fashion Institute of Technology $11,542
Stony Brook University $11,310
University at Buffalo $11,310
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry $11,310
Buffalo State University $11,310
State University of New York at Plattsburgh $11,310
State University of New York at Geneseo $11,310
State University of New York at New Paltz $11,310
State University of New York at Purchase $11,310
Binghamton University $11,310

State University of New York at Plattsburgh
Farmingdale State College
State University of New York at Geneseo
Alfred State College
Buffalo State University
State University of New York at Oneonta
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
College of Staten Island
State University of New York at Oswego
State University of New York at New Paltz

Alfred State College
State University of New York at Oneonta
Farmingdale State College
State University of New York at Plattsburgh
State University of New York at Geneseo
State University of New York at New Paltz
College of Staten Island
Buffalo State University
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
State University of New York at Oswego

United States Military Academy 12%
United States Merchant Marine Academy 27%
Binghamton University 42%
Hunter College 48%
Stony Brook University 49%
Baruch College 50%
John Jay College of Criminal Justice 51%
Fashion Institute of Technology 53%
Brooklyn College 55%
Lehman College 55%

United States Military Academy 7 to 1
State University of New York at Purchase 11 to 1
University at Buffalo 12 to 1
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 13 to 1
Buffalo State University 13 to 1
United States Merchant Marine Academy 13 to 1
Brooklyn College 13 to 1
Queens College, City University of New York 14 to 1
City College of New York 14 to 1
Hunter College 14 to 1

United States Merchant Marine Academy $1,008
John Jay College of Criminal Justice $6,930
Queens College, City University of New York $6,930
City College of New York $6,930
Baruch College $6,930
Hunter College $6,930
Lehman College $6,930
College of Staten Island $6,930
Brooklyn College $6,930
Stony Brook University $7,070

Farmingdale State College $8,553
John Jay College of Criminal Justice $11,090
Queens College, City University of New York $11,090
City College of New York $11,090
Baruch College $11,090
Hunter College $11,090
Lehman College $11,090
College of Staten Island $11,090
Brooklyn College $11,090
Stony Brook University $11,310

Key Takeaways

New York has some of the country’s top-rated colleges, including two of the eight Ivy League Schools—Cornell University and Columbia University.
New York University, one of the state’s most popular, is also one renowned globally.
Public colleges in New York offer students an affordable, accessible, rigorous, and quality education.

Table of Contents

Discovering New York’s Public Colleges

The state of New York is very large and diverse, which is why it is one of the most exciting places to study and live. Each year, thousands of students from neighboring states and across the world move to New York to enjoy the state’s quality of life and, of course, enjoy the advantages of obtaining a first-rate college education.

New York is home to different schools—from the top-rated private schools like New York University, Columbia University, Fordham, Syracuse, Cornell, and Barnard College, down to the best public colleges like Binghamton University, Stony Brook University, the University of Buffalo, the United States Military Academy, to name few.

With the hundreds of colleges and universities in New York, it’s safe to say that this state is indeed one of the best places to study.

Why New York is a Good Place to Study

Broadway, Wall Street, the Central Park—these are just some of the biggest names in New York that make the state famous worldwide. But there is so much more to New York than just the Big Apple.

Tourists are drawn to the beautiful beaches of Long Island and the forests and lakes of upstate New York. In 2019, the state recorded a staggering 265.5 million tourists, making it one of the most favorite destinations worldwide.

Like tourists, college students also flock to New York, not for pleasure but for the top-rated institutions in the state. So why is New York a good place to study?

Cultural Diversity

In a 2020 US Census, New York ranked eighth among all states with the greatest ethnic and racial diversity, and much of this is found in this most populated city.

New York City is home to people from 180 countries and over 800 languages. When you wander through the boroughs, meeting people from different places and learning about their beliefs, culture, and customs is common.

Employment and Internship Opportunities: More than 50 Fortune 500 companies are based in New York. These companies represent roughly 2/3 of the US economy.

Because of Wall Street, New York is dubbed as the world’s financial capital, not to mention the home of some of the biggest names in fashion, publishing, retail, advertising, and high-tech industries.

This global business and commerce hub offers students many opportunities, including internships and employment after graduation.

Networking Opportunities

Building your networking skills in college can significantly increase career opportunities and develop relationships in the professional and academic world. When you meet the right network of people, the results can bring about life-changing opportunities.

What’s great about studying in New York is that networking opportunities always abound. Networking events happen in every industry, including public administration, human services, and finance.

Networking with fellow students and other professionals can lead to meaningful opportunities and connections nationally and globally.

Entertainment

Entertainment opportunities abound in New York City. You can enjoy concerts or Broadway shows in amazing venues like the Central Park SummerStage, Carnegie Hall, or Madison Square Garden.

You can join art or jazz festivals, contribute to WorldPride events in Long Island, and participate in concerts in the Catskill Mountains. The amount of entertainment in New York is incomparable—perfect to while away your time while a student in this incomparable state.

Sports

New York is also home to globally recognized sports teams. Students have the chance to see the Yankees and the Mets, two of the most prominent names in major league baseball. The Nets in Brooklyn or the Knicks in Manhattan might be around the corner for basketball fans. Students receive discounted tickets for different sporting events with all these amazing options.

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

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

This list is composed entirely of public colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 41 public universities in New York. To be included in our list of the best public colleges in New York, shcools must receive direct funding from the state, be fully accredited, and offer a broad range of bachelor’s degress.

How do we determine New York's best public colleges and universities?

Methodology

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.

Best Public Colleges in New York 2023

New York’s Best Public College in Your Area of Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 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.

Check out our directory of public colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top public colleges in every state.

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Public Colleges in New York 2024

10 Best Public Colleges in New York

Key Takeaways

Discovering New York’s Public Colleges

Why New York is a Good Place to Study

Cultural Diversity

Networking Opportunities

Entertainment

Sports

Colleges and Universities in New York

What are New York’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Public Colleges in New York 2023

Career Outlook for degree at Stony Brook University

Most Influential Alumni

Stony Brook University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at City College of New York

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University at Buffalo

Most Influential Alumni

University at Buffalo’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Brooklyn College

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Binghamton University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Hunter College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University at Albany, SUNY

Most Influential Alumni

University at Albany, SUNY’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Baruch College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Queens College, City University of New York

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Fashion Institute of Technology

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Most Influential Alumni

John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at State University of New York at Purchase

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Lehman College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at United States Merchant Marine Academy

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at State University of New York at New Paltz

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at State University of New York at Oswego

Most Influential Alumni

State University of New York at Oswego’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at College of Staten Island

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Most Influential Alumni

State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at State University of New York at Oneonta

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Buffalo State University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Alfred State College

Most Influential Alumni

Alfred State College’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at State University of New York at Geneseo

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Farmingdale State College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at State University of New York at Plattsburgh

Most Influential Alumni