New York’s Most Affordable Colleges & Universities of 2021
Here are the most affordable colleges and universities in New York. Our list will help you find the right kind of school for you, at a price you can afford.
Colleges and Universities in New York
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.
What are New York’s Colleges & Universities?
- 28 Research Universities
- 93 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 37 Graduate Schools
- 27 Public Colleges & Universities
- 61 Private Colleges & Universities
- 18 Christian Colleges & Universities
- 73 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 49 Affordable Colleges (below $20,000k/yr)
- 36 Community Colleges
New York’s Best Overall
The following list of the most affordable colleges and universities in New York is composed entirely of schools offering four-year undergraduate degree programs. There are 49 colleges and universities in New York that offer tuition under $20,000/year. The list below of the top 25 most affordable colleges universities in the state satisfies the following three conditions:
- It must be fully accredited.
- It must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees
- Its stated tuition and fees must be under $20,000/year.
How do we determine New York's most affordable colleges and universities?
The best colleges pound for pound!
The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why, at the undergraduate level, we rank the best colleges and universities based on what we call Concentrated Influence.
Concentrated Influence takes the combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers (including faculty and alums) and divides it by the school’s total number of undergraduates.
Using concentrated influence gives small and mid-sized schools an opportunity to shine by taking away the size advantage of larger universities. A small school with proportionately more influential faculty than a large school, whose influence in absolute terms may be bigger, will nonetheless score higher in a concentrated influence ranking. Our approach highlights undergraduate schools that truly rank for excellence, regardless of size.
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.
Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.
Find out more about our ranking methodology here.
We’ve identified 49 colleges in New York under $20,000/year.
New York’s Most Affordable Colleges & Universities
- #1United States Merchant Marine Academy#1234 institution's overall influence#64 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$1K
Acceptance
22%
Graduation
76%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1260/28
Kings Point, NYView profile
What is United States Merchant Marine Academy known for?
United States Merchant Marine Academy's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Engineering
Most Influential Alumni
- #2New York City College of Technology#3386 institution's overall influence#540 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
75%
Graduation
25%
Student body
12K
Brooklyn, NYView profile
What is New York City College of Technology known for?
New York City College of Technology's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Sociology
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Engineering
- Nursing
- Business
- Chemistry
- Education
- Social Work
Most Influential Alumni
- #3City College of New York#58 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
48%
Graduation
47%
Student body
13K
New York, NYView profile
What is City College of New York known for?
City College of New York's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Psychology
- Social Work
- Physics
- Law
- Economics
- Mathematics
- Philosophy
- Sociology
- Communications
Most Influential Alumni
- #4Medgar Evers College#1909 institution's overall influence#1068 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$7K
Graduation
17%
Student body
5K
Brooklyn, NYView profile
What is Medgar Evers College known for?
Medgar Evers College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Social Work
- Nursing
- Education
- Business
- Political Science
- Religious Studies
- Psychology
- Biology
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
- #5York College#2669 institution's overall influence#887 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
53%
Graduation
30%
Student body
6K
Jamaica, NYView profile
What is York College known for?
York College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Anthropology
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Biology
- Physics
- Literature
- Social Work
- Nursing
- Psychology
Most Influential Alumni
- #6Hunter College#180 institution's overall influence#1193 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
36%
Graduation
53%
Student body
19K
New York, NYView profile
What is Hunter College known for?
Hunter College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Social Work
- Philosophy
- Anthropology
- History
- Nursing
- Education
- Political Science
- Mathematics
- Economics
Most Influential Alumni
- #7Lehman College#908 institution's overall influence#1423 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
40%
Graduation
44%
Student body
11K
Bronx, NYView profile
What is Lehman College known for?
Lehman College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Mathematics
- Literature
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Physics
- Philosophy
- History
- Computer Science
- Psychology
Most Influential Alumni
- #8Graduate Center, CUNY#511 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$7K
Student body
4K
New York, NYView profile
What is Graduate Center, CUNY known for?
Graduate Center, CUNY's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Economics
- Sociology
- Criminal Justice
- Philosophy
- Business
- Anthropology
- Law
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Mathematics
Most Influential Alumni
- #9Brooklyn College#116 institution's overall influence#1381 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
44%
Graduation
51%
Student body
15K
Brooklyn, NYView profile
What is Brooklyn College known for?
Brooklyn College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Psychology
- Anthropology
- Political Science
- Literature
- Philosophy
- History
- Economics
- Sociology
- Education
- Business
Most Influential Alumni
- #10Baruch College#760 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
39%
Graduation
66%
Student body
16K
New York, NYView profile
What is Baruch College known for?
Baruch College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Psychology
- Business
- Economics
- Philosophy
- Sociology
- Communications
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Education
- Political Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #11John Jay College of Criminal Justice#970 institution's overall influence#193 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
41%
Graduation
44%
Student body
12K
New York, NYView profile
What is John Jay College of Criminal Justice known for?
John Jay College of Criminal Justice's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Criminal Justice
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Literature
- Law
- Anthropology
- Social Work
- Medical
- Philosophy
- Political Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #12College of Staten Island#1996 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$7K
Graduation
46%
Student body
11K
Staten Island, NYView profile
What is College of Staten Island known for?
College of Staten Island's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Physics
- Psychology
- Philosophy
- Sociology
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Social Work
- Biology
- Education
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
- #13Queens College#273 institution's overall influence#1468 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
48%
Graduation
60%
Student body
16K
Queens, NYView profile
What is Queens College known for?
Queens College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Anthropology
- Literature
- Philosophy
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Computer Science
- Political Science
- Physics
Most Influential Alumni
- #14Empire State College#1958 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$7K
Graduation
17%
Student body
8K
Saratoga Springs, NYView profile
What is Empire State College known for?
Empire State College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Social Work
- Education
- Literature
- Political Science
- History
- Business
- Psychology
- Nursing
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
- #15Fashion Institute of Technology#968 institution's overall influence#105 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
53%
Student body
8K
New York, NYView profile
What is Fashion Institute of Technology known for?
Fashion Institute of Technology's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Business
Most Influential Alumni
- #16State University of New York at Old Westbury#2478 institution's overall influence#452 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
43%
Student body
5K
Old Westbury, NYView profile
What is State University of New York at Old Westbury known for?
State University of New York at Old Westbury's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Philosophy
- Social Work
- Communications
- Criminal Justice
- Chemistry
- Psychology
- History
- Education
- Political Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #17Buffalo State College#1663 institution's overall influence#467 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
61%
Graduation
50%
Student body
8K
Buffalo, NYView profile
What is Buffalo State College known for?
Buffalo State College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Anthropology
- Economics
- Chemistry
- Literature
- History
- Political Science
- Education
- Criminal Justice
- Biology
- Business
Most Influential Alumni
- #18State University of New York Polytechnic Institute#3496 institution's overall influence#856 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
65%
Graduation
44%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1175/24
Utica, NYView profile
What is State University of New York Polytechnic Institute known for?
State University of New York Polytechnic Institute's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Physics
- Engineering
- Social Work
- Criminal Justice
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Communications
- Nursing
- #19State University of New York at New Paltz#1107 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
41%
Graduation
72%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1180/26
New Paltz, NYView profile
What is State University of New York at New Paltz known for?
State University of New York at New Paltz's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Economics
- Literature
- Political Science
- Computer Science
- Communications
- Anthropology
- Earth Sciences
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Social Work
Most Influential Alumni
- #20State University of New York Maritime College#1551 institution's overall influence#1035 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
72%
Graduation
56%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1167/24
Throggs Neck, NYView profile
What is State University of New York Maritime College known for?
State University of New York Maritime College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Engineering
- Business
Most Influential Alumni
- #21Farmingdale State College#1693 institution's overall influence#238 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
46%
Graduation
53%
Student body
10K
Median SAT/ACT
1085/22
Farmingdale, NYView profile
What is Farmingdale State College known for?
Farmingdale State College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Computer Science
- Psychology
- Biology
- Communications
- Criminal Justice
- Medical
- Business
- Sociology
Most Influential Alumni
- #22State University of New York at Delhi#3402 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
47%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1005/20
Delhi, NYView profile
What is State University of New York at Delhi known for?
State University of New York at Delhi's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Nursing
- Criminal Justice
- Engineering
- Business
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
- #23State University of New York at Plattsburgh#1956 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
54%
Graduation
63%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1140/23
Plattsburgh, NYView profile
What is State University of New York at Plattsburgh known for?
State University of New York at Plattsburgh's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Nursing
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Communications
- Literature
- Chemistry
- Anthropology
- Medical
- Psychology
- Earth Sciences
Most Influential Alumni
- #24State University of New York at Canton#9060 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
39%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
990/19
Canton, NYView profile
What is State University of New York at Canton known for?
State University of New York at Canton's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Engineering
- Criminal Justice
- Nursing
- Computer Science
- Business
- #25State University of New York at Brockport#2268 institution's overall influence#1243 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
53%
Graduation
68%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1100/22
Brockport, NYView profile
What is State University of New York at Brockport known for?
State University of New York at Brockport's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Earth Sciences
- Literature
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Medical
- Psychology
- Political Science
- Physics
- Anthropology
- Philosophy
Most Influential Alumni
- #26State University of New York at Oneonta#2063 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
51%
Graduation
72%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1045/23
Oneonta, NYView profile
What is State University of New York at Oneonta known for?
State University of New York at Oneonta's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Earth Sciences
- Political Science
- Chemistry
- History
- Business
- Computer Science
- Anthropology
- Literature
- Criminal Justice
- Communications
Most Influential Alumni
- #27State University of New York at Oswego#929 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
54%
Graduation
66%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1155/23
Oswego, NYView profile
What is State University of New York at Oswego known for?
State University of New York at Oswego's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Communications
- Computer Science
- History
- Anthropology
- Philosophy
- Earth Sciences
- Business
- Chemistry
- Psychology
Most Influential Alumni
- #28State University of New York at Potsdam#2058 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
52%
Student body
4K
Potsdam, NYView profile
What is State University of New York at Potsdam known for?
State University of New York at Potsdam's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Earth Sciences
- Mathematics
- Sociology
- Computer Science
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Education
- Economics
- Communications
- History
Most Influential Alumni
- #29Morrisville State College#6054 institution's overall influence#724 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
72%
Graduation
31%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
945/19
Morrisville, NYView profile
What is Morrisville State College known for?
Morrisville State College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Sociology
- Criminal Justice
- Medical
- Communications
- Nursing
- Psychology
Most Influential Alumni
- #30State University of New York at Fredonia#1315 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
76%
Graduation
62%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1070/24
Fredonia, NYView profile
What is State University of New York at Fredonia known for?
State University of New York at Fredonia's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Earth Sciences
- Literature
- Education
- Philosophy
- Biology
- Psychology
- Chemistry
- Sociology
- Communications
- Anthropology
Most Influential Alumni
- #31State University of New York at Cortland#2010 institution's overall influence#1311 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
44%
Graduation
74%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1130/23
Cortland, NYView profile
What is State University of New York at Cortland known for?
State University of New York at Cortland's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- History
- Medical
- Business
- Anthropology
- Earth Sciences
- Psychology
- Communications
- Political Science
- Education
Most Influential Alumni
- #32Alfred State College#6237 institution's overall influence#1323 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
63%
Graduation
56%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1060/22
Alfred, NYView profile
What is Alfred State College known for?
Alfred State College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- Nursing
- Biology
- Business
- #33State University of New York at Geneseo#1722 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
65%
Graduation
81%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1210/26
Geneseo, NYView profile
What is State University of New York at Geneseo known for?
State University of New York at Geneseo's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Anthropology
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Sociology
- Philosophy
- Literature
- Communications
- Political Science
- Biology
- Chemistry
Most Influential Alumni
- #34State University of New York at Cobleskill#8849 institution's overall influence#680 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
77%
Graduation
51%
Student body
3K
Cobleskill, NYView profile
What is State University of New York at Cobleskill known for?
State University of New York at Cobleskill's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Social Work
- Computer Science
- Biology
- Education
- Business
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
- #35State University of New York at Purchase#735 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
65%
Graduation
62%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1165/24
Purchase, NYView profile
What is State University of New York at Purchase known for?
State University of New York at Purchase's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Anthropology
- Economics
- Philosophy
- Sociology
- Political Science
- Literature
- Chemistry
- Education
- Biology
- Communications
Most Influential Alumni
- #36State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry#1115 institution's overall influence#242 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
61%
Graduation
74%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1215/26
Syracuse, NYView profile
What is State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry known for?
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Biology
- Earth Sciences
- Chemistry
- Engineering
Most Influential Alumni
- #37Stony Brook University#164 institution's overall influence#1211 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
42%
Graduation
72%
Student body
24K
Median SAT/ACT
1325/28
Stony Brook, NYView profile
What is Stony Brook University known for?
Stony Brook University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Biology
- Sociology
- Computer Science
- Religious Studies
- Chemistry
- Philosophy
- Anthropology
- Psychology
Most Influential Alumni
- #38State University of New York at Albany#459 institution's overall influence#1020 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
52%
Graduation
66%
Student body
16K
Median SAT/ACT
1180/24
Albany, NYView profile
What is State University of New York at Albany known for?
State University of New York at Albany's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Criminal Justice
- Sociology
- Chemistry
- Literature
- Social Work
- Physics
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Computer Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #39Binghamton University#328 institution's overall influence#1143 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
40%
Graduation
83%
Student body
17K
Median SAT/ACT
1375/30
Vestal, NYView profile
What is Binghamton University known for?
Binghamton University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Anthropology
- Sociology
- Political Science
- Philosophy
- Literature
- Economics
- History
- Psychology
- Earth Sciences
- Computer Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #40University at Buffalo#98 institution's overall influence#1348 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
56%
Graduation
74%
Student body
27K
Median SAT/ACT
1245/26
Buffalo, NYView profile
What is University at Buffalo known for?
University at Buffalo's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Philosophy
- Literature
- Social Work
- Psychology
- Economics
- History
- Communications
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
- #41Boricua College#4465 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$11K
Graduation
30%
Student body
1K
New York, NYView profile
What is Boricua College known for?
Boricua College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Social Work
- Education
Most Influential Alumni
- #42Plaza College#13090 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
30%
Student body
1K
Forest Hills, NYView profile
- #43Monroe College#7977 institution's overall influence#161 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$15K
Acceptance
44%
Graduation
71%
Student body
9K
Bronx, NYView profile
What is Monroe College known for?
Monroe College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Criminal Justice
- Nursing
- Business
- Computer Science
- Social Work
- Education
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
- #44Bryant & Stratton College#1446 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$17K
Student body
<1K
Buffalo, NYView profile
What is Bryant & Stratton College known for?
Bryant & Stratton College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Criminal Justice
- Business
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
- #45Touro College#1778 institution's overall influence#206 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$18K
Acceptance
71%
Graduation
42%
Student body
9K
New York, NYView profile
What is Touro College known for?
Touro College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Medical
- Religious Studies
- Criminal Justice
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Law
- Education
- Political Science
- History
Most Influential Alumni
- #46Mercy College#2306 institution's overall influence#302 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$19K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
40%
Student body
7K
Dobbs Ferry, NYView profile
What is Mercy College known for?
Mercy College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Criminal Justice
- Nursing
- Business
- Law
- History
- Psychology
- Education
- Computer Science
- Political Science
- Communications
Most Influential Alumni
- #47Metropolitan College of New York#4736 institution's overall influence#355 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$19K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
31%
Student body
1K
New York, NYView profile
What is Metropolitan College of New York known for?
Metropolitan College of New York's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Business
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Education
- Medical
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