Top 15 NY colleges and universities ranked by U.S. News. Where do Rochester schools rank?

Victoria E. Freile, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
·3 min read

The University of Rochester is among the top national universities in the nation, and fourth in the Empire state, according to the latest ranking from U.S. News & World Report.

The university rates 36th among national universities and No. 25 on the list of Best Value Schools. It was also ranked 68th for the best undergraduate engineering programs and 29th for nursing.

In the latest annual report, Princeton University was again named No. 1 among national universities, and Williams College was named No. 1 among national liberal arts schools, a title the college has held for more than two straight decades.

The top ranked university in New York is Cornell University, in Ithaca, which was also ranked 17th nationally and 20th among best value schools, according to the report.

Every year the news outlet publishes what many regard as the gold standard for college rankings in the United States. In 2022, the outlet looked at 1,500 colleges and universities focusing on academic quality and measures such as graduation rates, retention rates and social mobility.

Syracuse University ranked No. 62 and the Rochester Institute of Technology in Henrietta ranked No. 105 on the list of National Universities. St. John Fisher College ranked No. 202 in the National Universities category.

Best 15 colleges in New York

  1. Cornell University in Ithaca - national ranking No. 17

  2. Columbia University in New York City - national ranking No. 18

  3. New York University in New York City - national ranking No. 25

  4. University of Rochester in Rochester - national ranking No. 36

  5. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy - national ranking No. 51

  6. Syracuse University in Syracuse - national ranking No. 62

  7. Yeshiva University in New York City - national ranking No. 67

  8. Fordham University in New York City - national ranking No. 72

  9. Stony Brook University (SUNY) in Stony Brook - national ranking No. 77

  10. Binghamton University (SUNY) in Binghamton - national ranking No. 83

  11. University at Buffalo (SUNY) in Buffalo - national ranking No. 89

  12. Rochester Institute of Technology in Henrietta - national ranking No. 105 (tie)

  13. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse - national ranking No. 105 (tie)

  14. Clarkson University in Potsdam - national ranking No. 127 (tie)

  15. The New School in New York City - national ranking No. 127 (tie)

Best colleges in Rochester NY

University of Rochester

Located within city limits and nestled on the 700-acre River campus along the Genesee River, the university is known among the nation's top research universities and also encompasses the Eastman School of Music. Founded in 1850, the university has approximately 6,570 undergraduate students. Annual tuition is around $61,678. In the report, the University of Rochester is also ranked 25th among best value schools.

Rochester Institute of Technology

Founded in 1829 in Rochester, the university has a 1,300-acre campus in Henrietta with roughly 14,000 undergraduate students. Annual tuition is approximately $54,518. In the report, RIT is also ranked 48th among best value schools.

St. John Fisher University

St. John Fisher University has a 164-acre campus is located on East Avenue in Pittsford and has nearly 2,600 undergraduate students. Annual tuition is around $37,748. In the report, St. John Fisher is ranked 202nd in national universities and 47th among best value schools.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Top NY colleges and universities ranked by U.S. News