U.S. News Ranks SUNY Schools Among Best in the Nation

Albany – State University of New York schools earned top rankings in the 2009 edition of “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report, including four in the top 12 public master’s universities in the nation and four in the list of top national universities.

In addition, SUNY Old Westbury was ranked second in the category of most-diverse liberal arts school, and SUNY Geneseo was seventh on the list of up-and-coming destinations for students.

“These national rankings reflect the quality, accessibility, affordability and diversity of a SUNY education,” said Interim SUNY Chancellor Dr. John B. Clark. “SUNY schools provide the people of New York and the country with an education of the highest quality and the broadest possible access. We are pleased to be ranked so prominently by U.S. News & World Report yet again this year.”

SUNY highlights in the recently released U.S. News rankings are as follows:

·         Five SUNY schools are ranked among the best national universities and three are ranked among the Top 50 best public national universities: Binghamton University is 77^th and 34^th respectively; SUNY ESF is ranked 83 and 37^th respectively; Stony Brook University is 96^th and 45^th respectively; University at Buffalo is ranked 121^st; and UAlbany is ranked 134th in the national category.

·         Cornell University, which includes four statutory SUNY campuses – Agriculture & Life Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, Human Ecology, Industrial & Labor Relations -- was ranked 14^th among the nation’s best national universities; and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ program in Applied Economics and Management was ranked the 11^th best undergraduate business program.

·         Ranked among the best national colleges with the most international undergraduate students were the University at Buffalo (10 percent), Binghamton University (8 percent), Cornell University (8 percent), Stony Brook University (6 percent), and UAlbany (2 percent).

·         Among the best master’s universities in the North, SUNY Geneseo is ranked 11^th; SUNY New Paltz is ranked 40^th; SUNY Oneonta is ranked 49^th; SUNY Fredonia is ranked 52^nd; SUNY Cortland is ranked 73^rd; SUNY Brockport and SUNY Oswego are ranked 81^st; and SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Plattsburgh are ranked 86^th. In addition, Buffalo State College and SUNYIT are ranked as third-tier schools in this category.

·         Prominently ranked among the top public master’s universities are SUNY Geneseo (2^nd), SUNY New Paltz (8^th), SUNY Oneonta (11^th), and SUNY Fredonia (12^th).

·         Among the best baccalaureate colleges in the North, Maritime College is ranked 21^st and SUNY Cobleskill, Alfred State College, Farmingdale State College and SUNY Delhi are all ranked among the third-tier schools listed alphabetically from 33^rd to 47^th  in this category. Fashion Institute of Technology also appears in this listing as an unranked school.

·         SUNY Geneseo is ranked the 11^th best master’s university overall and the7^th most “up and coming” master’s university in the North, under a new category in the magazine.

·         SUNY Old Westbury and Purchase College are both ranked as fourth-tier schools on the magazine’s best liberal arts colleges listing. SUNY Old Westbury also ranked 18^th among the 265 national liberal arts colleges with the least debt among its graduates and 2^nd most racially diverse.

·         University at Buffalo and Stony Brook University both ranked 61^st among engineering schools whose highest degree is a doctorate. University at Buffalo’s business program was also favorably ranked (74^th) on a similar listing for business programs.

·         SUNY ESF is ranked 15^th for national universities that are “great schools, great prices.” Cornell University also appears in this listing, at 24^th.

·         UAlbany and Binghamton University are both listed as national universities where students graduate with the least amount of debt.

The annual rankings by U.S. News groups schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. These exclusive rankings, in the magazine’s Sept. 1 issue, were made available at newsstands Monday.

About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating more than 427,000 students in 7,669 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses. 

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