These are New York's 'Top 10 Best Colleges' for 2026: Study

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New York Universities. (via Getty Images)

NEW YORK - With the Nov. 1 early-decision deadline approaching for prospective students, and the cost of college climbing, WalletHub has released its 2026 Best Colleges & Universities Rankings. Multiple New York colleges placed high on the list.

University ranking measures

The report evaluates nearly 800 schools nationwide using 30 key measures across seven categories, including student selectivity, cost & financing, and career outcomes.

According to WalletHub, the cost of college in 2026 averages between $24,920 and $58,600 per year.

For New York families, the findings reaffirm the state’s reputation as a higher-education powerhouse, with several schools ranking among the nation’s elite for selectivity, diversity, and graduate earnings.

Colgate University (Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Top 10 Colleges & Universities in New York (2026)

1. Columbia University in the City of New York — New York, NY (11th overall)
2. Cornell University — Ithaca, NY (29th overall)
3. Hamilton College — Clinton, NY (33rd overall)
4. The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art — New York, NY (37th overall)
5. Vassar College — Poughkeepsie, NY (39th overall)
6. Barnard College — New York, NY (41st overall)
7. New York University (NYU) — New York, NY (52nd overall)
8. Colgate University — Hamilton, NY (61st overall)
9. University of Rochester — Rochester, NY (66th overall)
10. Binghamton University (SUNY) — Binghamton, NY (74th overall)

How New York’s Top Schools Stack Up

Columbia University (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

Columbia University (Ranked #1 in NY)

• 1st – Admission Rate
• 48th – Net Cost
• 1st – Student-Faculty Ratio
• 21st – On-Campus Crime
• 1st – Gender & Racial Diversity
• 1st – Graduation Rate
• 1st – Post-Attendance Median Salary

Cornell University lawn. Photographer: Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Cornell University (Ranked #2 in NY)

• 2nd – Admission Rate
• 53rd – Net Cost
• 7th – Student-Faculty Ratio
• 33rd – On-Campus Crime
• 3rd – Gender & Racial Diversity
• 1st – Graduation Rate
• 1st – Post-Attendance Median Salary

Hamilton College (Ranked #3 in NY)

• 5th – Admission Rate
• 51st – Net Cost
• 7th – Student-Faculty Ratio
• 42nd – On-Campus Crime
• 34th – Gender & Racial Diversity
• 4th – Graduation Rate
• 15th – Post-Attendance Median Salary

Top 10 Universities in the U.S. (2026)

1. Princeton University — New Jersey
2. Harvard University — Massachusetts
3. Yale University — Connecticut
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) — Massachusetts
5. Columbia University in the City of New York — New York
6. Stanford University — California
7. University of Pennsylvania — Pennsylvania
8. Duke University — North Carolina
9. Brown University — Rhode Island
10. Northwestern University — Illinois

Vassar College (Photo by: Photographer name/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Key Takeaways

WalletHub’s analysis found that private institutions dominate the top of the rankings, but public universities such as Binghamton and SUNY Geneseo continue to perform strongly on affordability and post-graduate outcomes.

Experts in higher education told WalletHub that the value of a college degree depends increasingly on career outcomes, internship access, and financial aid support. These factors weigh heavily in the company’s annual scoring model.