It is no secret that COVID-19 completely changed the system of higher education. From classes going virtual to students missing out on clubs and activities, the pandemic required colleges to navigate education in an entirely new way. However, colleges were not the only institutions looking at the educational system with a new perspective. With the curveballs COVID threw in 2020 and 2021, methodologies used in national top college rankings changed significantly. The new approach to methodologies was used in Forbes’ America’s Top Colleges ranking, revealing something different than in previous years: Public schools, and many SUNY colleges and universities, are some of the most outstanding options for students pursing higher education.
In previous years, Forbes used a methodology that focused mostly on the student’s return of investment. Although the return of investment is still considered in this year’s ranking, options for low- and moderate-income students, student outcomes, cost of each school, and where students go to school were also used in the methodology. Forbes found that nearly 80% of 16 million undergraduate students attend public colleges, resulting in a more accurate representation of where students would like to attend. For the first time ever in the ranking’s history, a public college was ranked number one and six public colleges were in the top 25 list.
With a more wholistic approach to college rankings, Forbes also recognized 16 SUNY colleges and universities among the best in the nation, a new high for SUNY schools in these annual rankings:
- Stony Brook University
- Binghamton University
- University at Albany
- SUNY Geneseo
- SUNY Polytechnic Institute
- SUNY Maritime College
- Farmingdale State College
- SUNY New Paltz
- College of Environmental Science and Forestry
- SUNY Purchase College
- SUNY College at Old Westbury
- SUNY Fredonia
- SUNY Cortland
- SUNY Oneonta
- SUNY Oswego
- SUNY Plattsburgh
These latest rankings from Forbes are a reminder that public colleges, specifically those in the SUNY system, can provide high-quality education at an affordable price that works for any student. Start your journey to college today.
