Hidden Gem Colleges in New York (2026)
Updated
This page ranks 47 four-year colleges in New York. This list includes only colleges whose overall score is at or above the 50th percentile nationally and whose admission rate is above 50%; colleges without a reported admission rate are left out.
The colleges that qualify are ordered by overall score, highest first, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. CUNY Hunter College ranks 1st on this list, with $73,236 in median earnings for its graduates four years after completing. The group includes 25 public and 22 private institutions.
Public institutions make up 53% of the list. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates 84% within six years, the highest six-year completion rate in the group. Talmudical Seminary of Bobov lists an average net price of $2,840.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years after completion | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY Hunter College · New York, NY | $73,236 | $2,984 | $1,029 | 53.8% |
| CUNY Hunter College reports median earnings of $73,236 for its graduates four years after completing, and ranks 20th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 2 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice · New York, NY | $60,020 | $3,203 | $1,073 | 57.1% |
| An average net price of $1,073 for families earning under $30,000 accompanies a 57% admission rate at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice. | |||||
| 3 | CUNY Lehman College · Bronx, NY | $63,353 | $3,148 | $1,589 | 56.6% |
| CUNY Lehman College, a public university in Bronx, posts a six-year completion rate of 51%. | |||||
| 4 | CUNY City College · New York, NY | $67,740 | $3,776 | $1,251 | 60.0% |
| Graduates of CUNY City College earn a median of $67,740 four years after completing, and the school admits 60% of applicants. | |||||
| 5 | CUNY Brooklyn College · Brooklyn, NY | $62,833 | $3,103 | $1,029 | 58.4% |
| CUNY Brooklyn College carries an average net price of $3,103 and reports a six-year completion rate of 54%. | |||||
| 6 | CUNY New York City College of Technology · Brooklyn, NY | $64,145 | $5,127 | $3,810 | 80.3% |
| With an 80% admission rate, CUNY New York City College of Technology shows median earnings of $64,145 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | CUNY Queens College · Queens, NY | $68,713 | $4,195 | $1,541 | 64.4% |
| CUNY Queens College reports an average net price of $1,541 for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $68,713 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | College of Staten Island CUNY · Staten Island, NY | $65,495 | $5,579 | $3,903 | 92.3% |
| College of Staten Island CUNY ranks 93rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, alongside a six-year completion rate of 34%. | |||||
| 9 | University at Buffalo · Buffalo, NY | $71,430 | $20,995 | $14,668 | 74.2% |
| University at Buffalo posts a six-year completion rate of 75% and median earnings of $71,430 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | University at Albany · Albany, NY | $66,256 | $17,167 | $11,112 | 69.1% |
| An average net price of $17,167 and a 69% admission rate are reported at University at Albany. | |||||
| 11 | Farmingdale State College · Farmingdale, NY | $65,444 | $10,867 | $4,933 | 63.3% |
| Farmingdale State College reports median earnings of $65,444 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $4,933 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 12 | CUNY York College · Jamaica, NY | $61,389 | $4,456 | $2,861 | 64.1% |
| CUNY York College ranks 157th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows a six-year completion rate of 32%. | |||||
| 13 | Molloy University · Rockville Centre, NY | $96,058 | $24,347 | $17,548 | 81.7% |
| Molloy University reports median earnings of $96,058 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 70%. | |||||
| 14 | CUNY Medgar Evers College · Brooklyn, NY | $58,886 | $5,718 | $4,368 | 86.1% |
| With an average net price of $5,718, CUNY Medgar Evers College admits 86% of applicants and ranks 14th on this list. | |||||
| 15 | SUNY Old Westbury · Old Westbury, NY | $58,756 | $11,282 | $6,645 | 83.6% |
| SUNY Old Westbury posts an average net price of $6,645 for families earning under $30,000 and a six-year completion rate of 45%. | |||||
| 16 | University of Mount Saint Vincent · Bronx, NY | $83,648 | $21,696 | $19,203 | 85.1% |
| University of Mount Saint Vincent ranks 257th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $83,648 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | SUNY Buffalo State University · Buffalo, NY | $53,203 | $11,346 | $7,405 | 73.0% |
| SUNY Buffalo State University admits 73% of applicants and reports median earnings of $53,203 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | SUNY Maritime College · Throggs Neck, NY | $104,752 | $22,367 | $11,726 | 72.4% |
| Graduates of SUNY Maritime College earn a median of $104,752 four years after completing, and the college admits 72% of applicants. | |||||
| 19 | Mercy University · Dobbs Ferry, NY | $62,616 | $14,072 | $11,974 | 85.8% |
| Mercy University has an average net price of $11,974 for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 309th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 20 | New York Institute of Technology · Old Westbury, NY | $81,370 | $22,443 | $17,084 | 81.0% |
| New York Institute of Technology reports a six-year completion rate of 59% and median earnings of $81,370 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | State University of New York at Oswego · Oswego, NY | $59,955 | $16,236 | $8,714 | 80.6% |
| State University of New York at Oswego ranks 21st on this list, with an average net price of $16,236 and a six-year completion rate of 60%. | |||||
| 22 | SUNY Brockport · Brockport, NY | $57,799 | $16,353 | $10,911 | 70.7% |
| SUNY Brockport admits 71% of applicants and posts an average net price of $10,911 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 23 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute · Utica, NY | $73,730 | $14,164 | $7,442 | 81.4% |
| Median earnings for graduates of SUNY Polytechnic Institute reach $73,730 four years after completing, and the admission rate stands at 81%. | |||||
| 24 | Rochester Institute of Technology · Rochester, NY | $84,133 | $34,906 | $24,680 | 66.9% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology ranks 363rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports a six-year completion rate of 70%. | |||||
| 25 | Adelphi University · Garden City, NY | $83,002 | $30,783 | $24,095 | 65.9% |
| Adelphi University ranks 25th on this list, with median earnings of $83,002 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 26 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Troy, NY | $98,311 | $36,228 | $24,078 | 63.5% |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute posts a six-year completion rate of 84% and reports median earnings of $98,311 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 27 | Manhattan University · Riverdale, NY | $88,328 | $27,256 | $27,281 | 78.9% |
| Manhattan University ranks 27th on this list, admitting 79% of applicants and reporting median earnings of $88,328 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 28 | Pace University · New York, NY | $80,804 | $30,892 | $26,473 | 75.9% |
| Pace University shows an average net price of $26,473 for families earning under $30,000 and a six-year completion rate of 60%. | |||||
| 29 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh · Plattsburgh, NY | $58,319 | $17,156 | $9,400 | 78.4% |
| A public university in Plattsburgh, State University of New York at Plattsburgh admits 78% of applicants and reports median earnings of $58,319 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 30 | D'Youville University · Buffalo, NY | $84,182 | $20,433 | $16,259 | 81.4% |
| D'Youville University ranks 30th on this list, with an average net price of $20,433 and a six-year completion rate of 67%. | |||||
| 31 | SUNY Oneonta · Oneonta, NY | $58,809 | $19,158 | $11,044 | 69.6% |
| SUNY Oneonta reports median earnings of $58,809 for its graduates four years after completing and a six-year completion rate of 69%. | |||||
| 32 | State University of New York at New Paltz · New Paltz, NY | $56,933 | $18,809 | $10,541 | 61.6% |
| State University of New York at New Paltz ranks 32nd on this list, admitting 62% of applicants and posting a six-year completion rate of 72%. | |||||
| 33 | Touro University · New York, NY | $73,235 | $29,627 | $26,605 | 60.8% |
| Touro University ranks 33rd on this list, admitting 61% of applicants and reporting median earnings of $73,235 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 34 | Daemen University · Amherst, NY | $70,310 | $18,693 | $10,773 | 68.3% |
| Daemen University ranks 34th on this list, with an average net price of $18,693 and median earnings of $70,310 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 35 | SUNY College of Technology at Canton · Canton, NY | $57,422 | $15,268 | $10,908 | 92.2% |
| SUNY College of Technology at Canton ranks 35th on this list, with a six-year completion rate of 38% and an admission rate of 92%. | |||||
| 36 | SUNY College at Geneseo · Geneseo, NY | $63,560 | $18,211 | $10,018 | 66.5% |
| With an admission rate of 66%, SUNY College at Geneseo reports a six-year completion rate of 71% and an average net price of $18,211. | |||||
| 37 | Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences · Albany, NY | $113,282 | $29,882 | $22,404 | 52.7% |
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences admits 53% of applicants and reports median earnings of $113,282 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 38 | Fordham University · Bronx, NY | $84,203 | $44,338 | $32,474 | 59.3% |
| Graduates of Fordham University earn a median of $84,203 four years after completing, and the university's six-year completion rate is 82%. | |||||
| 39 | State University of New York at Cortland · Cortland, NY | $58,555 | $22,345 | $12,550 | 59.8% |
| State University of New York at Cortland posts an average net price of $22,345 and a six-year completion rate of 68%. | |||||
| 40 | Wagner College · Staten Island, NY | $85,313 | $28,241 | $20,993 | 88.0% |
| With an admission rate of 88%, Wagner College reports median earnings of $85,313 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 41 | St. John's University-New York · Queens, NY | $77,868 | $29,999 | $27,787 | 83.4% |
| St. John's University-New York ranks 556th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows a six-year completion rate of 66%. | |||||
| 42 | Utica University · Utica, NY | $77,491 | $19,108 | $13,290 | 92.0% |
| An average net price of $19,108 coincides with a six-year completion rate of 56% at Utica University. | |||||
| 43 | St. Joseph's University-New York · Brooklyn, NY | $64,336 | $19,035 | $16,876 | 72.1% |
| St. Joseph's University-New York admits 72% of applicants, and its graduates earn a median of $64,336 four years after completing. | |||||
| 44 | Talmudical Seminary of Bobov · Brooklyn, NY | $20,372 | $2,840 | $1,852 | 97.9% |
| Talmudical Seminary of Bobov carries an average net price of $2,840, the lowest on this list, and admits 98% of applicants. | |||||
| 45 | Russell Sage College · Troy, NY | $66,409 | $22,917 | $6,662 | 53.3% |
| Graduates of Russell Sage College earn a median of $66,409 four years after completing, and the college's admission rate is 53%. | |||||
| 46 | Clarkson University · Potsdam, NY | $91,312 | $30,305 | $21,335 | 77.4% |
| Clarkson University reports a six-year completion rate of 75% alongside median earnings of $91,312 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 47 | Manhattanville University · Purchase, NY | $68,011 | $20,991 | $13,548 | 87.3% |
| Manhattanville University ranks 734th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts an average net price of $20,991. | |||||
How this list is ordered
This list includes only colleges whose overall score is at or above the 50th percentile nationally and whose admission rate is above 50%; colleges without a reported admission rate are left out. The colleges that qualify are ordered by overall score, highest first, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The ordering metric is the median earnings of federally aided completers of each institution, across all fields, who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. The list does not adjust for cost or for who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The page includes 25 public and 22 private colleges.