Most selective colleges in New York
50 colleges ranked by acceptance rate
These 50 most selective colleges in New York, ranked by acceptance rate, run from 4% at Columbia University in the City of New York to 69% at University at Buffalo. 17 are public and 33 are private.
| # | College | Type | Acceptance | Avg SAT | Net price / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY | Private | 4% | 1,547 | $20,148 |
| 2 | Barnard College New York, NY | Private | 8% | 1,500 | $39,253 |
| 3 | Cornell University Ithaca, NY | Private | 8% | 1,520 | $32,337 |
| 4 | The Juilliard School New York, NY | Private | 9% | — | $37,903 |
| 5 | New York University New York, NY | Private | 9% | 1,527 | $35,035 |
| 6 | Hamilton College Clinton, NY | Private | 12% | 1,487 | $28,314 |
| 7 | Colgate University Hamilton, NY | Private | 12% | 1,480 | $29,107 |
| 8 | United States Military Academy West Point, NY | Public | 14% | 1,355 | — |
| 9 | Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY | Private | 18% | 1,513 | $38,182 |
| 10 | The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art New York, NY | Private | 19% | 1,480 | $16,478 |
| 11 | Webb Institute Glen Cove, NY | Private | 20% | 1,480 | $19,077 |
| 12 | Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY | Private | 23% | 1,388 | $34,581 |
| 13 | United States Merchant Marine Academy Kings Point, NY | Public | 32% | 1,226 | $7,506 |
| 14 | Davis College Pottersville, NY | Private | 33% | — | $14,320 |
| 15 | University of Rochester Rochester, NY | Private | 36% | 1,480 | $30,248 |
| 16 | Binghamton University Vestal, NY | Public | 38% | 1,415 | $21,364 |
| 17 | Manhattan School of Music New York, NY | Private | 40% | — | $47,599 |
| 18 | Syracuse University Syracuse, NY | Private | 42% | 1,351 | $41,026 |
| 19 | Union College Schenectady, NY | Private | 44% | 1,410 | $36,000 |
| 20 | Alfred University Alfred, NY | Private | 48% | 1,205 | $22,701 |
| 21 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY | Public | 49% | 1,410 | $18,430 |
| 22 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY | Public | 50% | 1,310 | $2,978 |
| 23 | State University of New York at Cortland Cortland, NY | Public | 51% | — | $19,951 |
| 24 | Bard College Annandale-On-Hudson, NY | Private | 52% | 1,387 | $31,771 |
| 25 | Pratt Institute-Main Brooklyn, NY | Private | 53% | 1,339 | $50,647 |
| 26 | CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY | Public | 54% | 1,310 | $2,943 |
| 27 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY | Public | 54% | 1,350 | $2,446 |
| 28 | CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY | Public | 55% | 1,010 | $3,482 |
| 29 | Fordham University Bronx, NY | Private | 56% | 1,412 | $42,581 |
| 30 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY | Public | 57% | 1,140 | $3,046 |
| 31 | Hobart William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY | Private | 57% | 1,296 | $31,057 |
| 32 | CUNY City College New York, NY | Public | 58% | 1,340 | $3,486 |
| 33 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY | Private | 58% | 1,415 | $33,139 |
| 34 | St Lawrence University Canton, NY | Private | 58% | 1,343 | $30,561 |
| 35 | State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz, NY | Public | 59% | 1,267 | $18,481 |
| 36 | Sarah Lawrence College Bronxville, NY | Private | 59% | 1,374 | $21,132 |
| 37 | Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Albany, NY | Private | 59% | 1,280 | $26,027 |
| 38 | CUNY York College Jamaica, NY | Public | 59% | 1,100 | $4,734 |
| 39 | Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem of America New York, NY | Private | 61% | — | $10,373 |
| 40 | The New School New York, NY | Private | 63% | — | $55,359 |
| 41 | Touro University New York, NY | Private | 63% | 1,365 | $26,556 |
| 42 | SUNY College at Geneseo Geneseo, NY | Public | 64% | 1,296 | $18,021 |
| 43 | Marist University Poughkeepsie, NY | Private | 65% | 1,285 | $39,660 |
| 44 | Bet Medrash Gadol Ateret Torah Brooklyn, NY | Private | 65% | — | $4,382 |
| 45 | Monroe University Bronx, NY | Private | 66% | — | $10,376 |
| 46 | St. John Fisher University Rochester, NY | Private | 68% | 1,207 | $28,150 |
| 47 | CUNY Queens College Queens, NY | Public | 69% | 1,210 | $3,830 |
| 48 | Hartwick College Oneonta, NY | Private | 69% | 1,170 | $29,800 |
| 49 | Farmingdale State College Farmingdale, NY | Public | 69% | 1,104 | $9,173 |
| 50 | University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY | Public | 69% | 1,298 | $20,470 |
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