Niche ranks NYIT, Molloy among safest college campuses in New York State

The New York Institute of Technology and Molloy College, both in Nassau County, are two of the safest schools of higher education in New York State. So says colleges.niche.com, a website that provides reviews and insight from “everyday experts” to those choosing where to go to university.

NYIT in Old Westbury was rated second safest among New York colleges, behind Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester. No. 3 was St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn, followed by Molloy in Rockville Centre.

The site says it uses its own student survey, campus crime rate, and drug- and alcohol-related arrests to help determine the rankings. Also factored in were the percentage of freshmen students who returned to the school and the school’s six-year graduation rate.

Nationwide, about 1,700 schools were evaluated, with Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, finishing No. 1.

In the national rankings, NYIT was 11th, St. Joseph’s 12th and Molloy 13th.

“The Safest College Campuses ranking provides a comprehensive assessment of the health and safety of a college campus,” the site says in presenting its list. “This grade takes into account key factors such as campus crime rate, local crime rate, and student reviews in an attempt to measure the overall state of campus safety.

The student surveys accounted for 30 percent of a school’s ranking factor; the other most important factor was the campus crime rate as determined by the U.S. Department of Education.

Of the seven factors used to determine the rankings, five were provided by the federal agency, the site says.

For the complete statewide list, visit bit.ly/1ZkunNi.