Stony Brook, Merchant Marine Academy rank highly on U.S. News & World Report Best College rankings list
Students at the Stony Brook University campus on Monday. The university tied its ranking on the list of national schools from last year at 58. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
Stony Brook University and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy continued to rank highly in the revamped 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best College rankings released early Tuesday, while Farmingdale State College jumped into the Top 10 list of regional schools.
Stony Brook University tied its ranking in the list of national schools from last year at 58 — the highest rank the university had ever achieved. It's also the highest national rank for any State University of New York public institution this year. For the third year in a row, it is ranked as the No. 1 public university in New York, officials there noted.
The university has a "steadfast commitment to providing an exceptional educational experience," interim President Richard L. McCormick said, adding it exemplifies "all the most important developments in modern American higher education" including a diverse student body and wide-ranging achievements in research.
The university is tied with schools such as University of Massachusetts-Amherst, North Carolina State and Villanova. To be considered in the national universities category, schools must "offer a range of undergraduate majors, plus master's and doctoral programs, and emphasize faculty research or award professional practice doctorates," according to U.S. News.
Last year, U.S. News changed its methodology for the first time in its more than 40-year history. The new criteria gives more weight to educational outcomes for low-income students. More than half a school's rank is made up of measures related to how successful an institution is at enrolling and graduating students from different backgrounds with manageable debt and postgraduation success, according to the U.S. News data team.
The national rankings evaluated nearly 1,500 colleges and universities using up to 17 measures of academic quality.
Among national universities, Adelphi University ranked at 189, the highest of any of the private schools on Long Island. The school in Garden City fell 26 spots from last year in the national rankings but university officials noted U.S. News removed two metrics this year where the school is particularly strong: first-generation graduation rates and overall graduation rate performance.
Adelphi has also been ranked by U.S. News in other areas, including as a Best Value School, Best College for Veterans and Top Performer on Social Mobility categories.
"This is a meaningful recognition of the value and strength of a degree from Adelphi University," Christopher Storm, Adelphi’s provost and executive vice president, said in a statement. "We are also very happy to see the notable rankings improvements in our undergraduate business and nursing programs, and to continue to be recognized for outstanding accessibility and value."
Hofstra University ranked at 196 nationally along with schools such as Georgia State University. The university dropped 11 spots from last year. However, it ranked at 103 in Best Value schools, moving up in that category from 118.
We are proud that the rankings demonstrate our status as a best value university," Hofstra President Susan Poser said in a statement. "This reflects Hofstra’s renewed focus on supporting students and building innovative academic programs. The strides made by the DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science, Frank G. Zarb School of Business, and Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences programs are the result of the hard work of their deans and faculty. As we prepare to implement a new ten-year strategic plan, I am confident that Hofstra’s best days are still ahead of us."
LIU-Post ranked at 359 among the more than 430 national schools.
In the regional colleges (North) rankings, where the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy ranked third — the same as last year, Farmingdale State College's rank jumped to 6 from 16. Farmingdale officials also noted the school also was highly ranked as a top public school, best value and best college for veterans among regional colleges.
"We are tremendously proud to be recognized among the region’s premier institutions in multiple Best Colleges categories," President Robert S. Prezant said. "This forward momentum is the result of FSC’s unwavering commitment to building an enriching student experience and student support, dynamic programs, accessibility, inclusivity, and our increasing recognition as one of the best values in higher education."
Among the universities ranked regionally (North): New York Institute of Technology ranked at 15, Molloy University ranked at 66, SUNY Old Westbury at 101. St. Joseph's, with campuses in Patchogue and Brooklyn, ranked at 55.
New York Tech's rank climbed from 21 last year.
"New York Tech’s rankings continue to rise thanks in large part to the outstanding efforts of our faculty, staff, and students," President Henry C. Foley said.
U.S. News & World Report's rankings, while remaining highly influential, have drawn sharp criticism in recent years over the criteria and data used in evaluations. While some prestigious professional schools such as Yale Law have stopped providing data, most undergraduate institutions continue to participate.
In this year's rankings, Princeton University claimed the top spot among national schools, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Joie Tyrrell is a Long Island native and covers education for Newsday, where she has worked since 1998.
