Best Colleges in New York for Associate, Bachelor’s & Master’s

New York College Guide – What You Need to Know

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New York is known for many things, but one of their most important assets remains their excellent colleges and universities. In fact, some of the best colleges and universities in the nation are found in New York. Whether it's the SUNY system, CUNY schools, or the many fantastic private and ivy league schools, you can create a stellar academic foundation in New York.

Even if you find that attending one of the many schools in New York City is too expensive, you can possibly cut living costs by attending classes online. If you need an on-campus experience, the Upstate New York schools also offer unmatched variety and quality. In New York, you can choose to spend your college career in an urban, suburban, or mountainous and rural areas. You'll find top-notch instruction in the major of your choice almost anywhere you want. Launch your life in New York!

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What are the most popular bachelor's degrees offered in New York?

New York has it all. The majority of the state, Upstate, is full of colleges and universities that can set you on the track to career success. The city, New York City, also offers the same sort of variety and quality. On top of educational experiences, the city is full of culture, languages, traditions, and deep American history. Everywhere you look, you'll find an inspiration that drives your studies, and expands your view on our economy and society.

Your New York education can include any of the state's most popular majors but be sure to choose the path that best suits your goals, talents, and desires. No matter what, your New York education will provide a solid foundation for your life's work.

New York's most popular majors are:

Education Level & National Average Median Compensation

NO FORMAL EDUCATION HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA ASSOCIATE DEGREE BACHELOR’S DEGREE MASTER’S DEGREE DOCTORAL DEGREE
$30,784* $38,792* $46,124* $64,896* $77,844* $96,772*
*National Average Earnings by Degree Level
arizona-National-Average-earning-by-educational-attainment
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Most Popular Degrees and Careers in New York

New York's economy continues to grow and evolve with the times. From the canyons of Manhattan to the Saranac mountains, the state is adding jobs, innovating in new and surprising ways, and revitalizing communities that are in need of transformation. Whether you blaze a trail in business, health sciences, law enforcement, or some other field, New York welcomes your input.

Top Business Administration - Management Careers and Salaries

CAREER NAME CURRENTLY EMPLOYED AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY
Cost Estimators 9,940 $56,800
Sales Managers 24,730 $61,600
Industrial and Production Managers 5,530 $72,400
Logistician 3,900 $51,400
Construction Managers 11,380 $78,100
  • Cost Estimator:
    This career is primarily found in the construction industry. Your job as a Cost Estimator will be to evaluate a project's goals and then devise an estimate. You'll factor in labor, materials, and permits and deliver a detailed estimate that will help the rest of your team arrive at a reasonable budget.
  • Sales Managers:
    After a few years out in the field selling, you might consider moving into management. Sales Managers help new salespeople close their deals, mentor others, and provide motivation and inspiration to the sales team. You'll also track numbers and ensure that your firm meets its revenue goals.
  • Industrial and Production Managers:
    To excel in this field you might want to take some courses in Industrial Engineering. However, your business degree will set the stage for imminent success.
  • Logistician:
    This field is sometimes found under the heading Supply Chain Manager, but the job remains the same: ensure that packages are sent and received along the most efficient routes. Given our increasingly global economy, this field is sure to grow for years to come.
  • Construction Managers:
    In this position, you might oversee construction of a new subdivision on the outskirts of Rochester, or another glass-and-steel skyscraper in Manhattan. You'll need not only expertise with personnel and business goals, but you'll need to work with the subcontractors, Architects, and Engineers that are all a huge part of any successful construction project.
  • Accountants:
    A business's financial records are kept up to date and accurate by accountants. The job of an accountant involves maintaining records of a company's daily transactions and assembling those records into financial statements, such as the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flow.
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Business Administrator
  • Business Manager
  • Business Specialist
  • Marketing Manager

Best New York Schools for Business Administration

  • Syracuse University
  • SUNY – Albany
  • University at Buffalo
  • Fordham University
  • Columbia University

Top Criminal Justice – Law Enforcement Careers and Salaries

CAREER NAME CURRENTLY EMPLOYED AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY
Detectives and Criminal Investigators 9,010 $61,800
Information Security Analyst 7,120 $72,800
Private Detective 1,480 $57,900
Forensic Science Technician 860 $57,600
Correctional Officers 35,420 $40,600
  • Detectives and Criminal Investigators:
    If you love reading mysteries and detective novels, this may be the field for you. With a degree in Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement, or Justice Policy Studies, you will rise through the ranks of your local or state police department.
  • Information Security Analyst:
    These days, hackers don't wear ski masks and drive getaway cars. Now they nick passwords and hack consumer and banking computers. Thus, law enforcement is moving into the Tech Age and employing tech geniuses who specialize in cyber security.
  • Private Detective:
    The scrappy PI is a huge part of film and literary history. If you study the law and enforcement, you might consider stepping into the private sector. You could spend your time staking out errant spouses or doing deep research in hopes of finding an adoptee's natural parent.
  • Forensic Science Technician:
    It won’t work exactly the way it looks on TV but you can make a career collecting or analyzing biological samples from crime scenes. You can put your science background to work and help bring bad guys to justice.
  • Correctional Officers:
    Our criminal justice system is in perpetual need of officers who can help incarcerated individuals work through their sentences. Whether you're in the jails or working as a parole/probation officer, your work will help the wheels of justice spin.

Best New York Schools for Criminal Justice

  • CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
  • Syracuse University
  • SUNY – Albany
  • Rochester Institute of Technology

Top Health Sciences – Registered Nursing Careers and Salaries

CAREER NAME CURRENTLY EMPLOYED AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY
Occupational Therapist 12,460 $66,600
Physical Therapist 17,710 $71,500
Radiology Technician 12,620 $48,300
Registered Nurse 178,320 $65,500
Nurse Practitioner 14,060 $97,600
  • Occupational Therapist:
    This diverse field is one that offers a home for anyone who desires to help people overcome difficulties and lead their best lives. You might work with elderly patients who struggle with dementia, teens suffering mental illness, or stroke victims who need effective adaptations as they recover.
  • Physical Therapist:
    When people are injured or incur a debilitating illness their recovery frequently involves re-learning how to effectively move their bodies. They might be working to recover from a stroke, an automobile accident, or physical traumas incurred in the military. Your expertise will get them up and moving again.
  • Radiology Technician:
    Doctors need reliable imaging to help arrive at an accurate diagnosis. Your work will involve taking internal scans of patients using MRI machines, PET scans, and even x-rays. Thanks to you, patients can begin treatment before an illness progresses too far.
  • Registered Nurse:
    RNs are the backbone of the medical system. They work on every hospital ward and have specialties that range from psychiatry to oncology and even neurosurgery. You can start as a general RN but then later develop skills to master the specific field that calls you.
  • Nurse Practitioner:
    Somewhere between a medical doctor and a Registered Nurse lies the Nurse Practitioner. NPs perform many of same tasks as the doctors whom they work under, but they don't have to bear the full responsibility. As a NP, you'll have a doctor that signs off on your prescriptions, diagnoses, and other clinical functions.
  • Healthcare Administrator:
    The healthcare field is a rapidly growing industry and there is a high demand for professional administrators. The healthcare administration field includes an array of job duties such as strategic planning, budgeting, regulatory compliance, and organizational development.

Best New York Schools for Health Sciences

  • SUNY – Oneonta
  • Philips School of Nursing at Mount Sinai Beth Israel
  • Cochran School of Nursing
  • Binghamton University

Top Liberal Arts Sciences Careers and Salaries

CAREER NAME CURRENTLY EMPLOYED AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY
High School Teacher 75,360 $50,300
Paralegal 29,310 $48,900
Technical Writer 1,740 $60,500
Pharmaceutical Developer 8,590 $91,000
Policy Analyst 80 $59,500
  • High School Teacher:
    No matter what your major, there is probably a high school class that needs you to teach. Whether you focus on science, math, or humanities, high school students need highly-qualified teachers to instruct them. Even if you don't graduate with a degree in education, you can possibly find a school system that offers an alternative route to certification.
  • Paralegal:
    If your major involves lots of reading, writing, and research, then you might enjoy working as a Paralegal or other legal assistant. This is a great position to take if you are considering pursuing a law degree, as you can get a true insider's view of the profession.
  • Technical Writer:
    Technical Writers do more than write computer manuals. Wherever informative, readable text helps you understand a topic or procedure, a technical writer has had a hand in it. An English degree might be preferred, but a background in science will help inform your work. Technical writers often work as freelance contractors, but many hold full-time positions in a variety of industries.
  • Pharmaceutical Developer:
    This profession is best reserved for biology students. In particular, if you pursue microbiology all the way to your PhD, you might seek employment with a pharmaceutical company researching and developing groundbreaking drugs to help people overcome debilitating diseases.
  • Policy Analyst:
    If you study Philosophy or Political Science, you might steer your career into the area of policy analysis. Many in this profession work for public servants, but analysts also assist private companies, or work for consultancies whose technical white papers are purchased by a wide spectrum of users.

Best New York Schools for Liberal Arts and Sciences

  • Fordham University
  • Syracuse University
  • SUNY Albany
  • SUNY Oneonta

Top Psychology Careers and Salaries

CAREER NAME CURRENTLY EMPLOYED AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY
Clinical Psychologist 11,030 $80,900
School Counselor 26,500 $50,900
Psychological Researcher 550 $78,200
Post-Secondary Professor 4,160 $88,500
  • Psychologist:
    In this field, you will see clients who suffer from any number of psychological issues. Your job will be to use the tools of psychotherapy to help them overcome their difficulties and lead the best lives they can.
  • Counselor:
    Students need more than help with their homework. Sometimes they need a counselor to help them through personal difficulties. You'll make a difference in many young lives when you apply your expertise.
  • Psychological Researcher:
    We still have much to learn about what makes us tick. In this position, you will tackle big issues that impact not only academic conversations but people's lives, too. If you love your Research Methods coursework, you might want to make a career studying what motivates human behavior.
  • Post-Secondary Professor:
    You can make teaching your primary career, or you might transition into teaching university students as a second chapter to a successful research or clinical career. You can start teaching college students with a master's degree, but if you want a tenured position you will probably need a PhD.
  • Addiction Counselor

Best New York Schools for Psychology

  • Syracuse University
  • PACE University
  • New York University
  • Fordham University

Additional Careers in New York

Want to See All the New York Occupational Wage Averages

The top occupations with the highest forecasted growth rate in New York

Occupation Growth Mean Salary
Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians 37.2% $35,110
Solar Photovoltaic Installers 104.8% $42,170
Occupational Therapy Assistants 29.7% $61,360
Physical Therapy Assistants 34% $56,840
Nurse Practitioners 41.6% $119,030
Physician Assistants 43.4% $113,710
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary 27.5% $98,580
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers 27.3% $61,400
Information Security Analysts 28.1% $119,170

Best Associate Degrees in New York

Best Associate Degrees in New York
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New York is home to some of the nation's best institutions of higher learning. Among these, there are terrific associate programs that help students become accountants, allied health professionals, teachers, and more. In fact, some of the best colleges in New York are community colleges that have flexible schedules for working professionals as well as a traditional campus life for fresh high school graduates. Check out the list to see if there are any that pique your interest.

SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
College Type
4-year, primarily associate's, Public		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
3,667		 Graduation Rate
58%		 Net Price
$17,047 		Grads Salary
$48,300
Columbia-Greene Community College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Campus Housing
No		 Student Population
1,461		 Graduation Rate
39%		 Net Price
$5,873 		Grads Salary
$39,000
Maria College of Albany
College Type
4-year, primarily associate's, Private not-for-profit		 Campus Housing
No		 Student Population
864		 Graduation Rate
41%		 Net Price
$14,028 		Grads Salary
$46,700
The College of Westchester
College Type
4-year, primarily associate's, Private for-profit		 Campus Housing
No		 Student Population
906		 Graduation Rate
51%		 Net Price
$15,115 		Grads Salary
$37,400
Suffolk County Community College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Campus Housing
No		 Student Population
22,570		 Graduation Rate
26%		 Net Price
$5,044 		Grads Salary
$43,900
CUNY Kingsborough Community College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Campus Housing
No		 Student Population
15,116		 Graduation Rate
35%		 Net Price
$6,808 		Grads Salary
$35,400
CUNY Queensborough Community College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Campus Housing
No		 Student Population
12,405		 Graduation Rate
29%		 Net Price
$6,813 		Grads Salary
$37,400
Nassau Community College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Campus Housing
No		 Student Population
13,864		 Graduation Rate
22%		 Net Price
$4,921 		Grads Salary
$44,600
Hudson Valley Community College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Campus Housing
No		 Student Population
8,933		 Graduation Rate
32%		 Net Price
$7,974 		Grads Salary
$42,400
Niagara County Community College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
4,997		 Graduation Rate
33%		 Net Price
$4,995 		Grads Salary
$39,500
Full Ranking Report

Best Bachelor's Degrees in New York

Best Bachelor's Degrees in New York
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The best colleges in New York aren't only in the city. In fact, some of the best colleges in the state are in small, picturesque towns on the outer reaches of Long Island or nestled near one of the Great Lakes. Bachelor’s programs are available in every academic and professional discipline including law, business, nursing, medicine, and social sciences, to name a few.

United States Military Academy at West Point
College Type
4-year, Public		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
4,536		 Graduation Rate
85%		 Net Price
$0		 Grads Salary
$107,800
Columbia University in the City of New York
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
31,456		 Graduation Rate
96%		 Net Price
$22,126 		Grads Salary
$86,000
Cornell University-Ithaca
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
23,620		 Graduation Rate
95%		 Net Price
$27,522 		Grads Salary
$86,900
Binghamton University
College Type
4-year, Public		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
18,148		 Graduation Rate
82%		 Net Price
$19,061 		Grads Salary
$82,500
Colgate University
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
3,054		 Graduation Rate
91%		 Net Price
$25,935 		Grads Salary
$78,900
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
College Type
4-year, Public		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
19,740		 Graduation Rate
73%		 Net Price
$3,897 		Grads Salary
$73,100
Hamilton College
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
1,902		 Graduation Rate
91%		 Net Price
$23,936 		Grads Salary
$76,200
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
7,501		 Graduation Rate
87%		 Net Price
$40,661 		Grads Salary
$90,700
Stony Brook University
College Type
4-year, Public		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
26,814		 Graduation Rate
76%		 Net Price
$16,478 		Grads Salary
$76,900
SUNY Maritime College
College Type
4-year, Public		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
1,671		 Graduation Rate
72%		 Net Price
$18,496 		Grads Salary
$80,800
Full Ranking Report

Best Master's Degrees in New York

Best Master's Degrees in New York
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While some professions require a master’s or a doctorate, most fields will richly reward those who have an advanced degree, even if they aren’t required. New York's universities offer terrific opportunities for academic advancement. Doctoral degree programs in New York are nationally recognized, and the best master’s degree graduates fill top firms from Manhattan to Oneonta.

Columbia University in the City of New York
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
31,456		 Graduation Rate
96%		 Net Price
$22,126 		Grads Salary
$86,000
Cornell University-Ithaca
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
23,620		 Graduation Rate
95%		 Net Price
$27,522 		Grads Salary
$86,900
Binghamton University
College Type
4-year, Public		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
18,148		 Graduation Rate
82%		 Net Price
$19,061 		Grads Salary
$82,500
Colgate University
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
3,054		 Graduation Rate
91%		 Net Price
$25,935 		Grads Salary
$78,900
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
College Type
4-year, Public		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
19,740		 Graduation Rate
73%		 Net Price
$3,897 		Grads Salary
$73,100
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
7,501		 Graduation Rate
87%		 Net Price
$40,661 		Grads Salary
$90,700
Stony Brook University
College Type
4-year, Public		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
26,814		 Graduation Rate
76%		 Net Price
$16,478 		Grads Salary
$76,900
CUNY City College
College Type
4-year, Public		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
15,227		 Graduation Rate
60%		 Net Price
$4,546 		Grads Salary
$75,200
University of Rochester
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
12,233		 Graduation Rate
86%		 Net Price
$36,254 		Grads Salary
$82,500
Clarkson University-Potsdam
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit		 Campus Housing
Yes		 Student Population
4,025		 Graduation Rate
76%		 Net Price
$30,308 		Grads Salary
$83,100
Full Ranking Report
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