SUNY New Paltz is No. 4, up from No. 6 last year, among public regional universities in the North offering both bachelor’s and master’s degree programs according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2015 college rankings. The College also ranks No.25 among best public and private regional universities in the North with bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, up from No. 33 last year.
“We are pleased that New Paltz continues its climb in the U.S. News college rankings in a manner consistent with the steep upward trajectory of its reputation as one of the premier public institutions in the Northeast,” said L. David Eaton, vice president of enrollment management. “Although many factors contribute to the College’s high placement in this assessment, the most powerful metrics are retention and graduation rates that are significantly higher than most of our peer institutions around the nation.”
Additionally, SUNY New Paltz is included among a listing of regional universities that admit a meaningful proportion of applications whose test scores put them in non-“A” territory. Of the 14 public regional universities on the “A-Plus Schools for B Students” list, New Paltz topped the list in the percentage of first-year students in the top 25% of their high school class, reflecting the College’s dual commitments to high academic standards and a broad, engaged student body.
“We are proud of the growing recognition for the high-quality educational opportunities that we provide for our students, and of the successes of our students that this ranking reflects,” said SUNY New Paltz President Donald P. Christian. “We hope that this will lead more of the best and brightest students to consider New Paltz.”
“Again this year, we are proud to see so many of our SUNY campuses recognized as being among the best nationally by U.S. News & World Report,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “In every community across New York State, SUNY colleges and universities like SUNY New Paltz offer students top quality degree programs and applied learning opportunities that prepare them for success in today’s 21st-century global economy. Congratulations to each of the SUNY campuses making the list for 2015.”
The annual rankings, in which U.S. News & World Report categorizes schools based on criteria created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, provide a resource for parents and students contemplating entering the competitive world of higher education. The guidebook look at how schools stack up based on widely accepted indicators of excellence, including quality of the incoming class, acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, retention rates, graduation rates, and student/faculty ratio.
For the 25th consecutive year, New Paltz has led all SUNY university colleges total freshmen applications and total transfer applications received. With an acceptance rate of 44 percent, New Paltz remains one of the most selective public universities in the Northeast.
SUNY New Paltz Rankings
SUNY New Paltz is nationally recognized among the nation’s top public colleges in a variety of categories: Princeton Review named the College to its 2015 list of “Best Colleges: Region by Region;” Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Higher Education ranked New Paltz 49th nationally, and listed the College among Kiplinger’s “30 Best College Values in the Mid-Atlantic,” and among Kiplinger’s “Best College Values Under $30,000.” The College also ranked 2nd nationally in the Affordable Colleges Online list of the nation’s most affordable colleges with the biggest return on investment; ranked 6th in Great Value Colleges 2014 list of “50 Affordable Colleges in the Northeast;” ranked in The Princeton Review’s Guide to 332 Green Colleges; and was recognized by the US Department of State among the nation’s leaders in Fulbright Scholars.
