The Best New York Big Colleges
These are the top ranked large, public and private, four-year colleges in New York as ranked by CollegeSimply. These schools all have total enrollment of 20,000 or more. Leading the list for 2027 is Cornell University. Learn how the Best Large Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
Cornell University
- Private 4 Year
- Ithaca, NY
-
4.0 | 4 reviews
- 26,793 total enrollment
Cornell is an Ivy League university known for undergraduate engineering, hotel administration, and agriculture and life sciences. The hillside campus overlooks Cayuga Lake in the college town of Ithaca.
- SAT Range 1500-1570
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.9
- Acceptance Rate 9%
- Net Price $26,361
Columbia University in the City of New York
- Private 4 Year
- New York, NY
-
| 0 reviews
- 35,173 total enrollment
Columbia is an Ivy League university known for its undergraduate Core Curriculum, political science, and economics. The urban campus sits in Morningside Heights in Manhattan.
- SAT Range 1510-1580
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.91
- Acceptance Rate 4%
- Net Price $22,520
New York University
- Private 4 Year
- New York, NY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 56,832 total enrollment
NYU is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate business, film, and the performing arts. The urban campus is centered in Manhattan's Greenwich Village.
- SAT Range 1480-1560
- Avg GPA 3.79
- Acceptance Rate 9%
- Net Price $30,325
University at Buffalo
- Public 4 Year
- Buffalo, NY
-
3.4 | 8 reviews
- 31,903 total enrollment
University at Buffalo is a large public university known for undergraduate pharmacy, engineering, and architecture. Most undergrads are based on the suburban North Campus in Amherst.
- SAT Range 1210-1380
- Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $20,529
Stony Brook University
- Public 4 Year
- Stony Brook, NY
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- 26,689 total enrollment
Stony Brook is a large public university known for undergraduate physics, mathematics, and marine science. The suburban campus sits on Long Island's North Shore.
- SAT Range 1330-1500
- Avg GPA 3.94
- Acceptance Rate 49%
- Net Price $20,992
Syracuse University
- Private 4 Year
- Syracuse, NY
-
4.0 | 3 reviews
- 22,589 total enrollment
Syracuse is a private university known for undergraduate communications, journalism, and architecture. The residential campus sits on a hill overlooking the city of Syracuse.
- SAT Range 1270-1440
- Avg GPA 3.69
- Acceptance Rate 46%
- Net Price $48,215
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
- Public 4 Year
- New York, NY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 20,081 total enrollment
Baruch is a public CUNY college known for undergraduate business, finance, and accounting. The compact urban campus sits in Midtown Manhattan.
- SAT Range 1100-1400
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 48%
- Net Price $4,326
CUNY Hunter College
- Public 4 Year
- New York, NY
-
| 0 reviews
- 22,538 total enrollment
Hunter College is a public CUNY college known for undergraduate nursing, education, and psychology. The urban campus is on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
- SAT Range 1100-1420
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 54%
- Net Price $4,431