2021 Best Colleges for the Money in New York
It's not easy to decide which college to attend when you have so many options available. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Value New York Schools ranking - to help you make that decision.
Our analysis looked at 113 schools to determine which ones were the best for overall value in New York. Quality is an important component in this ranking, so it is not just naming the schools with the cheapest price tag. Instead, it is identifying those institutions that offer the most value when taking their educational quality into consideration. Because of this, it is possible for one college to rank better than another, even if the latter college has a lower average cost.
Find out more about our ranking methodology.
When determining average cost, we look at total expenses, such as tuition, fees, books and supplies, room and board, and other living expenses, and then deduct the average amount of financial aid awarded to a student. This estimate is meant to give you a better picture of how much money you'll have to pay each year, either through self-pay, loans, or external scholarships.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
We know that one set of rankings doesn't always help you determine the best school for you, so we've created the ability to narrow your list by location and field of study as well as alternative rankings that prioritize different factors, such as those of importance to veterans and returning adults or those seeking diversity and overall quality.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you're torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another!
Top Colleges for the Money in New York
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Stony Brook University tops this year’s ranking as the best school for overall value in New York. SUNY Stony Brook is a public institution located in Stony Brook, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4,945 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at SUNY Stony Brook to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $21,667. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Stony Brook be around $93,385. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. SUNY Stony Brook excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges in New York list.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Canisius College. It ranked #2 on our 2021 Best Value Colleges in New York list. Canisius is a private not-for-profit institution located in Buffalo, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 721 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Canisius graduates in less than 4.1 years, and it costs about $20,067 per year to attend the school. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Canisius be around $82,074. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Out of the 113 schools in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, Binghamton University landed the #3 spot on the list. Binghamton University is located in Vestal, New York and has a fairly large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 3,888 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at Binghamton University to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $23,664. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University is $97,732. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. In addition to its great value ranking, Binghamton University is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges in New York list.
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A rank of #4 on our Best Colleges for the Money in New York list means SUNY Geneseo is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. SUNY Geneseo is a medium-sized public school located in Geneseo, New York that handed out 1,408 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at SUNY Geneseo about 4.1 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $22,297. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo be around $91,864. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Out of the 113 schools in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, SUNY Polytechnic Institute landed the #5 spot on the list. SUNY Polytechnic Institute is a small public school located in Utica, New York that handed out 526 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at SUNY Poly to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $19,184. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Poly is $81,724. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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SUNY Oneonta came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in New York ranking. Oneonta, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,527 students in 2018-2019.
At SUNY Oneonta, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and it costs about $20,723 per year to attend the school. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Oneonta is $86,622. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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Wells College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in New York ranking. Located in Aurora, New York, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 122 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
At Wells, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.0 years, and it costs about $15,487 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Wells is $62,567. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
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With a ranking of #8, University at Buffalo did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in New York list. Located in Buffalo, New York, the large public school awarded 5,273 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at University at Buffalo is 4.2 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $23,793. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from University at Buffalo is $100,644. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. University at Buffalo excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges in New York list.
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University at Albany did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in New York ranking, coming in at #9. University at Albany is a fairly large public school located in Albany, New York that handed out 3,525 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at UAlbany about 4.2 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $21,231. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from UAlbany is about $88,321. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The low student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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With a ranking of #10, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in New York list. Located in Syracuse, New York, the small public school awarded 459 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
At SUNY - ESF, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and it costs about $24,288 per year to attend the school. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from SUNY - ESF is about $101,281. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. SUNY - ESF also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in New York list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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With a ranking of #11, SUNY New Paltz did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in New York list. SUNY New Paltz is a public institution located in New Paltz, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,925 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At SUNY New Paltz, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $21,565. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from SUNY New Paltz is $91,651. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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With a ranking of #12, SUNY Oswego did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in New York list. SUNY Oswego is a medium-sized public school situated in Oswego, New York. It awarded 1,806 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at SUNY Oswego graduates in less than 4.2 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $19,151. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Oswego is about $81,200. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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SUNY Fredonia ranked #13 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in New York list. Fredonia, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 955 students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at SUNY Fredonia to complete their degree, and it costs about $18,140 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the SUNY Fredonia is $77,639. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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SUNY Plattsburgh landed the #14 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in New York ranking. Located in Plattsburgh, New York, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,538 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at SUNY Plattsburgh is 4.3 years, and it costs about $20,148 per year to attend the school. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Plattsburgh is about $86,233. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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SUNY Cortland ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in New York list. SUNY Cortland is a medium-sized public school situated in Cortland, New York. It awarded 1,560 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at SUNY Cortland graduates in less than 4.3 years, and it costs about $21,240 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Cortland is $90,907. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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SUNY Potsdam landed the #16 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in New York ranking. Located in Potsdam, New York, the small public school handed out 708 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at SUNY Potsdam about 4.3 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $17,810. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Potsdam is $77,474. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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The College at Brockport ranked #17 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in New York list. SUNY Brockport is a medium-sized public school situated in Brockport, New York. It awarded 1,985 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At SUNY Brockport, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.3 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $20,630. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the SUNY Brockport is $88,503. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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With a ranking of #18, CUNY Hunter College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in New York list. This large public school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 3,496 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.6 years for the average student at Hunter to complete their degree, and it costs about $19,049 per year to attend the school. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Hunter is about $88,197. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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Elmira College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in New York ranking, coming in at #19. Elmira, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 262 students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Elmira about 4.1 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $22,862. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Elmira is $94,191. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The low student loan default rate of 3.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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SUNY Maritime College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in New York list. SUNY Maritime is a small public school situated in Throggs Neck, New York. It awarded 383 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at SUNY Maritime to complete their degree, and it costs about $22,812 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Maritime is $101,057. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Purchase College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in New York list. Purchase College is located in Purchase, New York and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 981 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
At Purchase College, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $22,725. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Purchase College is about $94,990. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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SUNY Delhi did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in New York ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Delhi, New York, the small public school handed out 485 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at SUNY Delhi to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $19,266. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Delhi is $85,156. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Houghton College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in New York ranking, coming in at #23. Houghton is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Houghton, New York. It awarded 278 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Houghton, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $29,831. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Houghton is $124,395. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The low student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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Alfred State College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in New York ranking. Alfred State is a small public school situated in Alfred, New York. It awarded 410 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Alfred State is 4.3 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $19,585. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Alfred State is $83,432. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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St. Bonaventure University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in New York list. Saint Bonaventure, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 393 students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at St. Bonaventure is 4.1 years, and it costs about $29,623 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the St. Bonaventure is $121,751. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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