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United States Military Academy tops our 2026 ranking of the most geographically diverse colleges in New York. It scores 69.0 out of 100 for geographic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 57.4, and gender diversity 75.8.
by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re seeking a diverse and multi-faceted college experience, you’ve come to the right place. This list highlights 279 schools by geographic diversity in New York, using our 2026 methodology.
This ranking is based on the geographic origins of the student body (how widely students are drawn from across the country and the world). To arm you with the information you need, College Factual reviewed 279 colleges, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Not every student measures diversity the same way. Refine the list by location, or explore the overall, racial-ethnic, gender, economic, and age diversity rankings, or other rankings below.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our tool College Combat to weigh schools on the factors you care about most.
Explore the leading colleges below:
United States Military Academy tops our 2026 ranking of the most geographically diverse colleges in New York. It scores 69.0 out of 100 for geographic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 57.4, and gender diversity 75.8.
You'll find a welcoming community at American Musical and Dramatic Academy, which ranked #2 this year. It scores 68.1 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 80.7, alongside a 85.9 gender-diversity score.
Out of the 279 colleges in New York in this year's ranking, United States Merchant Marine Academy landed the #3 spot. The school's geographic diversity score is 67.9 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 40.9, and gender diversity 67.8.
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #4 on this year's Most Geographically Diverse Colleges ranking in New York. On geographic diversity, it scores 64.9 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 75.1, and gender diversity 99.3.
You'll find a welcoming community at Culinary Institute of America, which ranked #5 this year. The school's geographic diversity score is 64.9 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 72.8, alongside a 99.9 gender-diversity score.
Sarah Lawrence College earned the #6 position in New York. It scores 64.6 out of 100 for geographic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 66.2, with a gender-diversity score of 71.9.
Bryant & Stratton College-Online earned the #7 position in New York. Bryant & Stratton College-Online scores 64.3 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 66.0, with a gender-diversity score of 58.7.
New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts earned the #8 position in New York. It scores 62.5 out of 100 for geographic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 78.2, with a gender-diversity score of 98.3.
Barnard College ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the most geographically diverse colleges. On geographic diversity, it scores 60.6 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 78.8, and gender diversity 24.3.
Vassar College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the most geographically diverse colleges. It scores 58.9 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 65.7, with a gender-diversity score of 95.2.
LIM College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. On geographic diversity, it scores 58.8 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 72.5, and gender diversity 52.6.
The Juilliard School earned the #12 position in New York. On geographic diversity, it scores 58.6 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 78.3, with a gender-diversity score of 99.9.
Marymount Manhattan College came in at #13 in this year's ranking. It scores 58.6 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 66.6, alongside a 66.7 gender-diversity score.
Bard College came in at #14 in this year's ranking. The school's geographic diversity score is 58.5 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 74.5, and gender diversity 97.7.
Word of Life Bible Institute placed #15 among the most geographically diverse colleges in New York. The school's geographic diversity score is 58.3 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 47.9, with a gender-diversity score of 99.6.
Colgate University earned the #16 position in New York. Colgate University scores 57.7 out of 100 for geographic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 57.7, and gender diversity 98.8.
Pratt Institute-Main ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the most geographically diverse colleges. Pratt Institute-Main scores 56.3 out of 100 for geographic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 75.3, with a gender-diversity score of 82.2.
Manhattan School of Music earned the #18 position in New York. Manhattan School of Music scores 55.8 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 61.4, alongside a 99.8 gender-diversity score.
The New School earned the #19 position in New York. On geographic diversity, it scores 55.5 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 71.4, and gender diversity 81.7.
Cornell University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. The school's geographic diversity score is 55.3 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 79.0, alongside a 99.8 gender-diversity score.
Hamilton College ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the most geographically diverse colleges. On geographic diversity, it scores 55.2 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 56.4, alongside a 99.0 gender-diversity score.
University of Rochester landed the #22 spot in New York this year. It scores 54.8 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 73.6, alongside a 99.4 gender-diversity score.
New York University landed the #23 spot in New York this year. New York University scores 54.5 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 76.8, and gender diversity 98.0.
American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York placed #24 among the most geographically diverse colleges in New York. On geographic diversity, it scores 54.2 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 70.3, with a gender-diversity score of 92.2.
Syracuse University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. On geographic diversity, it scores 54.1 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 68.7, and gender diversity 98.9.
These colleges rounded out the top of the list:
These colleges also rank near the top this year:
| Rank | College | Geographic Diversity Score |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Wagner College | 34.4 |
| 52 | Hofstra University | 34.2 |
| 53 | Houghton University | 32.7 |
| 54 | Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | 31.6 |
| 55 | Clarkson University | 30.3 |
| 56 | Elmira College | 29.3 |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
We measure this ranking on the geographic origins of the student body (how widely students are drawn from across the country and the world). The racial-ethnic minorities percentage is calculated by taking the total number of students, subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity is unknown, and dividing by total enrollment.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
