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DeVry College of New York tops our 2026 ranking of the most diverse colleges in New York. The school's overall diversity score is 88.1 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 81.5, alongside a 99.8 gender-diversity score.
by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re seeking a diverse and multi-faceted college experience, you’ve come to the right place. The ranking below was designed to help you find 278 colleges that stand out for their student bodies in New York, using our 2026 methodology.
Our ranking weighs several factors of the student body: racial/ethnic makeup, geographic origin, gender balance, and age range. To arm you with the information you need, College Factual evaluated 278 colleges, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Diversity means different things to different students. Drill down by location, or explore the overall, racial-ethnic, gender, economic, and age diversity rankings, or other rankings below.
Looking to pit your favorite colleges against each other? We built a tool called College Combat to weigh schools on the factors you care about most.
Learn more about these diverse colleges below:
DeVry College of New York tops our 2026 ranking of the most diverse colleges in New York. The school's overall diversity score is 88.1 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 81.5, alongside a 99.8 gender-diversity score.
You'll find a welcoming community at New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, which ranked #2 this year. It scores 84.6 out of 100 for overall diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 78.2, with a gender-diversity score of 98.3.
American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service came in at #3 on this year's Most Diverse Colleges ranking in New York. American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service scores 82.4 out of 100 for overall diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 61.3, and gender diversity 93.6.
Out of the 278 colleges in New York in this year's ranking, Davis College landed the #4 spot. It scores 81.8 out of 100 for overall diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 57.9, alongside a 99.2 gender-diversity score.
American Musical and Dramatic Academy earned the #5 place in New York. On overall diversity, it scores 81.5 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 80.7, alongside a 85.9 gender-diversity score.
Culinary Institute of America ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the most diverse colleges. It scores 78.2 out of 100 for overall diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 72.8, alongside a 99.9 gender-diversity score.
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #7 spot in New York this year. On overall diversity, it scores 77.5 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 75.1, with a gender-diversity score of 99.3.
Word of Life Bible Institute placed #8 among the most diverse colleges in New York. The school's overall diversity score is 76.3 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 47.9, with a gender-diversity score of 99.6.
The Juilliard School earned the #9 position in New York. On overall diversity, it scores 76.2 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 78.3, alongside a 99.9 gender-diversity score.
Upstate Medical University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. On overall diversity, it scores 76.1 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 65.1, with a gender-diversity score of 94.9.
American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York landed the #11 spot in New York this year. On overall diversity, it scores 75.9 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 70.3, and gender diversity 92.2.
Pace University landed the #12 spot in New York this year. On overall diversity, it scores 75.8 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 75.0, with a gender-diversity score of 95.2.
Cornell University placed #13 among the most diverse colleges in New York. It scores 75.4 out of 100 for overall diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 79.0, with a gender-diversity score of 99.8.
Bard College ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the most diverse colleges. It scores 74.7 out of 100 for overall diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 74.5, alongside a 97.7 gender-diversity score.
Fordham University ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the most diverse colleges. It scores 74.5 out of 100 for overall diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 73.4, with a gender-diversity score of 96.1.
Stony Brook University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. On overall diversity, it scores 74.3 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 79.8, with a gender-diversity score of 99.7.
New York University ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the most diverse colleges. It scores 74.1 out of 100 for overall diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 76.8, alongside a 98.0 gender-diversity score.
University of Rochester ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the most diverse colleges. The school's overall diversity score is 74.0 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 73.6, with a gender-diversity score of 99.4.
Excelsior University placed #19 among the most diverse colleges in New York. It scores 73.9 out of 100 for overall diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 58.3, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
New York Institute of Technology came in at #20 in this year's ranking. On overall diversity, it scores 73.9 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 80.8, alongside a 99.5 gender-diversity score.
Elim Bible Institute and College landed the #21 spot in New York this year. The school's overall diversity score is 73.7 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 55.5, and gender diversity 96.5.
Rochester Institute of Technology came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Rochester Institute of Technology scores 73.7 out of 100 for overall diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 71.4, with a gender-diversity score of 94.0.
Alfred University came in at #23 in this year's ranking. On overall diversity, it scores 73.4 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 65.7, with a gender-diversity score of 97.8.
Long Island University came in at #24 in this year's ranking. On overall diversity, it scores 73.3 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 75.5, alongside a 94.7 gender-diversity score.
D'Youville University earned the #25 position in New York. D'Youville University scores 72.7 out of 100 for overall diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 70.6, with a gender-diversity score of 85.2.
These colleges rounded out the top of the list:
These colleges narrowly missed the top tiers:
| Rank | College | Overall Diversity Score |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Montefiore School of Nursing | 69.7 |
| 52 | Nassau Community College | 69.6 |
| 53 | SUNY College of Technology at Canton | 69.6 |
| 54 | SUNY Old Westbury | 69.6 |
| 55 | Molloy University | 69.5 |
| 56 | Bryant & Stratton College-Online | 69.5 |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is based on several factors of the student body: racial/ethnic makeup, geographic representation, gender balance, and age range. 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.
These rankings are produced by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.