Best value colleges for English in New York.2026 Rankings
New York is home to 83 accredited institutions offering English programs — from large public research universities to small private liberal arts colleges. This ranking evaluates each school on admission selectivity, four-year graduation rate, net price, and graduate earnings to surface the programs that deliver the strongest outcomes.
Among the schools listed here, Columbia University in the City of New York is the most selective, admitting 4% of applicants. Average in-state tuition across this group sits at $38,769, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $42,792. Median early-career earnings for English graduates in this state average $33,228 per year, and the average four-year graduation rate among ranked programs is 74%.
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ranked by value score
| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elite· 51 | 4% | 95% | $5,195 | $35,838 | 6:1 | 73 | 8,899 | |
| 2 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | Elite· 50 | 8% | 95% | $8,129 | $33,270 | 9:1 | 80 | 15,935 |
| 3 | University of RochesterPrivate | Excellent· 46 | 36% | 84% | $21,177 | $35,053 | 9:1 | 59 | 6,488 |
| 4 | Yeshiva UniversityPrivate | Excellent· 46 | 64% | 84% | $29,934 | $63,441 | 7:1 | 33 | 2,942 |
| 5 | Colgate UniversityPrivate | Excellent· 42 | 12% | 91% | $17,685 | $48,008 | 9:1 | 43 | 3,122 |
| 6 | Hamilton CollegePrivate | Excellent· 42 | 12% | 91% | $18,336 | $47,320 | 9:1 | 37 | 2,045 |
| 7 | Union CollegePrivate | Excellent· 42 | 44% | 85% | $21,768 | $51,306 | 10:1 | 42 | 2,070 |
| 8 | Bard CollegePrivate | Great· 41 | 52% | 73% | $19,816 | $17,237 | 9:1 | 31 | 2,280 |
| 9 | Barnard CollegePrivate | Great· 41 | 8% | 93% | $17,279 | $40,414 | 10:1 | 48 | 3,219 |
| 10 | Great· 41 | 50% | 72% | $6,626 | $51,920 | 19:1 | 35 | 15,734 | |
| 11 | Great· 41 | 39% | — | $7,410 | $74,063 | 12:1 | 108 | 3,067 | |
| 12 | Molloy CollegePrivate | Great· 41 | 76% | 72% | $26,115 | $90,478 | 10:1 | 34 | 3,185 |
| 13 | New York UniversityPrivate | Great· 41 | 9% | 88% | $18,555 | $29,967 | 8:1 | 84 | 29,430 |
| 14 | St Lawrence UniversityPrivate | Great· 41 | 58% | 80% | $21,671 | $29,493 | 11:1 | 29 | 2,040 |
| 15 | Canisius UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 82% | 71% | $16,657 | $37,798 | 11:1 | 51 | 1,768 |
| 16 | Great· 40 | 57% | 73% | $19,579 | $40,668 | 10:1 | 39 | 1,606 | |
| 17 | Skidmore CollegePrivate | Great· 40 | 23% | 82% | $17,308 | $26,058 | 8:1 | 36 | 2,760 |
| 18 | SUNY College at GeneseoPublic | Great· 40 | 64% | 72% | $15,180 | $29,422 | 15:1 | 33 | 3,855 |
| 19 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 42% | 81% | $19,633 | $25,860 | 15:1 | 82 | 15,245 |
| 20 | Vassar CollegePrivate | Great· 40 | 18% | 89% | $25,779 | $24,614 | 8:1 | 42 | 2,430 |
| 21 | CUNY Brooklyn CollegePublic | Great· 39 | 54% | 57% | $6,726 | $29,557 | 13:1 | 51 | 10,443 |
| 22 | CUNY Hunter CollegePublic | Great· 39 | 54% | 61% | $6,457 | $27,958 | 14:1 | 54 | 16,642 |
| 23 | Binghamton UniversityPublic | Great· 38 | 38% | 84% | $21,832 | $35,237 | 18:1 | 56 | 14,401 |
| 24 | CUNY City CollegePublic | Great· 38 | 58% | 55% | $7,188 | $27,082 | 14:1 | 61 | 11,934 |
| 25 | CUNY Lehman CollegePublic | Great· 38 | 55% | 49% | $7,516 | $34,337 | 15:1 | 50 | 10,438 |
| 26 | CUNY Queens CollegePublic | Great· 38 | 69% | 60% | $7,186 | $28,290 | 14:1 | 49 | 13,060 |
| 27 | CUNY York CollegePublic | Great· 38 | 59% | 30% | $8,080 | $26,460 | 13:1 | 45 | 4,439 |
| 28 | Daemen UniversityPrivate | Great· 38 | 76% | 58% | $16,325 | $64,708 | 13:1 | 35 | 1,761 |
| 29 | University at BuffaloPublic | Great· 38 | 69% | 73% | $21,261 | $21,208 | 11:1 | 78 | 20,284 |
| 30 | Strong· 37 | 57% | 55% | $7,654 | $31,842 | 16:1 | 27 | 11,340 |