These are the best colleges, universities in NY, NJ, CT

WalletHub has come out with their 2025 list of College & University Rankings, including the best from each of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

JUMP TO: NEW YORK l NEW JERSEY l CONNECTICUT

To determine the top-performing schools at the lowest possible costs to undergraduates, the website compared over 800 higher-education institutions in the United States across 30 key measures. The data set is grouped into seven categories, with metrics ranging from student-faculty ratio to graduation rate to post-attendance median salary.

Source: WalletHub

"In general, universities tend to rank higher than colleges due to their inclusion of graduate-level programs, greater on-campus opportunities and higher earnings for students post-graduation," Wallethub Analyst Chip Lupo said. "In fact, the top 10 places for higher education in the U.S. are all universities."

Here's a look at the best colleges and universities in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut:

New York rankings

1. Columbia University in the City of New York

2. Hamilton College

3. Cornell University

4. The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Low Memorial Library, Columbia University, New York City, New York

Low Memorial Library, Columbia University, New York City, New York, USA. (Photo by: Photographer name/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

5. Vassar College

6. Barnard College

7. Colgate University

8. New York University

9. Binghamton University

10. University of Rochester

New Jersey rankings

1. Princeton University

2. Stevens Institute of Technology 

3. New Jersey Institute of Technology 

4. The College of New Jersey

FILE - Frist Campus Center, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey. (Photo by: Photographer name/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

FILE - Frist Campus Center, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey. (Photo by: Photographer name/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

5. Rutgers University--New Brunswick 

6. Drew University 

7. Rutgers University--Camden

8. Ramapo College of New Jersey 

9. Caldwell University

10. Rider University 

Connecticut rankings

1. Wesleyan University

2. Trinity College

3. Connecticut College

4. University of Connecticut

5. Fairfield University

6. Western Connecticut State University

7. Quinnipiac University

Top 5 universities in 2025

1. Princeton University

2. Yale University

3. Harvard University

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

5. Dartmouth College

Top 5 colleges in 2025

1. Swarthmore College

2. Hamilton College

3. Amherst College

4. Wellesley College

5. Harvey Mudd College

New YorkEducation