Long Island schools earn high marks in U.S. News’ 2026 ‘Best Colleges’ study

U.S. News & World Report released its 2026 Best Colleges rankings on Monday, with several Long Island universities and colleges making notable showings on the report’s national and regional lists.

Stony Brook University again led the way locally, placing in a five-way tie at No. 59 among national universities. The public research institution slipped slightly from its No. 58 spot last year but continues to consistently rank among the nation’s top 60 schools in U.S. News’ annual Best Colleges study.

Hofstra University made one of the biggest moves among Long Island schools in the national category, rising to No. 183 in a nine-way tie — up from No. 196 a year ago. Adelphi University followed in a 10-way tie at No. 198, while Long Island University, with campuses in Brooklyn and on Long Island, came in at No. 373.

A total of 434 universities were ranked nationally, with Princeton, MIT and Harvard claiming the top three positions.

On the Regional Universities (North) list, New York Institute of Technology was the highest-ranked local school, placing at No. 25. St. Joseph’s University — with campuses in Patchogue and Brooklyn — improved five spots to a five-way tie at No. 50.

Molloy University came in at No. 66, while SUNY Old Westbury tied for No. 98 among 164 schools in the category.

Long Island also fared well on the Regional Colleges (North) list, where the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point was ranked No. 3, and Farmingdale State College tied for No. 7.

Suffolk’s top 10 high schools, according to U.S. News

The Best Colleges rankings have been published by U.S. News for more than four decades. It has been one of the most widely cited guides for prospective students and their families.

The 2026 edition evaluated nearly 1,700 schools nationwide, measuring graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student outcomes and other factors across both national and regional categories.

U.S. News kept its core methodology in place this year but made small adjustments to reflect shifting admissions trends and student experiences. The changes included factoring in credit hours and raising the minimum cohort size for certain measures.

_{Top photo: Stony Brook University campus (Facebook)}