U.S. News & World Report college rankings: Long Island colleges named among best in the nation

Five colleges on Long Island have been named among the best in the nation, according to rankings released by U.S. News & World Report on Tuesday.

Out of 434 colleges ranked in the “National Universities” category, Stony Brook University came in at 59. Touro University, which is based in New York City but also has locations in Central Islip and East Meadow, was ranked 143; Hofstra University in Hempstead came in at 183; Adelphi University in Garden City ranked 198 and Long Island University, which has a campus in Brookville, ranked 373.

The top three universities on the list were Princeton University in New Jersey, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Harvard University, also in Cambridge, at No. 3 .

The 2026 Best Colleges report reviewed 1,700 colleges and universities across the country using a formula that looks at “17 measures of academic quality,” according to a news release issued by U.S. News & World Report. 

There were minor changes made to the scoring methodology for the 2026 rankings. To better capture graduation and retention rates and institutional investment in students, the formula this year included students' credit hours and raised the minimum number of students in a cohort, according to the media company.

Stony Brook University tied with four other universities for 59th place, falling one notch from last year, but the report noted that slipping in the mid-tier rank is “often statistically insignificant, reflecting normal data fluctuations rather than shifts in quality." 

In addition to the national rankings, Long Island colleges were also highlighted in categories such as "Top Performers on Social Mobility," which identifies schools that "excel at serving and graduating economically-disadvantaged students," according to U.S. News.

Stony Brook University landed at 13th place in this category. Touro University placed at 74, Adelphi came in at 117 and Long Island University was ranked 266. 

Hofstra, meanwhile, secured 99th place in the "Best Value Schools" category.

Two Long Island schools were also named in the rankings for best regional colleges in the North. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point was ranked 3rd and Farmingdale State College tied in the 7th spot with Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine. 

New York Institute of Technology also ranked 25 for top regional universities in the North and 10 in best colleges for veterans. Molloy University was ranked 66 in the regional universities North category and 32 in best colleges for veterans.

'A starting point'

Every year, the highly-anticipated report attracts a great deal of public and media attention, offering prospective college students and their families a way to wade through the painstaking college selection process.

Dean Skarlis, founder of The College Advisor of New York in Albany, cautioned that choosing a school is highly personalized to each student and their interests. Rankings, he said, result in the top 20 colleges getting an overwhelming number of applications and may cause students to overlook other options that could be a better fit.

"They're putting their ability to get accepted into jeopardy by just looking at those rankings," said Skarlis, who added that he uses the list to gain more nuanced information about particular colleges but "every school has a different focus and different strengths and weaknesses for different students."

Job attainment and social mobility play a significant factor in the results, according to LaMont Jones Jr., managing editor for education at U.S. News.

"The U.S. News Best Colleges rankings provide a starting point — a great starting point — for the college search. Students and their families can find data on what they consider the most important factors in one easy-to-compare place and at no cost," Jones said in a video release.

College officials react

The rankings are often touted by colleges lucky enough to make the list. 

“This recognition underscores the strength of Adelphi’s academic programs, especially in nursing, where we are meeting one of the country’s most pressing workforce needs,”  Adelphi University interim President Chris Storm said in a statement. “We are proud that our commitment to personalized learning and student success continues to gain national recognition.”

Hofstra, which climbed 13 spots on the national list from last year, promoted its new standing.

“Rankings are notoriously fickle, but we are pleased that they are beginning to reflect Hofstra’s investment in growing and strengthening its academic programs and its unwavering commitment to supporting all students and creating pathways to rewarding careers,” Hofstra President Susan Poser said in a release.