Here Are The Best Colleges On Long Island, According To Niche

LONG ISLAND, NY — Long Island has two of the best colleges in New York state, according to rankings released Monday by Niche, a college ranking and review platform.

The United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point ranked 13th in New York, while Stony Brook University ranked 15th in the state. Both moved up two spots in New York from last year's rankings.

Nationally, the United States Merchant Marine Academy ranked 148, according to Niche, while Stony Brook University ranked 168.

In all, 20 colleges in New York state were ranked among the best.

More than 4,000 U.S. colleges and universities were ranked in the 2026 Best Colleges in America.

Here's how the top two Long Island colleges stack up:

• United States Merchant Marine Academy
  Ranked No. 13 in New York
  Overall Niche grade: A-
  Acceptance rate: 32 percent
  Net price: $5,173 per year
  SAT range: 1140-1300
  
• Stony Brook University
  Ranked No. 15 in New York
  Overall Niche grade: A-
  Acceptance rate: 49 percent
  Net price: $18,601 per year
  SAT range: 1320-1490

Other New York schools and their rankings can be found on the Niche website here.

Niche also ranked the best colleges for athletics, student life, dorm life and other aspects of college life that are important to students.

2026 Best Colleges in America

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
3. Stanford University, Stanford, California
4. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
5. Dartmouth University, Hanover, New Hampshire

2026 Colleges with the Best Student Life in America

1. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
2. University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
3. University of California, Los Angeles
4. 4. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
5. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

2026 Best College Athletics in America

1. University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
2. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
3. The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
4. University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
5. 5. Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina

“We built Niche to help students and families cut through the noise and make informed choices,” Niche founder and CEO Luke Skurman said in a news release. “Our rankings are designed to reflect not just data, but the real voices and lived experiences of students across the country. That blend of insight is what makes Niche unique. We’re giving students the clarity to identify the colleges where they see themselves belonging and succeeding.”

Niche’s rankings are based on data from the U.S. Department of Education and National Science Foundation; enrollment, graduation, and alumni earnings statistics; and more than 1 million college reviews from students and alumni. More about the methodology is found on the website.

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