College Compass GuideTrue north for every college search.

Every accredited U.S. college

Colleges

Every accredited four-year college, rated on Academic Excellence and Value (what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and student debt), all from federal data.

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Compass Score sorts by outcomes, students and cost together. The other sorts order every college by a different measure.
Ratings
Compass ScoreCompass Score: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges from federal data: outcomes (40%), entering students (40%), cost (15%) and teaching (5%). Choose the lowest grade to show.
ValueValue: what families pay after aid, graduation rate, earnings and debt, from federal data.
Academic ExcellenceAcademic Excellence: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges, from federal data on graduation, retention, test scores, faculty ratio, and spending. It never uses rankings or surveys.
Only Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only the eight Ivy League universities.
Location1
Distance (miles)
A broad region of the country, as the guide groups the states. Territories are listed separately.
School
Type of college, as college guides group them (from the federal Carnegie Classification): national universities offer a full range of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs and do research; liberal arts colleges focus on undergraduates in the arts and sciences; regional universities mostly offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees; regional colleges mostly offer bachelor’s degrees in many fields; specialized schools focus on one field, such as health, art or business.
Public or privatePublic: run by a state or local government. Private: nonprofit or for-profit.
Total enrollment: small is under 2,000 students, medium 2,000 to 9,999, large 10,000 to 24,999, and very large 25,000 or more.
Net price: what a typical student pays per year after grants and scholarships, from the federal College Scorecard.
Coed: men and women together. Single-sex: all-male or all-female.
Campus life
College sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.
Where the campus is, from federal data: in a city, a suburb, a town, or a rural area.
The college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).
The college offers study abroad (federal data).
Admissions and outcomes
How many applicants are admitted (federal data). Most: 65% or more. Selective: 25% to 64%. Highly selective: under 25%.
Your SAT or ACT, to sort colleges Target, Likely and Reach. Signed in, it is kept on your account (private to you); otherwise only in this browser.
Reach, Target or LikelyA rough guide from admitted students' scores and admission rates, not a prediction. Target: your score is in the college's middle range. Likely: above it, or the college admits most applicants. Reach: below it, or the college admits fewer than 1 in 5.
Small classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
Strong outcomes: 75% or more of students graduate (federal data).
Major
Colleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.
Clear all
RecommendedOnly Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.Honor RollOnly Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.ValueOnly colleges with a Value score of 85 or higher (grade A), from federal data.AcademicsOnly schools with an Academic Excellence grade of A or better (the top 10% of rated colleges), from federal data.Ivy LeagueOnly the eight Ivy League universities.Clear
Division I sportsCollege sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.ROTCThe college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).Study abroadThe college offers study abroad (federal data).NursingColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.EngineeringColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.Under $20kNet price under $20,000 a year: what a typical student pays after grants and scholarships (federal data).Small classesSmall classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
State: New YorkClear all

152 schools · Sorted by Compass Score

  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 32%

    University at Albany

    Top 16% for earnings
    Albany, NY · Public · 4-year · 16,880 students

    $17,167 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 34%

    Farmingdale State College

    Top 15% for earnings
    Farmingdale, NY · Public · 4-year · 9,541 students

    $10,867 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 34%

    Pace University

    Top 14% for earnings
    New York, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 14,092 students

    $30,892 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 35%

    Alfred University

    Very good: Compass grade B+
    Alfred, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,843 students

    $25,620 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 36%

    Russell Sage College

    Good: Compass grade B
    Troy, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,064 students

    $22,917 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 37%

    Canisius University

    Good: Compass grade B
    Buffalo, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,545 students

    $17,940 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 39%

    D'Youville University

    Top 18% for earnings
    Buffalo, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,544 students

    $20,433 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 40%

    Mount Saint Mary College

    Top 17% for earnings
    Newburgh, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,246 students

    $25,522 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 41%

    State University of New York at Oswego

    Good: Compass grade B
    Oswego, NY · Public · 4-year · 6,756 students

    $16,236 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 41%

    SUNY Polytechnic Institute

    Top 20% for earnings
    Utica, NY · Public · 4-year · 2,704 students

    $14,164 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 42%

    Daemen University

    Top 25% for earnings
    Amherst, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,625 students

    $18,693 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 43%

    SUNY Brockport

    Good: Compass grade B
    Brockport, NY · Public · 4-year · 6,931 students

    $16,353 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 43%

    State University of New York at Plattsburgh

    Good: Compass grade B
    Plattsburgh, NY · Public · 4-year · 4,417 students

    $17,156 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 43%

    Bryant & Stratton College-Albany

    Top 23% for low net price
    Albany, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 224 students

    $12,443 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 44%

    SUNY at Fredonia

    Good: Compass grade B
    Fredonia, NY · Public · 4-year · 3,220 students

    $15,897 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 44%

    Long Island University

    Good: Compass grade B
    Brookville, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 16,322 students

    $33,062 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 46%

    Iona University

    Top 12% for earnings
    New Rochelle, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,720 students

    $29,188 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 46%

    St. Francis College

    Good: Compass grade B
    Brooklyn, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,552 students

    $18,129 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    CUNY Lehman College

    Top 2% for low net price
    Bronx, NY · Public · 4-year · 12,894 students

    $3,148 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    Hartwick College

    Good: Compass grade B
    Oneonta, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,113 students

    $31,320 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 50%

    Five Towns College

    Good: Compass grade B
    Dix Hills, NY · Private for-profit · 4-year · 723 students

    $22,992 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 50%

    Keuka College

    Good: Compass grade B
    Keuka Park, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,284 students

    $24,338 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Utica University

    Top 22% for earnings
    Utica, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,733 students

    $19,108 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

    Top 16% for low debt
    Alfred, NY · Public · 4-year · 3,749 students

    $15,016 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Manhattanville University

    Good: Compass grade B
    Purchase, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,379 students

    $20,991 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong

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