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.
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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 ScoreGood

    University of Mount Saint Vincent

    Top 19% for earnings
    Bronx, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,202 students

    About $22,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Culinary Institute of America

    Top 21% for low debt
    Hyde Park, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,104 students

    About $36,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Monroe University

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Bronx, NY · Private for-profit · 4-year · 7,924 students

    About $15,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Marymount Manhattan College

    Good: Compass grade B-
    New York, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,648 students

    About $37,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology

    Top 19% for earnings
    Flushing, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,212 students

    About $40,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Maria College of Albany

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Albany, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 752 students

    About $13,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Empire State University

    Top 20% for low net price
    Saratoga Springs, NY · Public · 4-year · 9,545 students

    About $12,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Paul Smiths, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 597 students

    About $27,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    St. Thomas Aquinas College

    Top 23% for earnings
    Sparkill, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,950 students

    About $20,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    SUNY Old Westbury

    Top 19% for low debt
    Old Westbury, NY · Public · 4-year · 4,449 students

    About $11,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    SUNY College at Potsdam

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Potsdam, NY · Public · 4-year · 2,751 students

    About $14,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Mercy University

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Dobbs Ferry, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 8,774 students

    About $14,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    College of Staten Island CUNY

    Top 5% for low net price
    Staten Island, NY · Public · 4-year · 10,736 students

    About $6,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Dominican University New York

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Orangeburg, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,378 students

    About $42,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Beth Hamedrash Shaarei Yosher Institute

    Top 17% for low net price
    Brooklyn, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 83 students

    About $11,000 a year after aid, on average

    All-maleAll-male: the school enrolls men only.Value not rated yet
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Hilbert College

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Hamburg, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 973 students

    About $23,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    CUNY New York City College of Technology

    Top 4% for low net price
    Brooklyn, NY · Public · 4-year · 13,767 students

    About $5,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    LIM College

    Solid: Compass grade C+
    New York, NY · Private for-profit · 4-year · 1,371 students

    About $39,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Villa Maria College

    Solid: Compass grade C+
    Buffalo, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 545 students

    About $13,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

    Top 20% for low debt
    Delhi, NY · Public · 4-year · 2,777 students

    About $17,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill

    Top 22% for low debt
    Cobleskill, NY · Public · 4-year · 1,792 students

    About $19,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    SUNY Morrisville

    Solid: Compass grade C+
    Morrisville, NY · Public · 4-year · 2,040 students

    About $16,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    CUNY York College

    Top 3% for low net price
    Jamaica, NY · Public · 4-year · 6,161 students

    About $4,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Trocaire College

    Solid: Compass grade C+
    Buffalo, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,104 students

    About $17,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    SUNY Buffalo State University

    Top 19% for low net price
    Buffalo, NY · Public · 4-year · 6,470 students

    About $11,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong

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