NEW YORK — The Princeton Review this week released its annual list of the country’s best colleges. This year’s list, which features 386 schools, includes 45 in New York. The 2021 Best 386 Colleges were selected based on “our high opinion of their academics,” the Princeton Review said in announcing its newest list.
The organization said it monitors colleges “continuously and annually” to collect data on more than 2,000 schools.
In determining the “best,” The Princeton Review said it also visits schools and communicates with hundreds of college administrators in compiling its assessment.
“We pay close attention to the feedback we get about colleges from students, parents, educators, and our own staff at The Princeton Review locations across the country,” the organization said.
Here are the New York colleges named among the country’s best by Princeton Review:
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Alfred University, Alfred
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Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson
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State University of New York- Binghamton University, Binghamton
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Fordham University, Bronx
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Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville
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City University of New York — Brooklyn College, Brooklyn
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St. Lawrence University, Canton
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Hamilton College, Clinton
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Elmira College, Elmira
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State University of New York at Geneseo, Geneseo
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Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva
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Webb Institute, Glen Cove
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Colgate University, Hamilton
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Hofstra University, Hempstead
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Cornell University, Ithaca
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United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point
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Siena College, Loudonville
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New York University, New York
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Barnard College, New York
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City University of New York — Baruch College, New York
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Columbia University, New York
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The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, New York
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Pace University, New York
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City University of New York — Hunter College, New York
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Clarkson University, Potsdam
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Marist College, Poughkeepsie
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Vassar College, Poughkeepsie
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State University of New York–Purchase College, Purchase
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Manhattanville College, Purchase
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St. John’s University (NY), Queens
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Queens College of the City University of New York, Queens
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Manhattan College, Riverdale
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Nazareth College, Rochester
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Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester
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University of Rochester, Rochester
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Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs
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Union College (NY), Schenectady
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St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure
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Wagner College, Staten Island
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State University of New York — Stony Brook University, Stony Brook
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State University of New York — College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse
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Syracuse University, Syracuse
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Le Moyne College, Syracuse
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy
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United States Military Academy, West Point
Princeton Review also announced which of the “Best” schools earned a place in its 29th annual college rankings, as well as what priorities administrators are focusing on this academic year.
Not surprisingly, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is top of mind.
This year’s administrator survey polled 179 college leaders by asking a series of questions on their outlook for this year amid COVID-19-related challenges. In their responses, college officials said social distancing and maintaining health and safety on campus remain their biggest priorities. The issue administrators ranked financial aid as likely to be the greatest concern among students.
Here are the key findings from this year’s administrator survey:
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Just over 1 in 8 respondents (14 percent) reported the percentage of in-state students in their school’s incoming first-year class is higher than it was in 2019, while 6 percent reported it is lower than it was in 2019.
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More than 9 out of 10 (93 percent) reported their schools were making COVID-19–related modifications in classrooms, labs, residence halls and dining halls.
“COVID-19 has presented sobering challenges for school administrators and educators, as well as daunting decisions for students and their parents,” Robert Franek, editor-in-chief at Princeton Review, said in a news release. “What impressed us in our administrator survey findings is the flexibility many colleges built into their reopening plans, especially those giving students options to study remotely or on campus with health and safety protocols in place.”
Finally, Princeton Review determined 2021 college rankings based on surveys taken by students attending this year’s “Best” colleges. Surveys are available year-round on Princeton Review’s website.
In the survey, students are asked to rate their schools on dozens of topics and report on their campus experiences. The top 20 schools are then compiled and ranked in 62 different categories.
Rankings cover everything from academics, to administrative services, financial aid, campus amenities, alcohol use, the student body’s political leanings, race/class interaction, LGBTQ community acceptance and more. The ranking lists are based on surveys of 143,000 students at the colleges.
See the full list of each highest-ranked college, according to category. Other rankings are available online.
Patch Regional Managing Editor Kara Seymour contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on the Mid Hudson Valley Patch