Best Research Universities in New York 2025

research universities in new york

Interested in attending a STEM school in New York? Our ranking of top research universities for bachelor’s degrees displays schools that will best prepare you for STEM careers.

Key Takeaways

  • The best research universities in New York are a mix of public and private institutions. Columbia University , New York University , and Cornell University are prestigious private research universities in New York. Stony Brook University and University at Buffalo , both part of the State University of New York system, and City College of New York are among the best public research universities, too.
  • Both public and private research universities play a wide range of crucial roles in society, from introducing new knowledge and skills to stimulating economic growth.
  • Prospective students must carefully consider their suitability for research universities—their alternative choices are liberal arts universities and online colleges.

10 Best Research Universities in New York 2025

Columbia university, new york university, cornell university.

  • City College of New York +3
  • University of Rochester –1
  • Syracuse University –1
  • The New School +4
  • Stony Brook University –2

Fordham University

  • Yeshiva University –2

2025 Ranking Update

Our Influence Ranking Engine™ leverages machine learning to track the real-world influence of colleges and universities over time. Below you’ll see which schools gained or lost ground for the 2025 school year.

The top ten best research universities in New York remained fairly stable. However, The New School was able to enter the top ten as the university has expanded its innovative programs in design, social justice, and sustainability, offering more interdisciplinary opportunities to address global challenges. The campus has seen upgrades with enhanced studio spaces, cutting-edge technology, and modernized collaborative learning environments. The New School has also strengthened its student support services, particularly in mental health and career development, providing more resources for student well-being and post-graduation success.

Best Research Universities in New York

Last year’s ranking:, d'youville university, adelphi university, stony brook university, daemen university, university at buffalo, state university of new york college of environmental science and forestry, yeshiva university, pace university, syracuse university, the new school, university of rochester, city college of new york, rensselaer polytechnic institute, st. john fisher university, long island university, clarkson university, touro university, hofstra university, russell sage college, rochester institute of technology, binghamton university, university at albany, suny, cuny graduate center, st. john's university.

  • #3 50 Best Graduate Schools Ranked for Prospective Students in 2025
  • #3 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025
  • #3 Top Schools that Offer Free Master's Degrees Online
  • #3 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024
  • #4 Best Universities in the World 2025
  • #1 Best Grad Schools in New York 2025
  • #1 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
  • #1 Best Colleges in New York 2024
  • #1 Best Private Colleges in New York 2024
  • #1 Best Research Universities for Nursing Degrees
  • #1 Best Research Universities for Business Degrees 2025
  • #1 Best Research Universities for Education Degrees
  • #2 Best Colleges and Universities for Political Science Degrees
  • #2 Best Colleges and Universities for Psychology Degrees 2025
  • #2 Best Research Universities for English Degrees
  • #2 Best Research Universities for Political Science Degrees
  • #2 Best Research Universities for Sociology Degrees
  • #3 Best Research Universities for Economics Degrees 2025
  • #3 Best Research Universities for Philosophy Degrees 2025
  • #3 Best Research Universities for Psychology Degrees 2025
  • #3 Best Research Universities for History Degrees
  • #3 Best Research Universities for Biology Degrees 2025
  • #4 Best Research Universities for Religious Studies Degrees
  • #4 Best Research Universities for Earth Sciences Degrees
  • #5 Best Research Universities for Engineering Degrees
  • #6 Best Research Universities for Anthropology Degrees
  • #6 Best Research Universities for Chemistry Degrees
  • #7 Best Research Universities for Computer Science Degrees
  • #7 Best Research Universities for Math Degrees
  • #8 Best Research Universities for Physics Degrees
  • #1 Best Online PhD of Computer Science Degree Programs (Doctorates) 2025
  • #1 11 Fastest Accelerated Online Master’s of Computer Science 2025
  • #1 Online Colleges That Start Anytime and the Benefits of a Self-Paced Education
  • #2 Most Affordable Online Computer Science PhDs (Doctorates) 2025
  • #2 Fastest Accelerated Online Computer Science Doctorates (PhDs)
  • #5 Guide to Free Online Courses for MBA Students in 2024
  • #9 Top 10 Most Affordable English PhD Programs (Doctorates) 2024
  • #1 Top 20 Best Business Schools for MBAs Ranked for Students 2025
  • #3 The Best Traditional MBA Programs Ranked for Students in 2024
  • #4 Best Schools in the World for Earning an MBA Degree Ranked for 2024
  • #13 The Fastest Traditional MBA Degree Programs Ranked for 2024

Tuition + fees

Student body

Median SAT/ACT

Career Outlook for degree at Columbia University

Columbia University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Social Work
  • Political Science
  • Communications

Most Influential Alumni

  • Milton Friedman
  • Herbert Marcuse
  • Murray Rothbard
  • Stephen Jay Gould
  • Carl Rogers
  • Kenneth Arrow
  • B. R. Ambedkar
  • Isaac Asimov
  • Robert Nozick
  • Margaret Mead
  • Thomas Sowell
  • Jerry Fodor
  • #10 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025
  • #16 Best Universities in the World 2025
  • #23 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024
  • #2 Best Grad Schools in New York 2025
  • #2 Best Colleges in New York 2024
  • #2 Best Private Colleges in New York 2024
  • #3 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
  • #3 Best Research Universities for Nursing Degrees
  • #3 Best Research Universities for Social Work Degrees
  • #3 Best Research Universities for Education Degrees
  • #4 Best Research Universities for Business Degrees 2025
  • #5 Best Research Universities for Communications Degrees 2025
  • #8 Best Research Universities for English Degrees
  • #9 Best Research Universities for Biology Degrees 2025
  • #10 Best Research Universities for Economics Degrees 2025
  • #10 Best Research Universities for Philosophy Degrees 2025
  • #10 Best Research Universities for Psychology Degrees 2025
  • #14 Best Research Universities for Sociology Degrees
  • #15 Best Research Universities for Anthropology Degrees
  • #15 Best Research Universities for History Degrees
  • #15 Best Research Universities for Political Science Degrees
  • #15 Best Research Universities for Religious Studies Degrees
  • #15 Best Research Universities for Math Degrees
  • #18 Best Research Universities for Computer Science Degrees
  • #23 Best Research Universities for Engineering Degrees
  • #23 Best Research Universities for Physics Degrees
  • #1 Best Online Master's in Management 2025
  • #1 Top 10 Best Online Communications PhD Degree Programs (Doctorates)
  • #1 20 Best Online Master's of Speech Pathology Degree Programs
  • #1 Best Online Master's Programs in New York 2024
  • #1 Best Online Master's Programs 2024
  • #1 Top 5 Best Online English PhD Degree Programs (Doctorates)
  • #2 Fastest Online Master's Degrees Ranked for Students in 2025
  • #2 Top 3 Best Online Economics PhD Degree Programs (Doctorates) 2025
  • #3 Best Online History Doctorate Degree Programs (PhDs) 2025
  • #3 Best Online Clinical Nutrition PhD Degree Programs (Doctorates) 2025
  • #3 Top 10 Best Online Counseling PhD Degree Programs (Doctorates)
  • #3 Best Online Sociology PhD Degree Programs (Doctorates) 2025
  • #1 Fastest Accelerated Online Master's of Counseling Degree Programs 2024
  • #1 Fastest Accelerated Online PhDs in Education Degree Programs 2024
  • #4 Top 20 Best Business Schools for MBAs Ranked for Students 2025
  • #10 The Best Traditional MBA Programs Ranked for Students in 2024

Career Outlook for degree at New York University

New York University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Anthropology
  • Mathematics
  • Erich Fromm
  • Robert Mueller
  • Martha Nussbaum
  • John Archibald Wheeler
  • Glenn Greenwald
  • Howard Zinn
  • Eric Kandel
  • Lewis Mumford
  • Alvin Toffler
  • Louis Nirenberg
  • #9 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024
  • #11 Best Universities in the US Ranked for Prospective Students in 2025
  • #11 50 Best Graduate Schools Ranked for Prospective Students in 2025
  • #11 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025
  • #17 Best Universities in the World 2025
  • #2 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
  • #3 Best Grad Schools in New York 2025
  • #3 Best Colleges in New York 2024
  • #3 Best Private Colleges in New York 2024
  • #5 Best Research Universities for Business Degrees 2025
  • #6 Best Research Universities for Communications Degrees 2025
  • #8 Best Research Universities for Chemistry Degrees
  • #8 Best Research Universities for Computer Science Degrees
  • #9 Best Research Universities for Engineering Degrees
  • #9 Best Research Universities for Earth Sciences Degrees
  • #9 Best Research Universities for Physics Degrees
  • #10 Best Research Universities for English Degrees
  • #10 Best Research Universities for History Degrees
  • #10 Best Research Universities for Sociology Degrees
  • #10 Best Research Universities for Biology Degrees 2025
  • #10 Best Research Universities for Math Degrees
  • #11 Best Research Universities for Economics Degrees 2025
  • #11 Best Research Universities for Philosophy Degrees 2025
  • #11 Best Research Universities for Psychology Degrees 2025
  • #11 Best Research Universities for Political Science Degrees
  • #12 Best Research Universities for Anthropology Degrees
  • #13 Best Research Universities for Religious Studies Degrees
  • #1 Best Online Master’s in Engineering Management
  • #1 Best Online Master’s in Engineering 2025
  • #2 Best Online Master's in Management 2025
  • #2 Best Online Master's Programs in New York 2024
  • #3 Fastest Online Master's Degrees Ranked for Students in 2025
  • #5 Top 20 Best Business Schools for MBAs Ranked for Students 2025
  • #8 The Best Traditional MBA Programs Ranked for Students in 2024
  • #17 The Fastest Traditional MBA Degree Programs Ranked for 2024

Career Outlook for degree at Cornell University

Cornell University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Norbert Wiener
  • Harold Bloom
  • Thomas Pynchon
  • Abraham Maslow
  • Thomas Nagel
  • Sheldon Glashow
  • Anthony Fauci
  • Francis Fukuyama
  • Ruth Bader Ginsburg
  • Steven Weinberg
  • Leonard Susskind
  • Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak
  • #4 Best Grad Schools in New York 2025
  • #7 Best Colleges in New York 2024
  • #1 Most Affordable Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranked for 2025

Career Outlook for degree at City College of New York

City College of New York’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Julian Schwinger
  • Leonard Kleinrock
  • Upton Sinclair
  • William Friedkin
  • Robert Aumann
  • Daniel Bell
  • Seymour Martin Lipset
  • #4 Best Colleges in New York 2024
  • #4 Best Private Colleges in New York 2024
  • #5 Best Grad Schools in New York 2025
  • #16 Best Research Universities for Nursing Degrees
  • #24 Best Research Universities for Economics Degrees 2025
  • #2 Best Online Colleges in New York 2024
  • #2 Best RN to BSN Online
  • #3 Fastest Online Bachelor's Degrees Ranked for 2025

Career Outlook for degree at University of Rochester

University of Rochester’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Richard Thaler
  • Janet Maslin
  • J. C. R. Licklider
  • Bruce Schneier
  • Masatoshi Koshiba
  • Arthur Kornberg
  • John C. Slater
  • David Sloan Wilson
  • Donna Strickland

University of Rochester’s Online Degrees

  • Required Credits : 128
  • Completion Time : None Reported
  • Format : Online
  • #6 Best Grad Schools in New York 2025
  • #1 Best Online MBA Programs in New York
  • #1 Best Online Colleges in New York 2024
  • #1 Best Online Associate Degrees in New York 2024
  • #1 Best Online MBA in Operations Management Ranked for Students in 2024
  • #1 Best Online MBA in Entrepreneurship Ranked for Students in 2024
  • #1 Fastest Accelerated Online Master's of Information Technology 2025
  • #1 Best Online MBA in Business Analytics Ranked for Students in 2024
  • #1 Best Online MBA in Supply Chain Management Ranked for Students in 2024
  • #1 Best Accredited Online Juris Doctorate (JD) Law Programs
  • #1 Best Online MBA in Marketing Degree Programs Ranked for Students in 2024
  • #1 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity Degree Programs in New York
  • #1 Best Online Associate in Liberal Arts
  • #1 Best Online MBA in Accounting Degree Programs
  • #2 Best Online Master’s in Communications
  • #2 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity
  • #2 Best Online Master's in Marketing and Advertising
  • #2 Best Online MBAs in Finance 2025
  • #2 10 Fastest Accelerated Online Master's of Accounting Programs 2025
  • #3 Best Online Master's in Cybersecurity 2025
  • #3 Best Online Master's Degrees in Accounting 2025
  • #3 11 Fastest Accelerated Online Master’s of Computer Science 2025
  • #3 Best Online Master's Programs in New York 2024
  • #3 Fastest Online Associate Degrees Ranked for 2024
  • #3 Best Online Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Humanities Degree Programs for 2025
  • #4 Best Data Science Online Master’s Programs 2025
  • #4 Best Online Master's in Computer Science Degree Programs
  • #5 Best Online Master’s in Engineering Management
  • #5 Best Online MBA Degree Programs No GRE Required Ranked for 2024
  • #5 Best Online MBA Degree Programs for 2024 with No GMAT Required
  • #5 Best Online Master’s in Engineering 2025
  • #6 Fastest Online Bachelor's Degrees Ranked for 2025
  • #6 The Best Online MBA Degree Programs in 2025 Ranked for Students
  • #7 Most Affordable Online Computer Science PhDs (Doctorates) 2025
  • #7 Fastest Accelerated Online Computer Science Doctorates (PhDs)
  • #10 Best Online Master's in Management 2025
  • #11 Fastest Online Master's Degrees Ranked for Students in 2025
  • #11 Best Online Master's Programs 2024

Career Outlook for degree at Syracuse University

Syracuse University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Earth Sciences
  • Clement Greenberg
  • Joyce Carol Oates
  • Megyn Kelly
  • Ernest Becker
  • George Saunders
  • Marv Albert
  • William Safire
  • Story Musgrave
  • Dorothy Thompson

Syracuse University’s Online Degrees

  • Required Credits : 120
  • #25 Best Online Master's Programs 2024

Career Outlook for degree at The New School

The New School’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Tennessee Williams
  • Marc Jacobs
  • Peter L. Berger
  • Franco Modigliani
  • Ruth Benedict
  • James Baldwin
  • Amiri Baraka
  • Heinrich Blücher
  • Robert Heilbroner
  • Shimon Peres
  • Eleanor Roosevelt

The New School’s Online Degrees

  • #2 Best Online Bachelor’s of Electrical and Computer Engineering Degree Programs for 2024
  • #3 Best Online Colleges in New York 2024
  • #4 Best Online Master's Programs in New York 2024
  • #4 Best Online Master’s in Educational Administration
  • #7 Best Online Master’s in Human Resources
  • #24 Best Online Master's Programs 2024
  • #3 How to Earn Your Master's Degree Without Your Bachelor's Degree
  • #5 Fastest Accelerated Online Master's of Nursing Degree Programs 2024

Career Outlook for degree at Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Ben Shneiderman
  • Joseph E. LeDoux
  • David Gelernter
  • Sandy Pearlman
  • Karen Barad
  • Jeffrey Meldrum
  • Mark D. Shriver
  • Laura Schlessinger
  • Brosl Hasslacher
  • Paul Levinson
  • Charles Caldwell Ryrie

Stony Brook University’s Online Degrees

  • Required Credits : 57
  • #5 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
  • #7 Best Private Colleges in New York 2024
  • #9 Best Colleges in New York 2024
  • #10 Best Grad Schools in New York 2025
  • #8 Best Research Universities for Social Work Degrees
  • #22 Best Research Universities for Business Degrees 2025
  • #23 Best Research Universities for Education Degrees
  • #24 Best Research Universities for Communications Degrees 2025
  • #2 Best Online Christian Colleges and Universities for Master's Degrees
  • #5 Best Online Master's in Marketing and Advertising
  • #6 Best Online Master's in Special Education 2025
  • #6 Best Online Master's Programs in New York 2024
  • #7 Best Online Master’s in Communications
  • #7 Best Online Master’s in Finance
  • #9 Fastest Online Doctoral Degree Programs Ranked for Students in 2025
  • #9 Best Online Doctorate in Education Degree Programs Ranked for Students
  • #9 Best Online Master's in Social Work MSW
  • #10 Best Online MBA Degree Programs No GRE Required Ranked for 2024
  • #13 Best Online Master's Programs 2024
  • #20 Best Online Master's in Management 2025

Career Outlook for degree at Fordham University

Fordham University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Religious Studies
  • Don DeLillo
  • Francis Spellman
  • Peter Kreeft
  • Mary Higgins Clark
  • Owen Flanagan
  • Carl Mitcham
  • Peter Boghossian
  • David Copperfield
  • John Sexton
  • Daniel Berrigan
  • Chris Cuomo
  • #8 Best Colleges in New York 2024
  • #2 Best Online Master's in Social Work MSW
  • #5 Best Online Master's Programs in New York 2024
  • #6 Best Online Master’s in Education
  • #8 Best Data Science Online Master’s Programs 2025
  • #12 Best Online Master's in Marketing and Advertising

Career Outlook for degree at Yeshiva University

Yeshiva University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Hillel Furstenberg
  • John Taylor Gatto
  • Paul Gottfried
  • Herman Wouk
  • Joseph Halpern
  • David Rosenhan
  • Howard Dean
  • Henry Abramson
  • Norman Lamm
  • Saul Lieberman
  • Shlomo Riskin
  • Samuel J. Danishefsky
  • #5 10 Best Online Master's of Music Education Degree Programs
  • #5 Top 15 Most Affordable Online Social Work PhDs (Doctorates)
  • #7 Top 15 Most Affordable Online Economics PhD Programs (Doctorates) 2025
  • #7 Best Online Master's Programs in New York 2024
  • #7 Most Affordable Online Sociology Doctorate Programs (PhDs) 2025
  • #12 Fastest Online Bachelor's Degrees Ranked for 2025
  • #14 Best Online Master's in Social Work MSW
  • #14 Best Online Master’s in Engineering 2025
  • #23 Best Online Master's Programs 2024
  • #2 Best College Majors that Offer Accelerated Degree Programs 2025
  • #10 Best Online PhD of Nursing (DNP) Degree Programs Ranked for 2024

Career Outlook for degree at University at Buffalo

University at Buffalo’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Wilfrid Sellars
  • Richard Hofstadter
  • Terry Gross
  • Leslie White
  • Warren Bennis
  • William Lawvere
  • C. L. Max Nikias
  • Robert Hass
  • Silvia Federici
  • Robert J. Sampson

University at Buffalo’s Online Degrees

Degree concentrations.

  • Degree Completion

Career Outlook for degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Marcian Hoff
  • Ivar Giaever
  • Ray Tomlinson
  • Peter van Inwagen
  • Mark Russinovich
  • Kevin A. Lynch
  • Henry Augustus Rowland
  • Bertram Raphael
  • Daniel G. Bobrow
  • Howard Wainer
  • Bert Sutherland
  • Meera Nanda

Career Outlook for degree at Binghamton University

Binghamton University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Norman Finkelstein
  • Art Spiegelman
  • Deborah Tannen
  • Bill T. Jones
  • Elaine Weyuker
  • Bobbie Ann Mason
  • Jessica Fridrich
  • Arnold J. Levine
  • Heinz Insu Fenkl
  • Cathy Davidson
  • #9 Best Online Master's Programs in New York 2024
  • #12 Most Affordable Online Sociology Doctorate Programs (PhDs) 2025

Career Outlook for degree at University at Albany, SUNY

University at Albany, SUNY’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Criminal Justice
  • Gerhard Weinberg
  • Gregory Maguire
  • Michael R. Gottfredson
  • Frances Allen
  • Ellen Datlow
  • Celâl Şengör
  • Catherine Bertini
  • Omar M. Yaghi
  • Ronald Stuart Burt

University at Albany, SUNY’s Online Degrees

Career outlook for degree at hofstra university.

Hofstra University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Bernie Madoff
  • Maryanne Trump Barry
  • Marilyn French
  • Francis Ford Coppola
  • Morton O. Schapiro
  • Christopher Walken
  • Lenora Fulani
  • Jonathan D. Moreno
  • Steven Feld
  • David Paterson
  • Irwin Redlener
  • Norm Coleman

Career Outlook for degree at CUNY Graduate Center

CUNY Graduate Center’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Nancy Fraser
  • Janet Biehl
  • Paul Mariani
  • Terrell Ward Bynum
  • Lisa Nakamura
  • Douglas Crimp
  • Holland Cotter
  • Stephen K. White
  • Edwin Battistella

CUNY Graduate Center’s Online Degrees

  • Accelerated Nursing Education
  • Accelerated Nursing Informatics
  • Accelerated Nursing Organizational Leadership
  • AcceleratedNursing Informatics
  • Required Credits : 150
  • Queensborough Community College Fast Track
  • Dual Program with Queensbourough College
  • #4 Best Online MBA Programs in New York
  • #8 Best Online Colleges in New York 2024
  • #11 Best Online Master's Programs in New York 2024
  • #12 Best Online Master’s in Health Informatics 2025
  • #13 Best Online Master’s in Human Resources
  • #17 Best Data Science Online Master’s Programs 2025

Career Outlook for degree at Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester Institute of Technology’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • N. Katherine Hayles
  • Stuart L. Hart
  • Jerry Uelsmann
  • Rick Kittles
  • William Snyder
  • Nancy Beiman
  • Emily Thompson
  • Charles Gaines
  • Ronald Senungetuk

Rochester Institute of Technology’s Online Degrees

  • Required Credits : 24
  • #7 Best Online Colleges in New York 2024
  • #7 Best Online Master's in Sports Management 2025
  • #9 Best Online Master's in Art Education and Art Administration
  • #13 Best Online Master’s in Health Informatics 2025
  • #13 Best Online Master's Programs in New York 2024
  • #14 Best RN to BSN Online
  • #15 Best Online Master's in Social Work MSW

Career Outlook for degree at Adelphi University

Adelphi University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Carmen Ortiz
  • Joseph W. Westphal
  • Jacqueline Woodson
  • Sean Hannity
  • K. Aslihan Yener
  • Herb Goldberg
  • Michael H. Hart
  • Flavor Flav
  • Jeremy D. Safran
  • Arthur Dobrin

Adelphi University’s Online Degrees

  • Required Credits : 124

Career Outlook for degree at Long Island University

Long Island University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Karen Weaver
  • John Leguizamo
  • Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu
  • Arnold Hano
  • Camillo Mac Bica
  • Michael Szenberg
  • Phyllis Zagano
  • Brian Kilmeade
  • Emily Drabinski
  • Rusty Roberts
  • #7 Fastest Accelerated Online Master's of Information Technology 2025
  • #11 Best Online Bachelor’s in Business Administration Degree Programs

Career Outlook for degree at Pace University

Pace University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Andrew Revkin
  • Jim Dunnigan
  • James Densley
  • Burt Goldberg
  • Bill Gullickson
  • Tim Morehouse
  • Vincent Pastore
  • Paule Valery Joseph

Pace University’s Online Degrees

  • Required Credits : 44
  • #10 Top 10 Most Affordable English PhD Programs (Doctorates) 2024
  • #11 Best Online Christian Colleges and Universities for Master's Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at St. John's University

St. John's University ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • John Esposito
  • Edmund Pellegrino
  • Charles J. Hynes
  • Leszek Balcerowicz
  • P. Kevin Castel
  • George Deukmejian
  • Martin Ritt
  • Mario Cuomo
  • Frank Macchiarola
  • Mark Jackson
  • #15 Top 18 Most Affordable No GRE Online PhD Degree Programs 2025

Career Outlook for degree at Clarkson University

Clarkson University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Kevin Granata
  • Thomas Zacharia
  • Sanjeev Kulkarni
  • Bernard F. Schutz
  • Rajkumar Chellaraj
  • Brenda Romero
  • Jarmo Kekäläinen
  • Gregory C. Farrington
  • Randy Sexton
  • Annie Selden
  • M. Emmet Walsh

Career Outlook for degree at State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry

State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Robin Wall Kimmerer
  • Jean Fréchet
  • Frank Edwin Egler
  • Harry Frederick Recher
  • Mary Fowkes
  • William M. Harlow
  • Edwin C. Jahn
  • Harold Franklin Heady
  • Misty Blowers
  • Robert Lee Gilbertson

State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s Online Degrees

Career outlook for degree at russell sage college.

Russell Sage College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Alice Walker
  • Martha Siegel
  • Elizabeth Anne Allen

Career Outlook for degree at Touro University

Touro University ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Joseph Buxbaum
  • Yaakov Stern

Career Outlook for degree at LIU Post

LIU Post’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Jack Naglieri
  • Jackée Harry
  • Richard E. Frye
  • John Collins

LIU Post’s Online Degrees

  • Format : None Reported

Career Outlook for degree at D'Youville University

D'Youville University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • John Tavares
  • Ann Wood-Kelly

D'Youville University’s Online Degrees

  • Required Credits : 122

Career Outlook for degree at St. John Fisher University

St. John Fisher University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Career Outlook for degree at Daemen University

Daemen University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  • Mary Ann Esposito
  • Geoffrey Gatza

Daemen University’s Online Degrees

Related: Differences between research universities and teaching colleges

Exploring New York’s Research Universities

The core elements of the best research universities in New York are teaching and learning, public service and community outreach, and research and discovery. While the teaching and learning elements are given in a city university, the research and discovery elements are also of crucial importance!

But research and discovery, which includes scientific and scholarly research, applied research, and creative activities, are also the most misunderstood elements of research universities! Public research universities are experiencing a decline in research funding with emphasis on resources being focused on the teaching and learning elements.

Research and discovery, however, matter in modern society—and, thus, public and private research universities matter, too! Here, we will take a brief look at the funding sources of research universities and the benefits that come with their research-related initiatives.

Common Funding Sources of Research Universities

More than a few of the schools with the highest research funding from the National Institutes of Health (HIH) are in the State of New York. Cornell University, Columbia University, and New York University are among the leaders in research funding for medical sciences.

Of course, theoretical and applied research in diverse disciplines also receive funding from public and private sources. The federal government is the largest funding source for research and development in public and private research universities in New York State.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Defense (DoD), and Department of Energy (DOE) are among the primary funding agencies.

Institutional support is the second-most largest funding source for research and development programs in research universities in the state of New York. Public and private research universities source these funds from tuition and other fees, royalties from inventions and patents, and endowments, among other revenue sources.

Other primary sources of support for research and development programs in research universities include:

  • Non-profit organizations
  • Industry including corporations (e.g., Carnegie Corporation)
  • State and local governments (e.g., New York State Department of Health, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and Empire State Development)

Foreign government funding and designated gifts are also funding sources for research universities across New York state.

In terms of comparative costs, medical research and STEM research are the most expensive because of the imperative need for specialized facilities with state-of-the-art equipment and materials. Social sciences research is generally less expensive but researchers are also requesting larger grants due to the increasing complexity of issues under study. Arts and humanities research typically requires less funding, and the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts are among the fund sources.

Benefits that Research Universities Bring to Society

Of course, teaching and learning are the core focus of research universities—as they should be considering that these are institutions of higher education. But research universities also bring numerous benefits to students, faculty members, and the university community in particular and society in general!

Serve the national interest. Research universities are the birthplace of discoveries and innovations that fuel the United States’ economic development and, thus, promote its national interests. The biotech industry, for one thing, is a product of research universities while countless innovations and discoveries came from university-based research.

Many research universities in New York are responsible for the greatest advances in science —Columbia University, City College of New York, and Cornell University. Columbia University is known for its world-class, life-changing research in diverse areas, too, from neurology to astronomy.

  • Contribute to the growth of the innovation economy. Research universities are not just among the largest employers in their communities, but these institutions are also among the largest contributors to the innovation economy! In their main roles they serve as hubs of innovations and entrepreneurship, protectors of intellectual property, and engines of innovation competitions. Indeed, their emphasis on research, discovery, and development make research universities a hotbed for economic activities.

A research university is a great option for students interested in obtaining STEM degrees. Research universities invest heavily in research, which consequently provides meaningful and extensive opportunities for its students and faculty to participate in research. We’ve identified 29 research universities in New York. To be included in our ranking, schools must be a fully accredited universities and must must offer doctoral degrees across the range of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).

Find the Best Research Universities in New York for Your Area of Interest

Check out our directory of research universities throughout the U.S. for a look at the top research institutions in every state .

NYU Ranked #1 in NYC on National Science Foundation’s Research Ranking

With more than $1.27 billion in annual R&D spending, NYU jumped into the top 15 nationally, and is #7 among private universities

For the first time, NYU leads New York City universities in annual research spending according to the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) annual HERD survey.  NYU had the greatest climb in rankings among the top 50 U.S. research universities, moving up eight spots to #15 nationally and #7 among private universities.

“NYU is really proud of this achievement. Our research enterprise—across all of our schools and locations—continues its strong trajectory of growth, and thanks to the ongoing efforts of many across NYU, has proven to be a powerhouse of innovation and impact,” said Stacie Grossman Bloom, NYU’s vice provost for research and chief research officer. 

Each year, the NSF conducts the Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) survey to measure annual research spending at U.S. colleges and universities, a key measure of a university’s research performance. The latest analysis, covering fiscal year 2022, shows NYU’s research expenditures increased by 20% to exceed $1.27 billion—a sharper increase than any other U.S. institution ranked in the top 50—and marks the second year in a row that NYU has exceeded $1 billion in research spending. 

Year-over-year growth was strong for both the Grossman School of Medicine / NYU Langone (18%) and the University (24%). Funding for geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences research at NYU grew 83% from last year. Expenditures in math and statistics, social sciences, and engineering also all grew by more than 20%. 

Examples of notable research projects that contributed to NYU’s growth in funding include:

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the Army, awarded NYU Dentistry researchers $21 million for an evidence-based program addressing family maltreatment in the military.
  • NYU created the Simons Center for Computational Physical Chemistry , a multidisciplinary hub for computational physical chemistry research, with $10 million from the Simons Foundation.
  • NYU Abu Dhabi researchers are studying the use of biotechnology to address non-communicable diseases as part of the Abu Dhabi Precision Medicine Virtual Research Institute , funded by $5 million from ASPIRE UAE.
  • NYU Tandon researchers received $5 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop an artificial intelligence-driven augmented reality assistant .

“The NSF data demonstrate our researchers’ ability to attract significant funding from government, industry, and non-profit sources, and for that funding to spur breakthroughs in areas ranging from artificial intelligence and public health to applied social sciences, the arts, and humanities,” added Bloom. 

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Engineer Tomorrow

At NYU Tandon, our research doesn’t just result in new technology; it results in a better world.

Everyone at Tandon, from our undergraduates to the faculty at our esteemed academic research centers, is focused on discovering practical solutions to the most pressing challenges facing society and on addressing tomorrow’s problems today.

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We’re helping bridge the digital divide by ushering in an era of 5G and 6G wireless telecommunications ; making our  urban   areas more sustainable and livable; pushing the boundaries of  augmented and virtual reality  to improve public safety; using  data science  to help the homeless; engineering biomedical devices to bring needed healthcare to underserved populations; ensuring the  cybersecurity   of our nation’s vital infrastructure and systems; applying robotics and artificial intelligence to domains such as manufacturing, rehabilitation, and monitoring and sensing; and many others.

Research at NYU Tandon

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NYU Tandon is home to a number of renowned interdisciplinary research centers and institutes developing innovative solutions to society's pressing problems.

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Research Initiatives

NYU Tandon supports research initiatives that serve as the catalyst for grants, interdisciplinary study, and partnership development.

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We are home to dozens of research labs and groups, where engineering researchers are bridging disciplines in state-of-the-art facilities.

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At NYU Tandon, students have numerous and diverse opportunities to engage in research that discovers solutions to real-world problems.

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Enabling cutting-edge, cross-discipline research across the university and beyond.

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Researchers In Their Own Words

In the heart of Downtown Brooklyn, a vibrant group of researchers, students, technologists, and innovators is working to shape a new future. Learn about their work in Office Hours, a YouTube series about the latest research breakthroughs and what’s driving our Unconventional Engineers.

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Tandon researchers to advance equitable, resilient EV charging to turbocharge the economy

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NYU Tandon study maps pedestrian crosswalks across entire cities, helping improve road safety and increase walkability

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Large Language Models fall short in detecting propaganda

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Harnessing the power of eye tracking in brain-machine interfaces

Researchers harnessing exosomes and hydrogels for advanced diabetic wound healing, nyu tandon study finds political views, not race, shape reactions to mass shooting data.

Research Universities In New York expand_more

Looking to study at a research university in New York? We've compiled a list of Research Universities In New York. Learn more about each school below and calculate your chances of acceptance.

research universities in new york

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  1. Best Research Universities in New York 2025 - Academic Influence

    Many research universities in New York are responsible for the greatest advances in science—Columbia University, City College of New York, and Cornell University. Columbia University is known for its world-class, life-changing research in diverse areas, too, from neurology to astronomy.

  2. Research - NYU

    NYU’s faculty are at the forefront of their scholarly disciplines, and their research helps shape the understanding of an enormous range of academic fields: from the mathematical sciences to economics, from philosophy to neural science, from art history to sociology.

  3. Research Centers and Institutes - NYU

    From leading international centers for research and education, to one of the most technologically advanced lecture halls and screening facilities in New York City, the varied institutes and centers at NYU serve as critical points of convergence for the University experience.

  4. NYU Ranked #1 in NYC on National Science Foundation’s ...

    With more than $1.27 billion in annual R&D spending, NYU jumped into the top 15 nationally, and is #7 among private universities. For the first time, NYU leads New York City universities in annual research spending according to the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) annual HERD survey.

  5. CUNY Graduate Center | CUNY Graduate Center

    The CUNY Graduate Center offers 31 doctoral and 17 master's programs in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. It is the only public R1 research university in New York City, with low tuition, high funding, and diverse community.

  6. Columbia University - Wikipedia

    Columbia University, officially Columbia University in the City of New York, [7] is a private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhattan, it is the oldest institution of higher education in New York and the fifth-oldest in the United States.

  7. 2025 Best Colleges in New York | U.S. News Rankings

    Looking for a college in New York? See a listing of New York colleges and universities at U.S. News Best Colleges. Admissions information, tuition, rankings and more for colleges in New...

  8. Research - NYU Tandon School of Engineering

    NYU Tandon is home to a number of renowned interdisciplinary research centers and institutes developing innovative solutions to society's pressing problems.

  9. Research - NYU Langone Health

    Our faculty have placed us among the nation’s top research universities receiving National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. With $815 million in awards in 2021, our scientists are leading multidisciplinary studies that reveal the underlying mechanisms driving health and disease.

  10. Research Universities In New York - CollegeVine

    Looking to study at a research university in New York? We've compiled a list of Research Universities In New York. Learn more about each school below and calculate your chances of acceptance.