SBU Achieves Highest-Ever Rankings from U.S. News & World Report

Stony Brook Ranked #77 Nationally, #31 Among Public Universities in 2023 Best Colleges

Stony Brook University has achieved its highest-ever rankings from U.S. News & World Report in its 2023 Best Colleges publication.

Stony Brook, recently named as a flagship in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, is ranked #77 among national universities — a significant jump of 16 places from a year ago — and moved up seven spots to #31 among public universities. It is also the first time Stony Brook is the top-ranked public university in New York State without tying with another university.

“During the past few years, Stony Brook has endured a period of unparalleled challenges and seismic change. I am so proud of the way this university has adapted and continued to grow,” said Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis. “We have emerged as a stronger, more unified institution by remaining committed to our mission — providing an affordable, world-class education; promoting socioeconomic mobility and diversity; offering cutting-edge healthcare to our community on Long Island; and pushing for the engaged, dynamic academic environment that makes this place so special. It’s of course very gratifying to see this hard work reflected in our rankings, and it’s thanks to the commitment of our exemplary students, faculty, and staff, as well as our trusted partners across Long Island and the world.”  

Stony Brook’s ranking among 443 national universities places it in a six-way tie with Baylor University, Clemson University, Loyola Marymount University, Michigan State University and Penn State University. U.S. News & World Report’s rankings are considered to be one of the premier rankings of U.S. higher education institutions. 

The publication reports on 1,450 public and private colleges and universities with U.S. bachelor’s degree-granting institutions on 17 measures of academic quality. Ranks are based on methodology used by the publication that includes graduation and retention rank; peer assessment rank; faculty resources rank; financial resources rank; graduation rate performance rank; student excellence rank; graduate indebtedness rank, social mobility rank, and alumni giving rank.

Stony Brook saw increases in several individual categories, including faculty resources, peer assessment, student excellence, graduation and retention, and financial resources.

Stony Brook is a research-intensive distinguished center of innovation dedicated to addressing the world’s biggest challenges, with nearly 27,000 students, 2,800 faculty members, more than 200,000 alumni, a premier academic medical center and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs. The university embraces its mission to provide comprehensive undergraduate, graduate and professional education of the highest quality, fostering a commitment to academic research and intellectual endeavors. Its membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places it among the top 65 research institutions in North America.

The university’s distinguished faculty have earned esteemed awards such as the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize and the inaugural Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. Stony Brook has the responsibility of co-managing Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy — one of only eight universities with a role in running a national laboratory. Providing economic growth for neighboring communities and the wider geographic region, the university totals an impressive $7.23 billion in increased economic output on Long Island.