UAlbany Rises Again in Washington Monthly’s Rankings for Top Universities

UAlbany advanced seven spots in Washington Monthly's annual national rankings.

ALBANY, N.Y. (Sept. 27, 2019) – The University at Albany is continuing to rise among the nation’s top universities, according to Washington Monthly, which has released its 2019 “College Guide and Rankings.”

UAlbany advanced seven spots from last year’s national rankings, listed at No. 36 among 395 public and private universities, the highest of all SUNY schools. It was also heralded as a top university for delivering the “Best Bang for the Buck,” ranking No. 28 in the Northeast, up 17 spots from 2018.

UAlbany has seen a steady rise in the Washington Monthly’s rankings, released annually. Last year, the University moved up 10 spots from 2017.

Recognized for Social Mobility

Washington Monthly’s national rankings are based on “contributions to the public good.” Three evenly weighted categories are taken into account: improving social mobility, producing groundbreaking research, and promoting public service.

Among the three categories, UAlbany highest ranking this year is in social mobility – No. 32.

Some 30 percent of the University’s total student body are the first in their family to go to college, according to the magazine’s data, and federal Pell Grant recipients – a federal subsidy for students with financial need – graduate at a rate that is 1 percent higher than the University as a whole.

About 30 percent of UAlbany's total student body are the first in their family to go to college, according to Washington Monthly data.

This fall, UAlbany welcomed some 2,700 freshmen, who together make up one of the most academically accomplished and diverse classes in school history. About 40 percent of the Class of 2023 come from underrepresented groups.

In its 2020 report, U.S. News and World Report also recognized UAlbany among the nation’s leaders for social mobility – ranking the University at a tie for No. 27 nationally and fourth in New York.

Measuring Public Good

Since 2005, Washington Monthly has offered its annual rankings of colleges and universities with a deliberately different emphasis than many of the other national ranking platforms, according to its detailed ranking methodology. The focus is on institutions that are enrolling students from all backgrounds, and helping them to earn a high-quality degree at an affordable price.

“Over the last fifteen years, we’ve steadily added new data to our rankings of what colleges do for their country by promoting social mobility, research, and public service. That perspective… creates a very different definition of excellence,” Carey said, in an explainer article for the 2019 rankings.

“Our list of top national universities is a mix of familiar elite schools and public universities that should receive more credit than they often do,” he added.

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