Binghamton named #1 SUNY school by Forbes and Wall Street Journal

Binghamton University has been named the top school in the State University of New York system in not one but two of the country’s leading college rankings.

Binghamton ranked above SUNY schools like the University at Albany, the University at Buffalo and Stony Brook on Forbes’ “America’s Top Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal’s “2025 Best Colleges in the U.S.”

“The SUNY system is home to some really impressive schools, so it’s exciting to see Binghamton take the top SUNY spot of both of these prestigious lists,” said President Harvey Stenger. “Our job is to provide students from all backgrounds, from New York to across the globe, with the tools and opportunities they need to succeed, and these rankings highlight that.”

The Wall Street Journal

To determine its ranking, The Wall Street Journal commissioned one of the largest-ever independent surveys of students and college alumni. Each ranking was based on three main elements:

• Student outcomes, which included factors like the school’s graduation rate and the boost in salary students get after they graduate, accounted for 70% of the score.
• Learning environment, which considered what learning opportunities, facilities and career preparation the school offers, accounted for 20%.
• Diversity, which included opportunities to interact with students from different backgrounds and inclusion of students with lower family earnings and students with disabilities, made up the remaining 10%.

Binghamton was ranked the #2 public university and the #13 university overall in New York. Binghamton also ranked high in several subcategories, including:

• #1 SUNY in Best Salaries
• #2 SUNY and #10 in New York in Best Value

Forbes

To determine its ranking, Forbes first evaluated schools using data from two federal education databases (the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and College Scorecard), Payscale, public policy think tank Third Way; the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics; as well as data from its own lists.

Each remaining school was then ranked by the following measures:

• Alumni salary (20%)
• Debt (15%)
• Graduation rate (15%)
• Return on Investment (15%)
• Retention Rate (10%)
• Academic Success (10%)
• Forbes American Leaders list (15%)

The American Leaders list is unique to Forbes and measures the leadership and entrepreneurial success of each school’s graduates and considers how many appeared on its unique lists (e.g. 30 Under 30, Richest Self-Made Women) as well as award winners (e.g. Academy Awards, Nobel Prize) and those with high-profile carers in government and sports.

Binghamton was ranked the #2 public and the #8 overall in New York. In addition, Forbes ranked Binghamton the #26 public, #36 in the Northeast and the #56 research university.

“These rankings put an emphasis on experience and outcomes, and Binghamton excels in both areas,” said Provost Donald Hall. “Students here enjoy a diverse learning environment with top faculty, state-of-the-art facilities and opportunities galore, and when they leave they find well-paying careers in a variety of fields. I’m proud to see Binghamton top the SUNY system on both lists.”

View the full Wall Street Journal list. View the Forbes list.