On Sept. 12, U.S. News & World Report announced the 2022-2023 Best Colleges, with Stony Brook University increasing in rank by 16 places from No. 93 to No. 77.
This is the highest ranking Stony Brook has ever achieved.
The significant increase in ranking comes after Stony Brook was recently named as a flagship in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. In addition to being ranked higher overall, the university also moved up seven places in public universities rankings, jumping to No. 31 from No. 38; this marks the first time time that Stony Brook has been ranked the No. 1 public university in New York without tying with another university.
According to their methodology, U.S News collects information from a total of 1,450 public and private colleges and universities throughout the United States, and ranks them based on 17 different measures of academic quality. In particular, they focus on measurable outcomes including graduation rates, retention rates, graduate indebtedness and social mobility.
Other factors that are weighted include the rankings of peer assessment, faculty resources, financial resources, graduation rate performances, student excellence and alumni donations.
“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,” Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis commented.
Over the past few years, Stony Brook has gradually increased its standing on a variety of different metrics. In 2021, the university was ranked No. 39 among all U.S. universities listed in the QS US University Rankings, having moved up from No. 45 the previous year.
In 2021, Stony Brook also rose significantly in the Forbes rankings, moving up 114 places in the overall rankings and 26 places among public universities.
“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,” McInnis said.
However, not all students agree with this new designation. “I’m honestly surprised that Stony Brook went up in the rankings. In my opinion there are too many students, and not enough faculty, thus decreasing the quality of education,” Justin Deng, a junior health sciences major said. “However, at the end of the day, I don’t think the rankings really mean much, and they’re not indicative of institutional quality,” Deng added.
In contrast, some students feel as though the recognition is deserved. “I feel a little proud that Stony Brook is getting some recognition, because I think sometimes we seem like underdogs,” sophomore biochemistry major Katherine He said. “It just makes me curious why our ranking was so much lower before, and why it suddenly jumped.”
