UAlbany Rises Among Washington Monthly’s Top-Ranked Universities

UAlbany is up 10 spots in Washington Monthly’s annual rankings of colleges and universities. (Photo by Patrick Dodson)

ALBANY, N.Y. (Sept. 6, 2018) – The University at Albany was once again recognized among the nation’s top universities by Washington Monthly in its 2018 “College Guide and Rankings.”

UAlbany advanced 10 spots from last year, ranking No. 43 among 316 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. 45 in the Northeast.

A Leader in Social Mobility

Washington Monthly offers annual rankings of colleges and universities based on contributions to the public good in three evenly weighted categories: improving social mobility, producing groundbreaking research and promoting public service.

Among the three categories, UAlbany ranked notably high – No. 32 – in social mobility.

Some 29 percent of the University’s total student body are the first in their family to go to college, according to the magazine’s data. That percentage is even higher for this year’s freshmen class. Of the 2,750 students in the Class of 2022, 31 percent are first-generation college students. The class comes from 23 states and 21 countries.

Last year, a study published in The New York Times ranked UAlbany among the top 20 “selective public colleges” in the nation for offering students who come from poverty the greatest opportunity to achieve wealth in adulthood.

UAlbany has also been lauded by The Education Trust as a top-10 performing institution for both Latino/a and black student success.

“At UAlbany, we are not only committed to preparing tomorrow’s leaders and global citizens, but also to creating pathways to excellence and social mobility to first-generation college students and underrepresented minorities,” said President Havidán Rodríguez. “It is at the center of UAlbany’s mission to create an inclusive campus environment where all members of the community are supported to be the authors of their own success—and it is rewarding to see that the Washington Monthly recognizes these efforts.”

Measuring Public Good

Now in its 13th year, Washington Monthly offers its annual ranking of colleges and universities with a deliberately different emphasis than U.S. News & World Report. Its focus is on institutions that are enrolling students from all backgrounds, and helping them to earn a high-quality degree at an affordable price.

Accessibility and affordability go hand in hand with academic excellence in the study.

“Instead of rewarding schools that reject 95 percent of applicants, we give high marks to colleges that enroll lots of low-income students and help them graduate and earn a good living without too much debt,” said Kevin Carey in Washington Monthly’s introduction article for the 2018 rankings.

“We factor in pure research spending and the number of undergraduates who go on to earn PhDs. And we give extra weight to colleges that send their graduates out into the world to serve the community at large,” he added.

You can learn more about Washington Monthly’s ranking system here.

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