SUNY Canton Advances to Top 10 on U.S. News & World Report’s ‘Best Colleges’ List
SUNY Canton has earned its highest-ever scores from U.S. News and World Report in their 2024 Best Colleges edition, released Monday, Sept. 18.
The college jumped up eight spots from last year to crack the top 10, landing in ninth place overall on the “Regional Colleges — North” list. It also saw significant gains in the “Best Value Schools,” moving up to seventh place. These categories encompass public and private colleges in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont that focus on undergraduate education, but grant fewer than half their degrees in liberal arts disciplines.
When compared to its public peer institutions, U.S. News also moved the college up three spots to sixth place on the “Top Public Regional Colleges – North” list.
To determine its rankings, the publication evaluates graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, class sizes, selectivity, and financial resources available for students, among other criteria. The college first appeared on the annual list in 2011.
“After making strides in the U.S. News & World Report rankings for more than 10 years, it’s important to reflect on all the successes that have brought us to this moment,” said President Zvi Szafran. “Developing new, in-demand academic programs, expanding and strengthening on-campus and online student services, enhancing retention efforts, and developing more affordable pathways to degrees are only just a few of the ways in which we have evolved.”
In addition to public and private college lists, the magazine releases a “Best Regional Colleges for Veterans” category, where SUNY Canton climbed up two spots to fourth place in the North region. Well-known for its military-friendly culture, the college regularly receives Gold status on the annual Military Friendly® school rankings.
U.S. News debuted a new category in 2019 for social mobility, and SUNY Canton has steadily risen in that area as well, moving up to 14th on the 2024 regional list. The magazine said top performers in social mobility are measured by how well they enrolled and graduated Pell grant recipients, who typically come from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually.
“We continue to explore economical ways our students can increase their skill sets, salaries and professional networks, most notably through microcredentialing,” Szafran added.
The college currently offers 17 microcredentials, which are designed to be completed in months, not years, and provide immediate evidence of skills to employers. Areas of study include child care, cybersecurity principles, data science, death investigation, drone surveillance, emergency management, investigative analysis, and true crime investigation.
View the U.S. News rankings in their entirety.
As Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs, SUNY Canton delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, management, and healthcare fields. It is home to the Center for Criminal Justice, Intelligence and Cybersecurity. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 23 online degree programs. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity esports and cheerleading.