The decision between colleges is one of the most important decisions a person, and a family, has to make.

You have to weigh a number of important factors: academic rigor, reputation, living conditions, and of course, the price of tuition, when deciding which university is best for you. You can speak with alumni, you can go on tours, and you can do hours worth of research, but ultimately, you'll have to make your final choice.

If you're in the Empire State, and choosing between colleges, this list may be for you.

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The American business magazine Forbes recently published rankings, listing the top-ranked colleges in the United States heading into the 2022-23 academic year.

In order to generate these rankings each year, the following criteria is considered or implemented:

  • School data comes from The College Scorecard and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), two federal databases that track student outcomes and institutional characteristics.
  • Financial information comes from PayScale, a salary reporting and comparison company; Third Way, a D.C.-based think tank that developed the Price-to-Earnings Premium; and the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES).
  • Schools with fewer than 300 total undergraduates are removed.

All of these factors are weighed when putting together the final list of rankings. From there, Forbes also presents financial information on average grant aid, average student debt and median 10-year salary for graduates of each institution on the list.

In total, 12 institutions in New York were included in the list's Top 100, with Syracuse University falling just outside of that mark, coming in at No. 102. A smattering of the schools in New York are located in New York City, with others falling in various locations across Upstate.

Below, you'll find our rankings of the top colleges in New York, each with their ranking from Forbes' top college list. Did your alma mater make the list?

Forbes: These 12 New York Colleges are Among the Country's Top 100

School is in-session in New York, and a recent report from Forbes has identified these Empire State universities as some of the best in the country.

These are the Capital Region's Best Colleges, Ranked

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