Colleges in New York run from Cornell University in Ithaca to a barber school in Hempstead, and the state oversees all of them through one of the oldest education systems in the country. Our directory lists 652 colleges and training schools, but a listing only tells you where a campus is. This page explains who regulates these schools, how public, private and career institutions differ, and what to check before you apply or enroll.

How the State Governs Colleges in New York

Every degree-granting school in the state falls under the University of the State of New York. The Board of Regents governs that umbrella body. The Regents appoint the Commissioner of Education, and the State Education Department (NYSED) carries out their policy. Its Office of Higher Education reviews and registers academic programs. A school cannot simply announce a new degree; the program has to meet state registration standards first.

In our listings you will meet three kinds of institutions, and the rules differ for each.

Public colleges belong to SUNY or CUNY. Buffalo State SUNY on Elmwood Avenue is a state-operated campus. Lehman College, on Bedford Park Boulevard West in the Bronx, is a CUNY senior college. SUNY also includes community colleges with local sponsors. Hudson Valley Community College in Troy and Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica are examples. Their budgets combine state aid, tuition and support from the sponsoring county.

Independent colleges are private, nonprofit institutions chartered by the Regents. Adelphi University in Garden City, Marist College in Poughkeepsie and Cornell University in Ithaca fall into this group. Cornell also runs several statutory colleges on the state's behalf, which is why some of its programs carry different tuition for New York residents.

Private career schools offer shorter programs in trades, healthcare, beauty and computing. NYSED's Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision licenses them under Article 101 of the Education Law. Apex Technical School in Long Island City, Branford Hall Career Institute on New Karner Road in Albany and Elmira Business Institute are all in our data. Some, such as Bryant & Stratton College's Syracuse North campus in Liverpool, also award associate and bachelor's degrees.

Colleges Across New York City's Five Boroughs

The city is where most of the state's listings sit, and the geography can confuse a search. Our database records 137 entries under the city name New York, yet only 129 under New York County. The reason is mailing addresses. Lehman College uses a New York mailing address but sits in Bronx County, so searching by city and searching by county give different results. If you want Manhattan only, use the county page. If you want the whole city, check each borough.

Kings County, which is Brooklyn, has the second-largest cluster. Neighborhoods such as Borough Park hold a dense group of religious schools, including Machzikei Hadath Rabbinical College on 16th Avenue and the Associated Beth Rivkah Schools on Crown Street. Queens has a different mix. Apex Technical School sits near Queens Plaza, Alliance Computing Solutions serves Flushing, Global Business Institute is in Far Rockaway, and Yeshiva Shaar Hatorah is in Jamaica.

In the Bronx you will find Lehman College alongside small vocational schools like Brittany Beauty Academy on East 188th Street. Staten Island's Richmond County is quieter. St Paul's School of Nursing has a campus at Teleport Drive in Corporate Commons Two. Nearly all of these campuses are reachable by subway or bus, and the 4 train serves the Bedford Park Boulevard stop near Lehman. Parking on or near most city campuses is limited, so plan to take transit.

Upstate Colleges: Rochester, Albany, Buffalo, Syracuse and Beyond

Outside the city, colleges cluster around a handful of metro areas. Rochester leads upstate with 29 listings in Monroe County, including Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School on South Goodman Street. The Capital Region around Albany, Troy and Schenectady is dense for its size. Hudson Valley Community College serves Rensselaer County from Vandenburgh Avenue, and Union Graduate College operates from Nott Terrace in Schenectady. Buffalo and Syracuse each have 15 listings, with Buffalo State SUNY as the best-known public campus in Erie County.

Rural New York works differently. A community college may be the only campus within an hour's drive, so it draws students from several counties. Binghamton is a good example. The Broome Delaware Tioga BOCES Practical Nursing Program on Glenwood Road is run by a Board of Cooperative Educational Services, a regional agency that shares programs among school districts. Plattsburgh's CVPH Medical Center School of Radiologic Technology is hospital-based, which is common for allied-health training in smaller cities.

Winter matters upstate. Lake-effect snow around Buffalo and Syracuse can close campuses for a day or more, so check a college's alert page before a weekend open house or testing date. Public transit is thin outside the larger cities, and many students rely on a car.

Long Island, Rockland County and the Religious Schools

Nassau County has 38 listings, from Adelphi University's campus on South Avenue in Garden City to the Long Island Barber Institute on Greenwich Street in Hempstead. Suffolk County, further east, has 24. Westchester County has 33, and Rockland County has 21, many of them in the Monsey area, where Yeshiva Shaar Ephraim on Maple Avenue is listed.

Some religious schools in our data are yeshiva high schools or elementary networks rather than degree-granting colleges. Others are rabbinical colleges or seminaries that award religious degrees. They may be chartered by the Regents, or they may operate under religious-education provisions with different oversight. Call the office before assuming a program leads to a transferable credential.

Checking a New York College Before You Apply

A few minutes of checking can save thousands of dollars. Use this list before you pay a deposit or sign an enrollment agreement.

The phone numbers in each listing connect to the school's main office or admissions desk. Ask for admissions or the registrar. Have your high school transcript or equivalency record, a photo ID and any prior college transcripts ready, because most offices ask for them in the first conversation.

Public colleges and universities in New York offer residents access to affordable higher education, professional certifications, and workforce training. The New York state legislature oversees funding and policy for public institutions, while individual governing boards manage each campus.

Colleges locations are available in 200 cities across New York. They are spread across 53 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include New York, Brooklyn, Rochester, reflecting the presence of major university campuses and community college districts serving large student populations.

Prospective students in New York should research in-state tuition rates, available degree programs, and financial aid options at public institutions, as these factors vary significantly between community colleges and four-year universities.

Colleges by Counties

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Students in New York applying to public colleges and universities should complete the FAFSA as early as possible to maximize eligibility for federal and state financial aid. Many New York institutions also offer state-specific grant programs with additional eligibility criteria.

Browse Colleges by county across New York to find the nearest location.

Practical Notes for Applying to a New York College

Start with money and residency, because they shape every other choice. Most state aid begins with the FAFSA. New York students then complete the Tuition Assistance Program application through HESC, the state agency that administers TAP, the Excelsior Scholarship and other grants. Deadlines for state aid are set by the state, not by individual colleges, so confirm the current dates on the HESC website before you file.

Where you apply also affects price. SUNY and CUNY charge lower tuition to New York residents. Independent colleges such as Adelphi, Marist and Cornell set their own prices, though many offer institutional aid. Career schools like Apex Technical School or Branford Hall Career Institute usually charge by program rather than by credit, so compare total program cost, not monthly payments.

Timing matters too. Fall semester applications to SUNY and CUNY campuses are best finished in the winter before. Career schools often enroll several times a year, with start dates that suit working adults. If you live upstate, ask about hybrid or evening options, since a drive to the nearest campus can take longer than the class itself.

The Board of Regents sets policy, and the State Education Department carries it out. Its Office of Higher Education registers degree programs at colleges and universities. Private career schools, such as beauty academies, barber schools and technical institutes, are licensed separately by the department's Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision. Nursing and other licensed professions also involve the Office of the Professions, which handles licensing exams and approves education programs. If a school's status is unclear, ask for its registration or license number and confirm it with the department before you pay.

In general, you must have lived in New York for at least twelve continuous months before the term begins, and you must intend to remain in the state. Campuses such as Buffalo State SUNY and Lehman College ask for documents like a state driver's license, lease, tax return or utility bills. Students who attended a New York high school for a set period may qualify under separate rules, including the state's Dream Act provisions. Contact the campus admissions or registrar office early, because residency decisions can take time and affect your bill.

New York community colleges are sponsored by a county or other local body. If you attend a community college outside the county where you live, the college may bill your home county for part of the cost. To arrange this, you typically obtain a certificate of residence from your home county's fiscal office and give it to the college. An example would be a student from a neighboring county attending Hudson Valley Community College in Troy or Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica. Ask the college's business office which county office issues the form.

Ask the school for its state license and confirm it with the State Education Department's Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision. Then ask whether the training hours satisfy the licensing requirement for your trade. Cosmetology and barbering licenses are issued by the Department of State and require a set number of training hours. Schools like Brittany Beauty Academy in the Bronx or the Long Island Barber Institute in Hempstead should be able to explain how their curriculum meets those hours. Be cautious of any school that refuses to give you a written enrollment agreement.

Rochester, Albany, Buffalo and Syracuse hold the biggest upstate groups. The Capital Region is especially compact, with Albany County alone accounting for 26 listings, including Branford Hall Career Institute. On the downstate fringe, Monsey and the surrounding Rockland County towns hold 21 listings, many of them religious schools such as Yeshiva Shaar Ephraim. Long Island's Nassau and Suffolk counties together add dozens more. Use the county pages to narrow your search to the drive time you can manage.

Our listings come from public location records that sometimes include a facility address tied to an education program rather than the program's front door. One Syracuse entry is a medical office parking garage at St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center, and the Associated Beth Rivkah Schools in Brooklyn are a school network rather than a single degree-granting college. Before you travel, call the number shown and confirm the address, the program offered and the admissions contact. Hospital-based programs often have a separate school office from the main hospital entrance.