State University of New York at Geneseo - National Distinction and Rankings

National Distinction and Rankings

In 2008 Kiplinger's Personal Finance listed the college as the number one "Best Value Public College" in the nation for out-of-state students, and number six in the nation for in-state residents. Geneseo has been distinguished in Kiplinger's Top Ten "Best Value Public Colleges," both in and out-of-state since 2005. US News & World Report’s 2005 edition of Guide to America’s Best Colleges: Geneseo is ranked No. 12 in the category “Best Universities-Master’s” for all colleges, public or private, in the northern region. Geneseo is also ranked No. 2 among the top public universities in the north. Geneseo was listed in the 2005 “Fiske Guide to Colleges,” a guide published annually by former New York Times Education Editor Edward B. Fiske. In the Fiske guide, Geneseo is highlighted as a “Best Buy” school, and is lauded for its academic programs, accessible professors and hometown atmosphere. The Princeton Review profiled Geneseo in the 2005 edition of “The Princeton Review’s Guide to the Best 357 Colleges,” and the college was ranked No. 3 on that publication’s list of “Best Bargains – Public” among all public colleges and universities nationwide.

Geneseo has been regularly profiled in the Princeton Review, Kiplinger's, Fiske, and US News and World Report in annual publications since 1985. In 2008, Kiplinger's reported that SUNY Geneseo "could just be the best public college you've never heard of", as the publication ranks it the #1 public school in the nation for the best valued "first-rate education" for out-of-state students. U.S. News & World Report magazine has named the State University of New York at Geneseo among 80 colleges and universities in the country with a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching. The special list is contained in the magazine’s 2010 rankings of the country’s top colleges and universities.

Other national distinctions include recognitions from Money Magazine and Yahoo! Internet Life's 100 "most wired" campuses list (#90 in 1998, #49 in 1999, and in 2000 the list was divided by type of school and Geneseo placed #82 in the "larger universities" category).

Recent recognition for Geneseo has also come in the New York Times. In July 2006, the Times profiled 20 colleges and universities of "established or rising scholarship" which are fast becoming viable alternatives to Ivy League institutions. In addition to its characterization of Geneseo as one of this country's "hidden gems," the Times noted that the college is "increasingly seen as a first choice for high achievers" and further observed that as the "most selective of SUNY's comprehensive colleges", Geneseo is fast becoming New York's alternative for students who "chose not to go to the Ivies".

The college itself considers Boston College, Colgate University, Cornell University, Hamilton College, and the University of Rochester as its primary competitors and claims that it ranks among the "two or three most selective public undergraduate colleges in the nation".