Dear New York Tech students, faculty, and staff:

I want to share some exciting and positive news with you—a high point in a year that has been filled with news and events that have challenged our world and our institution. I also want to express my appreciation to the entire community—to our hardworking, dedicated students and to our talented faculty and staff—for the continued momentum we’re experiencing at New York Tech.

Today, U.S. News & World Report announced its annual rankings, and for the second straight year, New York Tech jumped eight points in the regional (North) universities listing—this year to No. 34. This marks the tenth consecutive year that New York Institute of Technology has ranked among the top 50 universities in the North.

In addition to criteria that distinguish us from our peers (low student-to-faculty ratio, small class sizes, value, and diversity), the university’s surge this year is attributed to significant improvements in both freshmen retention and graduation rates. Trend data for recent years shows the incline in the graduation rate of our students, particularly those who are Pell-eligible, coupled with a sustained increase in financial resources provided, per student, by New York Tech.

I’ve frequently stated that rankings in and of themselves are not a goal or objective, but they do show that our laser focus on the student experience—including strategic initiatives to enhance teaching and learning, curriculum linkage to career outcomes and experiential opportunities, and enhancements to engagement, advisement, student services, and teaching innovation—has had a direct impact on retention and degree completion.

We also see our diversity and inclusion efforts paying off overall, and in specific areas such as veterans affairs, as we continue to enhance our ability to deliver a great educational experience and value to our students.

The complete list of 2021 U.S. News & World Report rankings announced today includes:

• #34 Best Regional Universities (North), up from #42 in 2020 and #50 in 2019
• #2 Campus Ethnic Diversity (Regional Universities - North), up from #4 in 2020
• #15 Best Colleges for Veterans (Regional Universities - North), up from #23 in 2020
• #4 Most International Students (Regional Universities - North)
• #56 Best Value Schools (Regional Universities - North)
• #73 Top Performer on Social Mobility (Regional Universities - North), a 9-point jump from 2020
• #46 Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (National - no doctorate)
• #230 Computer Science Undergraduate Programs (National - no doctorate), a new ranking in 2021

Regards,

Hank Foley, Ph.D.
President, New York Institute of Technology