53 Best colleges for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in New York City, US

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in New York City ranked based on their research performance in Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. A graph of 17.8M citations received by 508K academic papers made by 53 universities in New York City was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Columbia University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1 in New York State

#6 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1530
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $20,869

2. New York University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#3 in New York State

#16 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Average SAT: 1525
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $30,730

3. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#8 in New York State

#102 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 1,234
Male:Female: 39:61
Founded: 1963

4. Fordham University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#10 in New York State

#129 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 56%
Average SAT: 1410
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $45,368

5. CUNY Graduate School and University Center

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#12 in New York State

#134 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Enrollment: 9,116
Male:Female: 33:67
Founded: 1961

6. Rockefeller University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#14 in New York State

#179 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 286
Male:Female: 51:49
Founded: 1901

7. New School

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#15 in New York State

#187 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Net Price: $62,226
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $20,504

8. CUNY Hunter College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#16 in New York State

#208 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Average SAT: 1340
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $9,624

9. St John's University - New York

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#18 in New York State

#218 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 1215
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $28,206

10. CUNY City College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#20 in New York State

#221 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Average SAT: 1340
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $9,236

11. King's College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#21 in New York State

#227 in the United States

Net Price: $34,192
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $24,640
Enrollment: 442

12. CUNY Brooklyn College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#22 in New York State

#232 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Average SAT: 1280
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $9,290

13. CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#23 in New York State

#235 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Average SAT: 1310
Receiving Aid: 88%
Average Aid: $9,867

14. New York Law School

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#24 in New York State

#236 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 47%
Enrollment: 1,056
Male:Female: 35:65
Founded: 1891

15. CUNY Queens College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#25 in New York State

#251 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Average SAT: 1210
Receiving Aid: 83%
Average Aid: $8,904

16. Yeshiva University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#26 in New York State

#261 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 64%
Average SAT: 1410
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $38,118

17. CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#27 in New York State

#268 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 1125
Receiving Aid: 92%
Average Aid: $9,284

18. Pace University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#28 in New York State

#281 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1229
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $34,299

19. SUNY Downstate Medical Center

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#31 in New York State

#296 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Enrollment: 2,204
Male:Female: 29:71
Founded: 1860

20. Barnard College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#34 in New York State

#306 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Average SAT: 1502
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $27,738

21. Phillips School of Nursing at Mount Sinai Beth Israel

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#42 in New York State

#360 in the United States

Receiving Aid: 0%
Enrollment: 273
Male:Female: 12:88

22. Lehman College, CUNY

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#43 in New York State

#375 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Average SAT: 1040
Receiving Aid: 93%
Average Aid: $9,389

23. College of Staten Island CUNY

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#48 in New York State

#396 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Receiving Aid: 83%
Average Aid: $8,174
Enrollment: 10,736

24. Brooklyn Law School

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#53 in New York State

#449 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Enrollment: 1,174
Male:Female: 37:63
Founded: 1901

25. Manhattan College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#65 in New York State

#603 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Average SAT: 1245
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $28,349

26. Wagner College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#66 in New York State

#611 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Average SAT: 1235
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $28,109

27. Touro College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#69 in New York State

#656 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Average SAT: 1358
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $25,934

28. CUNY School of Law

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#70 in New York State

#666 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Enrollment: 681
Male:Female: 34:66
Founded: 1983

29. Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#75 in New York State

#720 in the United States

Enrollment: 220
Male:Female: 40:60

30. Pratt Institute - Main

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#80 in New York State

#759 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Average SAT: 1320
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $51,702

31. School of Visual Arts

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#81 in New York State

#765 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1308
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $59,211

32. CUNY New York City College of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#82 in New York State

#767 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1040
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $7,904

33. Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#84 in New York State

#816 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $37,171
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $7,718

34. SUNY College of Optometry

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#87 in New York State

#843 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 394
Male:Female: 23:77
Founded: 1971

35. Jewish Theological Seminary of America

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#97 in New York State

#979 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Average SAT: 1500
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $54,588

36. St Francis College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#100 in New York State

#988 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $22,766
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $18,540

37. Marymount Manhattan College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#102 in New York State

#1014 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1200
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $38,426

38. Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#104 in New York State

#1041 in the United States

Enrollment: 266
Male:Female: 37:63

39. New York College of Podiatric Medicine

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#105 in New York State

#1054 in the United States

Enrollment: 349
Male:Female: 42:58
Founded: 1911

40. Fashion Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#106 in New York State

#1072 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Receiving Aid: 73%
Average Aid: $7,940
Enrollment: 8,108

41. Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#107 in New York State

#1093 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 19%
Average SAT: 1460
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $28,199

42. Bank Street College of Education

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#111 in New York State

#1137 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 597
Male:Female: 15:85
Founded: 1916

43. CUNY Medgar Evers College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#115 in New York State

#1237 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Average SAT: 890
Receiving Aid: 90%
Average Aid: $7,896

44. Metropolitan College of New York

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#120 in New York State

#1327 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Net Price: $27,481
Receiving Aid: 96%
Average Aid: $6,565

45. LIM College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#122 in New York State

#1339 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 99%
Average SAT: 1095
Average ACT: 20
Net Price: $39,389

46. College of Mount Saint Vincent

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#123 in New York State

#1340 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1060
Net Price: $21,844
Receiving Aid: 93%

47. General Theological Seminary

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#128 in New York State

#1422 in the United States

Enrollment: 56

48. Relay Graduate School of Education

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#130 in New York State

#1445 in the United States

Enrollment: 1,911
Male:Female: 26:74
Founded: 2011

49. Juilliard School

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#134 in New York State

#1524 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Net Price: $42,468
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $38,649

50. Monroe College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#137 in New York State

#1557 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 66%
Net Price: $11,476
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $15,735

51. Manhattan School of Music

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#139 in New York State

#1640 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Net Price: $51,879
Receiving Aid: 87%
Average Aid: $22,868

52. SUNY Maritime College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#144 in New York State

#1708 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1188
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 81%

53. Sotheby's Institute of Art - NY

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#145 in New York State

#1722 in the United States

Enrollment: 175
Male:Female: 14:86

Universities for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences near New York City

Distance, km 📏 km	University	Country rank 🏆	City
11	Stevens Institute of Technology	297	Hoboken, New Jersey
13	New Jersey City University	696	Jersey, New Jersey
13	Saint Peter's University	711	Jersey, New Jersey
22	New Jersey Institute of Technology	253	Newark, New Jersey
25	Adelphi University	342	Garden City, New York
25	Kean University	503	Union Township, New Jersey
26	Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus	387	Teaneck, New Jersey
27	Seton Hall University	317	South Orange, New Jersey
29	Hofstra University	219	Hempstead, New York
30	Montclair State University	277	Montclair, New Jersey

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences subfields in New York City

Broadcast Journalism10

Classics and Ancient History31

Communications and Public Relations30

Criminology and Criminal Justice24

Early Childhood Education13

Education Majors34

Forensic Science7

Gender Studies31

Human Rights Law16

Intellectual Property and Patent Law10

International Law16

International Relations and Diplomacy15

Journalism and Digital Media17

Law Enforcement19

Library and Information science36

Media Studies27

Military science21

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution13

Occupational Safety and Health11

Political Economy19

Political Science50

Public Policy / Administration25

Radio and Television broadcasting8

Special Education14

Sports / Exercise science6

Theology / Divinity / Religious studies38

Urban and Regional planning9