New York Tech To Be Ranked Among National Universities

For the 2027 U.S. News annual rankings, to be announced in September, New York Institute of Technology will be included in a new ranking category, National Universities; it is no longer ranked among regional universities.

This anticipated classification change reflects New York Tech’s continued growth in doctoral education and research activity, as well as recent changes in how national classification systems categorize universities.

U.S. News & World Report evaluates more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities; more than 400 appear in the National Universities category. These institutions offer a range of undergraduate majors, plus master’s and doctoral programs, and emphasize faculty research. Regional universities offer a broad scope of undergraduate and some master’s degrees, but few doctoral programs.

New York Tech’s inclusion in the National Universities category shows that its evolution as a research-active institution is increasingly being recognized through national classification systems. Milestones in this evolution include:

• In 2018, New York Tech launched its first doctoral program, a D.O./Ph.D. in osteopathic medicine/biological sciences. It has since added doctoral programs in engineering, computer science and chemistry, with more planned.
• In 2021, then-President Hank C. Foley, Ph.D., announced a goal to achieve Research 2 (R2) “high research activity” status in another prestigious national classification system. This designation is granted by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, and R2 status recognizes doctoral universities with high levels of research activity, measured through research expenditures and doctoral degree production.
• In 2025, the Carnegie Foundation granted New York Tech Research Colleges and Universities (RCU) status—a new designation that indicates an institution spends more than $2.5 million on research annually. (There are 216 such institutions.) New York Tech is also one of 479 Opportunity Colleges and Universities; this Carnegie designation recognizes institutions that demonstrate broad access for underserved students and strong earning outcomes for their graduates. Only 33 institutions nationwide have earned both RCU and OCU designations in the new 2025 Carnegie Classifications. (New York Tech remains committed to achieving high research activity [R2] status; the next status update opportunity is in 2028.)

Over the past several years, New York Tech has significantly expanded its research enterprise through investments in research infrastructure, external partnerships, faculty scholarships, and student research opportunities. These efforts have increased sponsored research activity, expanded interdisciplinary research programs, strengthened doctoral education, and enhanced the university’s visibility among research-focused institutions.

“We welcome inclusion in this new U.S. News category as a testament to the university’s continued research activity and doctoral education growth,” says Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Accreditation Francesca Fiore, Ed.D. “We are pleased that our evolution as a research-active institution is increasingly being recognized through national classification systems.”