Newest Institutional Rankings Put Lehman in the Top Tier

August 31, 2026

The latest college ratings continue to reflect Lehman’s national and regional academic distinction and the value of a Lehman degree.

At No. 5, Forbes ranked Lehman ahead of Harvard, Stanford, and MIT on its list of "25 Colleges With The Highest Payoff." Niche.com's rankings put Lehman at No. 3 in “Best Value Colleges in New York” and No. 10 among the “Best Value Colleges” in America; No. 6 among “Best Colleges for Accounting and Finance in New York”; and No. 7 among best public institutions in New York State. Lehman placed within the top 100 schools nationwide on Washington Monthly's “Best Universities and Colleges for your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars,” the top 40 “Best Universities and Colleges in the Northeast,” and No. 16 in the magazine's “Top Hispanic-Serving Colleges” rankings.

Most recently, U.S. News ranked Lehman No. 5 for social mobility among regional institutions in the North—tied with Brooklyn College—and No. 13 among the top public colleges in the region. The publication bases its rankings on graduation and retention rates, assessments from peer colleges, financial resources, among other factors.

Earlier in September, TIME America’s Best Colleges ranked Lehman 36th in the nation for institutions providing the best value for students, especially STEM majors. Ahead of private institutions including Duke and Johns Hopkins, it is also among the top 10 public institutions and the top-ranked CUNY school on the list. This latest recognition of Lehman’s STEM programs and research activity is in line with the College’s goal of achieving R2 status for research institutions.