A street view of the 11th Avenue Entrance of John Jay College building with "JOHN JAY" across the glass facade, with an NYC taxi and vehicles on the street.

U.S. News Ranks John Jay #6 in Top Public Colleges

John Jay College is #6 in top public schools for 2027 in the North U.S. News, according to their analysis of 13 indicators measuring academic quality and graduate success for more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities. Learn more about the methodology. 

Committed to educating fierce advocates for justice, this recognition reflects John Jay’s mission to provide students from historically underrepresented communities with access to higher education and the economic, social and other benefits of earning a college degree. With tuition a fraction of the average cost of attending comparable colleges nationwide, 85% of John Jay students graduate with $0 student debt. Learn more about the affordability of a John Jay degree. 

U.S. News analysts and editors calculate rankings to help students and their families identify colleges that best meet their needs. Their regional rankings are based on 13 indicators including graduation rate, retention rate, peer assessment, earnings by major and financial resources.

John Jay is also ranked #1 nationwide for most affordable forensic psych and forensic science programs, #3 nationwide for sending Black students to law school and #13 for Hispanic students, #3 nationwide for social mobility by US News & World Report, #5 nationwide in Best Value by the Wall Street Journal, #5 in the Northeast for Best Bang for the Buck by Washington Monthly and a Best College in America by Money magazine.