For Release:         Immediate – September 14, 2016

Contact:                Jerry Gretzinger, Vice President of Strategic Communications and Public Relations ­

(518) 956-7359 | jgretzinger@sunypoly.edu

SUNY Poly Rockets to Top 20 in Latest U.S. News & World Report’s Rankings of Best Colleges and 3^rd Among Regional Public Universities

First full year of data based on merger of SUNY CNSE and SUNY IT delivers significant boost in regional 4-year university rankings

ALBANY, NY – SUNY Polytechnic Institute today announced it has been ranked 18^th by U.S. News & World Report in its 2017 list of Best Colleges in the Regional Universities North category.  The ranking is SUNY Poly’s strongest showing in the annual report and a dramatic jump from its 2016 ranking of 122.  Additionally, SUNY Poly was ranked 3^rd in Top Public Regional Universities North and 25^th in Top Undergraduate Engineering Programs.  The change in rankings is attributed to the first full year of data based on the completed merger of SUNY CNSE and SUNY IT.

“SUNY Polytechnic Institute continues to position SUNY as a leader in innovation-driven course offerings, degree programs, and research while providing students and their families a top-value in higher education,” said SUNY Chairman H. Carl McCall. “The latest U.S News and World Report rankings have many impressive and much-deserved accolades for SUNY Poly. It is now among the top three public universities in the North and in the top ten for veterans. On behalf of the entire Board, I commend President Kaloyeros and the SUNY Poly faculty, staff, and students on these excellent achievements.”

“The U.S. News & World Report rankings are a testament to the excellent programs and services provided by faculty and staff across SUNY, and a reminder to our current and future students that SUNY is dedicated to providing them with a highly valuable degree that will serve them well long after graduation,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “Congratulations to SUNY Poly on this much-deserved recognition.”

“Our dramatic rise in rankings is a testament to the foresight and leadership of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the SUNY Chancellor and Board of Trustees, who realized the tremendous potential that would be unlocked through the merger of SUNY CNSE and SUNY IT. It is also a resounding endorsement of our world class faculty and staff, whose commitment to academic excellence is second to none,” said SUNY Poly Founding President and CEO, Dr. Alain Kaloyeros.  “We are thrilled that U.S. News has recognized the rapid growth and success of SUNY Poly, as well as the unmatched opportunities it provides for students.”

The annual rankings by U.S. News group schools based on their Carnegie Classification, created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.  SUNY Poly is included in the Regional Universities North category and placed 18^th overall out of 143 ranked universities.  Within its classification, SUNY Poly was also ranked:

• Tied for 3^rd in Public Regional Universities North (37^th in 2016)
• Tied for 25^th in Undergraduate Engineering Programs (not listed in 2016)
• Tied for 10^th in the Best Colleges for Veterans (not listed in 2016)

There are seven general ranking categories, each with different weights assigned to them, that U.S. News & World Report use in determining the rankings.  These categories include graduation and retention, assessment of excellence, faculty resources and financial resources, among others.

“We see the success of SUNY Poly everyday in the achievement of our students, but to have an independent evaluation of our university deliver such high marks confirms we are on the right path and strengthens our resolve to keep raising the bar,” said SUNY Poly Senior Vice President, Dr. Robert Geer. “SUNY Poly is leading the way in educational and workforce training opportunities for the careers of the 21^st century and we’re delighted that this top 20 distinction helps spread the word.”

Over the last year, SUNY Poly has also continued to expand its course offerings for students, notably in nanobioscience at its Albany site and the creation of the Interactive Media and Game Design major at its Utica site.  Combined with world-class faculty and facilities, these new opportunities are attracting top students from around the nation and the world.

“SUNY Poly has drawn on the best features of other polytechnic institutions and added a strong interaction with industry and communities to form a powerful learn-by-doing curriculum,” said Dr. William Durgin, SUNY Poly Provost.  “Our wonderfully talented faculty provides our similarly talented students with exceptional educations and the skills to insure both their success and a prosperous economy. These U. S. News rankings are testimony to the innovative work of the entire SUNY Poly team.”

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SUNY Polytechnic Institute. SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem, formed from the merger of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and SUNY Institute of Technology. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany location and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome location. Thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world’s most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts more than $43 billion in high-tech investments, over 300 corporate partners, and maintains a statewide footprint. The 1.65 million-square-foot Albany NanoTech megaplex is home to more than 4,000 scientists, researchers, engineers, students, faculty, and staff, in addition to Tech Valley High School. SUNY Poly operates the Smart Cities Technology Innovation Center (SCiTI) at Kiernan Plaza in Albany, the Solar Energy Development Center in Halfmoon, the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology (CMOST) in Troy, the Central New York Hub for Emerging Nano Industries in Syracuse, the Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center (STC) in Canandaigua, and the Photovoltaic Manufacturing and Technology Development Facility in Rochester where SUNY Poly also leads the American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics. SUNY Poly founded and manages the Computer Chip Commercialization Center (Quad-C) at its Utica location and also manages the $500 million New York Power Electronics Manufacturing Consortium, with nodes in Albany and Rochester, as well as the Buffalo High-Tech Manufacturing Innovation Hub at RiverBend, Buffalo Information Technologies Innovation and Commercialization Hub, and Buffalo Medical Innovation and Commercialization Hub. For information visit www.sunycnse.com and www.sunypoly.edu.