Webb Institute, SUNY Stony Brook, Hofstra, US Merchant Marine Academy Top "Best Colleges" List

By Priya Persaud

Among the 388 best colleges in the United States, 47 of the colleges are in New York, as reported by The Princeton Review’s “Best 388 Colleges: 2023 Edition.”

And of those, four Long Island universities - Hofstra University, Stony Brook University, the Webb Institute, and the United States Merchant Marine Academy - are listed as being among the best colleges in the nation.

The list did not rank all of the 388 colleges. Instead, only the top 25 colleges were ranked in 50 categories. These categories were specifically created to aid college-bound people in determining which institutions would best fit their personal and academic needs.

The Webb Institute, highly acknowledged in The Princeton Review list, was founded in 1889 by shipbuilder, philanthropist, and entrepreneur William Webb. Located in Glen Cove, the Webb Institute focuses on ensuring that each one of its 100 students receives a dual degree in marine engineering and naval architecture.

President Mark Martecchini of the Webb Institute, thrilled by the Princeton Review recognition, said, “You are exposed to the industry very early throughout your curriculum. You go to sea; you work in office design.”

The Director of Admissions at the Webb Institute, Lauren Carballo noted that "students also get an internship every year that is two months long that they get paid for.” and that Webb maintains "a 100% placement rate for jobs and has its graduates earning some of the highest starting salaries in the nation."

Hofstra University was founded in 1935, and currently has 6,125 undergraduates and 4,324 graduate students.

Stony Brook University was founded in 1957, and is part of the SUNY state university system. Stony Brook currently has 18,010 undergraduates and 8,772 graduate students.

The US Merchant Marine Academy is located in Kings Point on the Great Neck peninsula.

The Academy was founded by Act of Congress in 1943 - in the middle of the Second World War - and dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who stated that "this Academy serves the Merchant Marine as West Point serves the Army, and Annapolis serves the Navy..."

The Merchant Marine Academy has 1,011 Midshipmen undergraduate students.