TIME Ranks Fisher among 2026-2027 America’s Best Colleges

St. John Fisher University has been named among the top 200 on the “2026-2027” America’s Best Colleges list developed by TIME and data research firm Statista.

Fisher placed No. 191 nationwide. In the ranking’s subcategories, Fisher placed No. 32 within New York State and No. 2 in Rochester.

Formerly the Wall Street Journal America’s Best Colleges list, TIME, in partnership with Statista, the leading global provider of market and consumer data and rankings, published the ranking following a quantitative study that highlights institutions that excel at three key pillars: student outcomes, learning environment, and attractiveness to students.

“This recognition is a reflection of our continuing commitment to student success and graduate outcomes. We have a clear direction, talented and dedicated faculty and staff, and a shared belief in the transformational nature of a Fisher education, and most importantly, in our students,” said Dr. Gerard J. Rooney, president of the University. “These types of recognitions drive our momentum and ensure that we remain focused on the work that matters most: helping students persist and succeed, strengthening programs that meet emerging workforce and community needs, and creating the conditions that allow our students to thrive.”

Within each pillar, institutions are assessed on a variety of factors. In student success, graduation rates, graduates’ earnings, and return on education are analyzed. In the learning environment pillar, the study focused on student-to-faculty ratio, core expenditure per student, and diversity. The attractiveness pillar assesses the degree to which an institution is genuinely sought-after by prospective students.

Eligibility criteria required institutions to be: currently active and financially solvent; federally recognized and eligible (holds active Title IV federal financial aid eligibility status); public or private not-for-profit—for-profit institutions are excluded; primarily four-year, degree-granting—the institution’s primary focus is on bachelor’s degrees or higher;  located in a U.S. state or the District of Columbia; minimum undergraduate enrollment (must have enrolled an average of at least 750 full-time equivalent undergraduate students across the past four years). Institutions receive scores on each pillar, which were then aggregated into a final score used to produce the ranking.

Fisher has continued to experience a period of growth and momentum that has enhanced the learning environment for students, attracted top candidates into its academic programs, bolstered its alumni outcomes, and enhanced campus.

Since 2020, the institution has launched the first online Pharm.D. pathway in New York State; an online pathway for its M.S. in Nursing program; the Doctor of Nursing Practice in Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesia (CRNA) and Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program; and several new undergraduate programs, including athletic performance, artificial intelligence, human services, entrepreneurship and innovation, neuroscience and behavior, healthcare administration, and actuarial science.

Additionally, Fisher was the first college in upstate New York to implement the Apple technology program, and launched the iFisher: Next Generation Learning Initiative, which provides an iPad to every undergraduate student. The initiative was part of a larger strategic investment in the teaching and learning environment which included the creation of the DePeters Family Center for Innovation and Teaching Excellence; the modernization of dozens of classrooms across campus to include active learning spaces with modular furniture and cutting-edge technology; and new laboratory equipment. Most recently, Fisher was named an Apple Distinguished School for 2026-2029, the second time the University has earned the distinction.

In fall 2025, the University opened the newly modernized and renovated Lavery Library. The multimillion-dollar project – the largest capital project both in scope and investment in the institution’s history – has reimagined how students will research, study, and gather.

For more than a decade, Fisher has also achieved enrollment success. The incoming Class of 2030 is comprised of more than 600 students who were selected from the largest applicant pool in University history. The academic quality and diversity of the class is consistent with Fisher’s historic high, and this is the 10th consecutive year of more than 600 first-year students choosing Fisher. Outside of New York state, members of the Class of 2030 arrived to campus from 20 different states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, and from distances including California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado, marking the second highest number of out-of-state students to the University.

Upon graduation, students consistently find professional success. First Destination Outcomes for the Class of 2025 report that nearly 90% of those surveyed said their first destination outcomes were extremely related to their career goals; with the vast majority successfully finding employment or continuing their education.

The University is in year two of its Strategic Plan, “Fisher 2030: Pathways to Purpose,” with a focus on three priorities including student success, organizational innovation, and community engagement.