Awards, Rankings and Fast Facts
With roots that stretch back to the 1860s, Adelphi University has been transforming lives with our unique approach to learning for more than 150 years.
Throughout the decades, we’ve welcomed students from around the globe, expanded our academic offerings and geographic reach, and celebrated significant milestones in diversity, rankings, and successful outcomes.
Today, we’re thriving and making a life-changing impact on students, the community and world.
National Recognition
Wonderful things are happening at Adelphi, and others are taking notice. We’re proud to be nationally recognized by well-respected national publications and educational organizations.
Ranked a U.S. News & World Report Best College
For a sixth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report ranked Adelphi as a Best College among national universities. Adelphi’s ranking jumped significantly after U.S. News changed its methodology, placing greater emphasis on outcome measures like graduation rates and social mobility.
- Best College, moving up 19 spots to No. 163
- Best College in First-Year Experiences, jumping 17 spots to No. 32
- Best Value School, rising 35 spots to No. 67
- Top Performer on Social Mobility, surging an unprecedented 85 spots to No. 55
Highly Ranked Programs
U.S. News & World Report also released its 2024 rankings for Best Undergraduate Programs. The following programs have been ranked in the top 300 among 2,000 programs in the United States.
- Best Undergraduate Nursing Program (since 2022)
- Best Undergraduate Psychology Program
These programs were ranked in earlier years:
- Best Nursing Master’s Program (2022)
- Best Graduate Social Work Program (2023 and 2022)
- Best Part-Time MBA Program (2022)
- Best Graduate School for Psychology (2022)
- Best Graduate School for Speech-Language Pathology (2020, the most recent ranking)
- Best Clinical Psychology (Doctorate) Program (2020, the most recent ranking)
Three Adelphi Grad Programs Among Tops in 2024 U.S. News & World Report Rankings
U.S. News & World Report has recognized three Adelphi University graduate programs that deliver outstanding academic experiences.
U.S. News ranked the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program, offered by Adelphi’s College of Nursing and Public Health (CNPH), among the top MSN programs for 2024. CNPH also was listed among the Best Public Health Schools for 2024, for its Master of Public Health program.
In addition, USN&WR included the part-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at Adelphi’s Robert B. Willumstad School of Business among its top graduate programs for 2024.
Our graduate programs are increasing both their national reputations and the quality they offer to those seeking to further their education, both online and in person.

Adelphi Named to Phi Theta Kappa’s 2023 Transfer Honor Roll
Phi Theta Kappa recognizes Adelphi as one of America’s most accommodating four-year universities for community college transfer students. Showcasing only 208 of the top 25% of transfer-friendly institutions nationwide, the PTK Honor Roll has recognized Adelphi for seven consecutive years since 2017.
Forbes: Adelphi Ranks Among “America’s Best Employers By State” for 2023
Adelphi University is one of just four employers—and the only university on Long Island—to be named among America’s Best Employers By State for 2023 by Forbes. Of the nine universities in New York State to make the list, Adelphi ranks higher than Columbia University, Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Rochester.
Fiske Guide to Colleges
Adelphi University is featured in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2022. Each year, the Fiske Guide to Colleges offers profiles on more than 300 of the “best and most interesting” colleges in the country. Fully updated and expanded each year, the Fiske Guide to Colleges guide is a top resource for college-bound students and their parents.
No. 1 for Career Guidance
Adelphi University won the 2020 John L. Blackburn Exemplary Models Award from the American Association of University Administrators (AAUA) for our innovative Prep for Success program. Created by our Center for Career and Professional Development, the program helps students with everything from the most basic job-search skills to valuable work experience through paid internships with leading organizations.
Adelphi University is one of 24 New York institutions named a 2023–2024 Career Development College of Distinction. This national award recognizes Adelphi’s superior ability to create strategic career plans and equip our students with the skills necessary to succeed after they graduate.
Adelphi University’s Strong Support for Military Students
Adelphi Recognized for Military Support
Colleges of Distinction recognized Adelphi University for “ensuring that military students are welcomed, supported and inspired at every stage of their journey.”
Adelphi Designated as a Military Friendly School
Adelphi University earned a 2023-2024 Military Friendly® School with a Silver ranking — reflecting our strong commitment to supporting our military and veteran students.
Highest Honors for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
For the sixth consecutive year, Adelphi has received the INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award—a national recognition given in 2023 to the top 108 colleges and universities with an outstanding commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
- 2022 INSIGHT Into Diversity Inspiring Programs in STEM Award went to Adelphi—also for the fifth year in a row. This year’s was for our reenvisioned computer science program.
- A Newman Civic Fellowship was awarded to an Adelphi undergraduate in 2023, as well as in the previous five years.
- 2020 District II CASE Awards for Diversity in Programming
- 2020 Institutional Excellence Award from the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE)
- 2020 Inspiring Affinity Group Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity
- The 2019 Encoura Innovation Award for our Mentoring Program
Adelphi Adds 2023 Campus Pride “Best of the Best” to 5-Star Rating
Adelphi is the only university on Long Island named a 2023 Campus Pride “Best of the Best” LGBTQ-friendly campus—added to our 5-star Campus Pride Index recognition.
Award-Winning Mentoring and Career Guidance Provide an Upward Path
Social Mobility
U.S. News & World Report ranked Adelphi as a Top Performer on Social Mobility, a distinction for schools that enroll and graduate the largest proportion of students receiving need-based Pell Grants. This award recognizes the many support programs Adelphi offers our students, which engage students more deeply in campus life and provide a pathway to a degree and career success.
Equity and Inclusion
Colleges of Distinction has awarded Adelphi University an Equity and Inclusion recognition for our efforts to enroll and support a diverse student body through high-impact practices that are accessible to all.
Adelphi Ranked as a Top Five School for Campus Safety
Adelphi University has been recognized among the top five leaders nationwide among Safe Campus’ top 10 rankings.
Adelphi PAC is a Top 35 University Performing Arts Center
Adelphi University’s Performing Arts Center has been recognized among the 35 Best University Performing Arts Centers in the U.S. by Clickit Ticket—which described it as “a haven of creativity” and one of “the best places in the United States to see dynamic student productions as well as those by world-renowned artists.”
Top Honors to Adelphi’s President Christine M. Riordan, PhD
Adelphi University’s 10th president and the first woman to serve in the role.
- The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) awarded Dr. Riordan their highest honor in 2021 for her “outstanding efforts in promoting the understanding and support of education.” The organization also cited her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic—both at Adelphi and across our region as a guiding voice in New York state’s higher education restart plan.
- Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine named her one of 25 Top Women in Higher Education Who Are Making a Difference
- Internationally recognized expert in leadership development, team building, and diversity and inclusion
- Recognized for her groundbreaking initiatives to personalize and transform the higher education experience
- Chair, board member and serves on the executive committee for the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in New York (CICU)
- Named to the 2020 Long Island Power List for creating a more diverse student body, launching 17 new academic programs, and sharing her expertise on the handling of COVID-19 on college campuses
Other Notable Rankings and Awards






Additional Honors, Awards & Distinctions
- Money’s Best College for Your Money: No. 292 on a list of the 744 best four-year colleges in the United States for education quality, affordability and earnings
- Niche.com: Top 25 percent of its Best Value Colleges in America rankings
- Georgetown University reported, in its ranking of 4,500 schools, that an investment in Adelphi yields a 14 percent higher earnings than the average of all private or public higher education institutions in New York.
- HEED Award: Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (INSIGHT Into Diversity)
- College Choice: 50 Best Disability-Friendly Colleges and Universities
- 2020 Institution of Excellence Awards (National Association of Diversity Officers)
- Gold Medallion Status: LGBT SportSafe
- 5 out of 5 stars in the Campus Pride Index (Garden City campus)
- Best Colleges for Veterans (U.S. News & World Report)
- Military Friendly School designation—just 8 percent of schools nationwide named to the prestigious list in 2023–2024
- Best Colleges for Students with Autism—No. 10 in the nation (Great Value Colleges)
- Women’s Choice Award: Top Colleges for Women
Others honors include:
- American Chemical Society approved chemistry program
- 2022 Inspiring Program in STEM Award for educating science teachers (INSIGHT Into Diversity)
- 2019 Exemplary Models Award for personalized enrollment process (American Association of University Administrators)
- 2019 ATHENA Young Professionals Leadership Award (ATHENA International, awarded to our director of first-year admissions.)
- 17 national championships
- 223 NCAA tournament appearances
- 109 Northeast-10 Conference championships
- 4 Northeast-10 Presidents’ Cups
2023 Princeton Review Green School
- LEED-certified center for recreation and sports and performing arts center (U.S. Green Building Council)
- 100 percent natural, organic techniques to maintain campus flora
- 180 solar panels installed on our library’s roof
- 20,000 pounds of e-waste recycled between 2014 and 2019
- Top honoree in Computerworld’s inaugural Best Practices in Green IT awards program for excellence among early adopters of the green IT movement
Facts & Figures











