New York is home to one of the largest, most diverse, and most comprehensive healthcare education and delivery systems in the United States. With approximately 19.5 million residents, the state has more medical schools than any other state in the country, dozens of major teaching hospitals, a vast network of community health centers serving underserved populations, and undergraduate institutions ranging from world-renowned research universities to accessible SUNY and CUNY campuses that provide affordable pre-health education. Whether you live in New York City, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, the Capital Region, Western New York, or the Southern Tier, healthcare education opportunities are within reach.
New York Healthcare Landscape
New York’s hospital systems are among the largest in the nation. NYU Langone Health operates NYU Langone Hospital in Manhattan, NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, and NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island. NewYork-Presbyterian is affiliated with both Columbia University and Weill Cornell Medicine and operates multiple campuses across the city. Mount Sinai Health System includes the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and several hospitals across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Northwell Health is the largest healthcare system in the state, operating 21 hospitals across Long Island, New York City, and Westchester County. Montefiore Health System in the Bronx is affiliated with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Rochester Regional Health and the University of Rochester Medical Center serve Western New York. Albany Medical Center anchors the Capital Region. Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, Stony Brook University Hospital on Long Island, and dozens of community hospitals and health centers round out a healthcare infrastructure of extraordinary breadth and depth.
This concentration of healthcare institutions means that New York students have access to clinical volunteering, shadowing, research, and employment opportunities that are difficult to match anywhere else in the country. The diversity of patient populations in New York City, particularly its immigrant communities, multilingual populations, and socioeconomically diverse neighborhoods, provides clinical exposure to health disparities, cultural competency challenges, and the social determinants of health that are central to modern medical education. See our social determinants of health page and health equity page.
New York also faces significant healthcare workforce challenges. Primary care physician shortages affect rural upstate communities and underserved urban neighborhoods. Nursing shortages are a persistent concern across the state. Behavioral health providers are in critically short supply. These workforce gaps create both challenges for the healthcare system and opportunities for the next generation of healthcare professionals who choose to serve in high-need areas, potentially qualifying for loan forgiveness and other financial incentives. See our Loan Forgiveness page.
Navigate by Student Level
Middle School Students (Grades 6-8) will find STEM programs, health science camps, volunteering opportunities, and academic guidance tailored to New York middle schoolers, including city-specific programs in New York City, Long Island, and upstate regions.
High School Students (Grades 9-12) will find AP® and IB course planning, clinical volunteering at New York hospitals, EMT certification programs, research opportunities at New York universities, HOSA® chapter information, science competitions, and college planning guidance.
Undergraduate Students will find pre-med course planning at New York colleges (SUNY, CUNY, and private institutions), clinical experience opportunities, research labs and summer programs, MCAT® preparation resources, and financial planning guidance including New York-specific scholarships and the Excelsior Scholarship program.
Additional New York Resources
Education Programs Directory provides a comprehensive listing of healthcare education programs across the state, from New York City’s numerous medical schools to SUNY Upstate in Syracuse and the University at Buffalo. Professional Organizations lists New York-specific medical societies, nursing associations, and student organizations. Regulations and Licensing covers the New York State Education Department’s licensing requirements, scope of practice rules, and interstate compact participation.
New York Quick Facts
Population: approximately 19.5 million. Medical schools: 17 MD-granting and DO-granting medical schools (more than any other state), including Columbia, Weill Cornell, NYU Grossman, Mount Sinai, Albert Einstein, SUNY Downstate, SUNY Upstate, University at Buffalo, Stony Brook, New York Medical College, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, and others. Major hospital systems: Northwell Health, NYU Langone, NewYork-Presbyterian, Mount Sinai, Montefiore, Rochester Regional, Albany Medical Center. State medical society: Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY). Healthcare licensing: New York State Education Department (NYSED), Office of the Professions. Key fact: New York produces more physicians per capita than nearly any other state, yet still faces shortages in primary care, behavioral health, and rural communities.
Healthcare Education in New York
New York’s healthcare education system is unmatched in scale and diversity. The state’s 17 medical schools include globally recognized institutions that attract students and faculty from around the world, as well as public medical schools within the SUNY system that prioritize training physicians for New York communities. The SUNY system includes SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University (Brooklyn), SUNY Upstate Medical University (Syracuse), Stony Brook University School of Medicine (Long Island), and the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Private medical schools include Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Weill Cornell Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine (which made headlines by offering full-tuition scholarships to all students), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York Medical College, Albany Medical College, and others. Osteopathic medical schools include Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (Harlem and Middletown campuses) and NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine (Old Westbury).
Beyond medical schools, New York has an extensive network of PA programs, nursing programs (BSN through DNP), dental schools (Columbia, NYU, Stony Brook, University at Buffalo, Touro), physical therapy and occupational therapy programs, pharmacy schools, public health programs (Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, NYU School of Global Public Health, SUNY programs), and allied health programs at SUNY and CUNY campuses. The CUNY system provides particularly affordable entry into healthcare education for New York City residents, with health science programs at multiple campuses across the boroughs. See our New York Education Programs Directory for the complete listing.
New York’s research infrastructure is among the strongest in the world. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Rockefeller University, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Weill Cornell Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, NYU Langone, and the Wadsworth Center (New York State Department of Health) are major biomedical research institutions that employ thousands of scientists and support undergraduate and high school research experiences. The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries also have significant presence in the state, with companies concentrated in the New York City metro area, the Hudson Valley, and Long Island. These institutions create research opportunities for students at every level.
References
New York State Education Department. “Office of the Professions.” NYSED, 2025. http://www.op.nysed.gov/. Accessed March 2026.
Medical Society of the State of New York. “About MSSNY.” MSSNY, 2025. https://www.mssny.org/. Accessed March 2026.