Though there are many people who come to Syracuse, New York for jobs or on vacation, one of the most popular reasons for new arrivals to choose Syracuse is the availability of post secondary education. Syracuse and the surrounding cities are something of a hub for degree granting institutions. If you're thinking more along the lines of getting a college degree than taking out a private commercial mortgage for your own business, this article should give you an overview of the more popular schools that are located in Syracuse.

Syracuse University

There are over 19,000 students studying at Syracuse University at any one time. There are 9 undergraduate colleges with over 200 major programs, many of which carry over into the masters and doctorate levels as well. While the highly rated industrial design students tinker with bridge weights, others are helping with historical research or biological experiments. The school is also competitive at the NCAA Division 1 level for almost 20 sports. Syracuse University was ranked 53rd on the US News and World Report rankings for 2009.

State University of New York (SUNY)

For most people, wood is what you need to buy once you've finalized your deck plans, but for the students at SUNY's College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, wood is the subject of academic study. This unique institution conducts programs in environmental stewardship as well as designed environments (almost like landscaping). At the ESF, you can study forest biology, wood products engineering, environmental studies, landscape architecture, and many other natural sciences. It's ranked at number 80 on the US News and World Report rankings.

Another SUNY campus located in Syracuse is the Upstate Medical University. It contains a college of medicine, a college of nursing, a college of health related professions, and grants graduate degrees in these subjects as well as public health. There are joint programs with Syracuse University as well as partnerships with more than 20 local hospitals, so if you've got an interest in anything from how sewage pumps affect public health to nursing, you can get your degree here.

Le Moyne College

Le Moyne College is no community college training students to take jobs in tray packaging factories. It is a private Jesuit (a branch of Roman Catholicism) institution that offers programs in both religious studies and more practical career studies like physics and English. With under 4,000 total students in both undergrad and graduate programs, it's a small university where you can get a lot of face time with your professors. The Le Moyne Dolphins also participate in NCAA Division II in such sports as basketball, running, soccer, lacrosse, and diving, and in many other sports at the club level.