New York Master's in Artificial Intelligence Programs

On This Page:

Put yourself at the epicenter of tech with a master’s in AI from a New York university. In our NY directory of AI master’s degrees and certificates, you’ll find 35+ programs in every aspect of the field, including AI systems, machine learning, robotics, NLP, and AI for business. This list of AI graduate programs in New York & New York City is stacked with world-class research schools—Columbia, Cornell, NYU—and affordable alternatives. Unsure about which one to choose? Use the AI degree guide below to vector your search.

Artificial Intelligence Schools in New York

New York stands proud alongside California, Texas, and Pennsylvania as one of the nation’s leaders in artificial intelligence education. The Empire State is home to the country’s top tech & finance companies and a cluster of elite private research universities. But which AI degree in our New York directory is going to suit your needs? The answer lies in the school’s strengths:

Columbia: The majority of Columbia University’s master’s in AI programs are offered by the Department of Computer Science. The Department is stacked with experienced AI & ML faculty, but you’ll find more comprehensive info about Columbia research initiatives on Columbia AI and the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS)’s section on Artificial Intelligence. Here you can learn about initiatives like the NSF-funded AI Research Institute for Artificial and Natural Intelligence (ARNI) and the Center of AI Technology (CAIT), a joint project with Amazon and 70+ faculty members. Interested in fintech? SEAS runs a Center for AI in Business Analytics and Financial Technology (FinTech) with a number of heavy hitters (e.g. JPMorgan Chase). And in March 2024, the university announced a partnership with Capital One to create the Center for AI and Responsible Financial Innovation (CAIRFI).
NYU: For the full rundown on New York University (NYU) and its thriving AI ecosystem, start by exploring AI@NYU, anchored in the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences (CIMS), and the NYU Center for Data Science (CIDS). Within the Tandon School of Engineering, you’ll also discover a comprehensive rundown of its AI-related research centers and Robotics & Embodied Intelligence projects. NYU is a particularly strong pick for anyone interested in urban AI and the public good. Tandon’s Center for Responsible AI is shaping policy and socio-technical research through collaborations with global partners. The Machine Learning for Good Laboratory, based at NYU’s Center for Urban Science + Progress (CUSP), develops AI tools that tackle critical urban challenges. And C2SMARTER is busy deploying AI to address urban mobility challenges.
Cornell: Like Columbia & NYU, Cornell University offers some of the best master’s programs in AI in the USA, backed by decades of research & expertise. Start by exploring the AI labs within the Department of Computer Science. Then visit the university-wide Cornell AI Initiative and its section on AI Institutes and Initiatives. Almost every college & department at Cornell is now working on innovative AI projects & applications. Examples include the Artificial Intelligence for Sustainability (AI4S) initiative, the Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture (CIDA), and the Institute of Artificial Intelligence for Digital Health. Budding AI startup founders will also want to investigate Cornell’s Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, which is home to an Urban Tech Hub, a separate Health Tech Hub that pulls on the strengths of Weill Cornell Medicine, and a Runway Startups program for entrepreneurial PhD graduates.
Empire AI: In the upstate area, it’s Empire AI that’s making headlines. Empire AI is a ~$400M+ public-private consortium that’s committed to advancing AI projects for the public good. Backed by a coalition of leading New York universities, Empire AI will help launch a state-of-the-art AI supercomputing center at the University at Buffalo’s Center for Computational Research (CCR)—a major leap for regional innovation. In 2025, it also expanded its membership base to include the University of Rochester (UR), Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. UR, which oversees eight hospitals and an integrated health system, brings deep healthcare expertise to the initiative. Over at RIT, the new RIT Artificial Intelligence Hub is accelerating AI-driven research, startups, and innovation.

Generally speaking, it’s the wealthy & well-endowed private R1 universities in New York that have developed the most impressive master’s in AI degrees—Cornell, Columbia, and NYU all appear in our rankings of the Best Master’s in Artificial Intelligence Degree Programs. But it’s important to identify your areas of interest before applying. For instance, urban AI experts may be happiest at NYU; fintech folks may wish to prioritize Columbia; and healthcare/medical AI lovers should find plenty to explore at Cornell, UR, and UB.

Online Master’s in Artificial Intelligence Programs in New York

If you’re looking for an online master’s program in AI from a top school in New York, you’re in luck. A number of master’s degrees and certificates in our New York directory of AI graduate programs are delivered in a distance learning format. (Look for the “Offered Online” tag.). These range from technical, computer science-type programs to business-focused AI qualifications. For example:

Technical: Folks who are searching for a technical AI degree might wish to compare Columbia’s Online Master of Science in Computer Science, delivered through its Columbia Video Network (CVN), with NYU’s interdisciplinary Online Master of Science in Emerging Technologies and RIT’s Online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (MSAI). Pace University’s Online Master of Science in Computer Science and Touro University’s Online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence Systems also have a computer science base.
Business: In contrast, folks with a business background should be investigating the University of Rochester’s Online Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) & Applied AI and DeVry’s Online MBA in AI and Business Analytics. Keep in mind that UR’s Simon Business School holds AACSB accreditation, which is more prestigious than DeVry’s ACBSP accreditation.
Graduate Certificates: Still undecided about investing in a master’s degree? Columbia Engineering offers online certificates in Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Systems; eCornell is home to online certificates in Machine Learning and Marketing AI; and DeVry has developed a business-focused Online Graduate Certificate in AI and Business Analytics.

The Artificial Landscape in New York

New York is one of the most forward-thinking states when it comes to AI. In addition to efforts at the state level, the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has been particularly proactive, with a plan to make New York City the Applied Artificial Intelligence capital of the world. Visit the NYCEDC’s section on AI in NYC for a complete overview of all of the AI activity happening within the city.

New York City: The Big Apple is the place to be for artificial intelligence experts. In 2025, the New York City metropolitan area had the largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the country and a $2 trillion gross metropolitan product. Manhattan is home to the NYSE, NASDAQ, and Silicon Alley. Within the city’s boundaries you’ll find hundreds of AI companies, 2,000+ AI startups, NYU and Columbia’s AI research institutes, and 40,000+ workers with AI and AI-related skills. In a CompTIA report on the State of the Tech Workforce 2025, New York City was the #1 top metro area by net tech employment and net tech employment job gains.
Finance & Fintech: As you might expect, a lot of AI energy in NYC is being generated by financial institutions. According to the CompTIA report, Finance & Insurance was the second only to Tech when it came to the top industry sectors driving hiring in New York City. In addition to companies such as Google and Meta, top employers for AI hires in NYC include Bloomberg, JPMorgan Chase, and Morgan Stanley, as well as hedge funds such as Two Sigma and dedicated fintech players. In 2025, NYC had the largest fintech sector in the USA.
NYC Startups: According to Startup Genome’s Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2025, NYC has the second-largest startup ecosystem in the world (Silicon Valley is still #1). The 2025 NYCEDC Business Resource Guide notes that the city is home to 25,000+ tech-enabled startups, 1,200+ VCs, and 39 AI unicorns. It’s also received over $200B in venture capital funding over the last decade. Better yet, the NYCEDC is the driving force behind NYC AI Nexus, an initiative for accelerating AI innovation & investment across small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

That’s not to say that New York City is the be-all and end-all of AI innovation in the state. For example, artificial intelligence startups are finding a fair amount of support in Rochester (NextCorps) and Buffalo (Launch NY). The state is building a semiconductor highway along the I-90 corridor from Albany to Buffalo. And New York universities within the Empire AI consortium (but outside of NYC) are pushing hard for federal & industry grants in areas such as healthcare AI, agtech, and imaging & optics. If you don’t fancy New York City’s high life—and the high rents—you will find opportunities elsewhere.

New York Artificial Intelligence Resources

Competition for artificial intelligence jobs in New York can be fierce, so it pays to start networking early! Use this resources section to find links to AI summits, startup competitions, active meetups, research institutes, and useful networking organizations within NYC and the state itself.