Last Updated: September 18, 2022
New York State University System
This is a state-supported higher education system in New York with 64 different institutions that are located in the state. Since most of the institutions under SUNY are located in rural areas within the state, candidates will find that the living cost in these areas is more affordable than those situated within New York City. These state institutions are 4-year schools with degree programs in almost every field of study.
SUNY awards over 96,000 degrees every year with around 4,352 undergraduate majors and over 700 online majors offered through the institutions. According to the data available at SUNY, around 1,781,000 graduates that are in the NY workforce have graduated from one of these institutions. Candidates who are interested in pursuing their athletic interests will also find that these institutions have over 750 athletic teams that one can join during their academic years.
List of SUNY Universities
The institutions that are part of SUNY are as follows-
University | City/Town | Student Population |
SUNY Adirondack | Queensbury | 4,000 |
University at Albany | Albany County | 17,200 |
Alfred State College | Alfred | 3,700 |
NYS College of Ceramics at Alfred University | Alfred | 600 |
Binghamton University | Binghamton | 17,000 |
SUNY Brockport | Brockport | 8,500 |
SUNY Broome Community College | Broome County | 6,700 |
University at Buffalo | Getzville | 30,000 |
Buffalo State College | Buffalo | 10,600 |
SUNY Canton | St. Lawrence County | 3,800 |
Cayuga Community College | Auburn | 4,700 |
Clinton Community College | Clinton County | 2,300 |
SUNY Cobleskill | Cobleskill | 2,500 |
Columbia-Greene Community College | Columbia County | 2,100 |
NYS College of Agriculture & Life Sciences at Cornell University | Ithaca | 3,100 |
NYS College of Human Ecology at Cornell University | Ithaca | 1,500 |
NYS College of Industrial & Labor Relations at Cornell University | Ithaca | 900 |
NYS College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University | Tompkins County | 500 |
Corning Community College | Steuben County | 5,400 |
SUNY Cortland | Cortland | 6,800 |
SUNY Delhi | Delhi | 2,800 |
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University | Brooklyn | 800 |
Dutchess Community College | Fairview | 10,300 |
SUNY Empire State College | Saratoga Springs | 9,000 |
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | Syracuse | 2,000 |
Erie Community College | Erie County | 15,000 |
Farmingdale State College | Suffolk County | 8,600 |
Fashion Institute of Technology | New York City | 8,900 |
Finger Lakes Community College | Ontario County | 6,800 |
SUNY Fredonia | Fredonia | 4,000 |
Fulton-Montgomery Community College | Fulton County | 2,500 |
Genesee Community College | Geneseo | 7,400 |
SUNY Geneseo | Geneseo | 5,000 |
Herkimer County Community College | Herkimer | 3,800 |
Hudson Valley Community College | Rensselaer County | 12,300 |
Jamestown Community College | Jamestown | 2,600 |
Jefferson Community College | Watertown | 3,600 |
Maritime College | Bronx | 1,500 |
Mohawk Valley Community College | Utica | 7,400 |
Monroe Community College | Rochester | 11,500 |
SUNY Morrisville | Morrisville | 3,500 |
Nassau Community College | Garden City | 13,800 |
SUNY New Paltz | New Paltz | 8,000 |
Niagara County Community College | Sanborn | 12,300 |
North Country Community College | Saranac Lake | 2,300 |
SUNY Old Westbury | Nassau County | 5,000 |
SUNY Oneonta | Oneonta | 6,000 |
Onondaga Community College | Onondaga | 11,800 |
College of Optometry | New York City | 330 |
Orange County Community College | Middletown | 13,000 |
SUNY Oswego | Oswego County | 6,700 |
SUNY Plattsburgh | Plattsburgh | 4,600 |
SUNY Potsdam | Potsdam | 2,900 |
Purchase College | Westchester County | 3,500 |
Rockland Community College | Suffern | 5,500 |
SUNY Schenectady County Community College | Schenectady | 5,000 |
Stony Brook University | Suffolk County | 26,000 |
Suffolk County Community College | Seiden | 22,500 |
Sullivan County Community College | Loch Sheldrake | 1,700 |
SUNY Polytechnic Institute | Utica | 2,500 |
Tompkins Cortland Community College | Dryden | 5,500 |
Ulster County Community College | Ulster County | 3,700 |
Upstate Medical University | Syracuse | 1,500 |
Westchester Community College | Westchester County | 14,000 |
Applying to Universities in SUNY
Candidates who wish to enroll in institutions that are part of SUNY will be able to apply through a single application form. They will be able to create an account at the applySUNY portal within the official website and submit their official documents after they have completed the application form. They will also be able to pay the application fee through this portal which is around $50 per institution. Candidates from around 200 high schools in the state will be able to apply for SUNY programs without an application fee. They will not even have to apply for fee waivers to avail themselves of this benefit.
Once the application has been submitted, candidates will receive their confirmation by email. They will be able to follow up on the email by logging into the portal within 48 hours to view their application status. A few campuses under SUNY will require candidates to submit supplemental applications which they will have to submit as specified by the institution.
Admission Criteria to Enroll in SUNY
The admission criteria for programs are set by individual institutions and it is not done through a centralized system. Hence, candidates will have to meet the specific course, and grade requirements that have been specified by their institution of choice. This criterion will also change according to the level of education one is pursuing and also depending on whether they are a freshman, transfer student, or international student.
Admission Criteria for Freshman
The admission criteria for freshmen for are residents of the state are as follows-
- Specific High School Courses with Specified Grades Based on Institution of Choice. (This can have exceptions based on AP, IB, and ACTFL scores)
- Required GPA based on institution
- SAT/ACT Scores, if required by institution
- Proof of Participation in Educational/Extracurricular Activities
- Educational Transcripts forwarded by High School Counsellor through SUNY Counselor Portal (also to be mailed to the institution).
Admission Criteria for Transfer Students
Transfer students who wish to be part of SUNY will have to submit all their previous educational transcripts irrespective of the number of credits they have received. This has to be sent directly to the institution at which they are applying by their high school.
Admission Criteria for International Students
The admission criteria for international students who are applying for SUNY programs are as follows-
- Educational Transcripts
- TOEFL/IELTS Score
- GPA as specified by institution
- Completed Health Evaluation Form
- Completed Print Forms FSA-2, FSA-3, and FSA-4 to be mailed directly to the institution.
Tuition and Fee to Study at SUNY
The tuition fee that one will have to pay while taking up any program in institutions under SUNY will be the same. The fee is different for state-operated campuses that offer baccalaureate degrees and community colleges that offer associate degrees. The fee structure is as follows-
Type of Institution | In-State Fee | Out-of-State Fee |
State-Operated Institutions | $7,000 | $17,000 |
Community Colleges | $5,100 | $9,500 |
Ranking for SUNY Universities
The institutions under SUNY can be categorized into too many different types for them to be ranked based on the same criteria. A few of the most common factors that are considered while ranking the institutions include-
- Undergraduate Academic Reputation
- Graduation Rate Performance
- Financial Resources Provided
- Graduation and Retention Rates
- Student-Faculty Ratios
The rankings provided are as follows-
Ranking for National Universities
Institution | Rank |
Binghamton University | 83 |
University at Buffalo | 93 |
Stony Brook University | 93 |
SUNY ESF | 117 |
University at Albany | 172 |
Ranking for Regional Colleges North
Institution | Rank |
Alfred State College | 6 |
SUNY Canton | 12 |
SUNY Delhi | 13 |
Farmingdale State College | 15 |
SUNY Cobleskill | 17 |
SUNY Morrisville | 22 |
Ranking for Value Schools
Institution | Rank |
Alfred State College | 7 |
Farmingdale State College | 9 |
SUNY Canton | 11 |
Suny Morrisville | 13 |
SUNY Cobleskill | 15 |
SUNY Delhi | 16 |
SUNY Plattsburgh | 47 |
SUNY Polytechnic Institute | 48 |
Binghamton University | 57 |
SUNY New Paltz | 57 |
SUNY Oswego | 58 |
SUNY Geneseo | 59 |
SUNY Fredonia | 60 |
SUNY Potsdam | 64 |
Popular Universities for International Students
University at Buffalo
Established in the year 1846, this is one of the best public research universities at SUNY. The university offers around 140 bachelor’s degrees, 220 master’s degrees, and over 95 doctoral programs. It has a student population of around 33,500 along with over 2,500 academic staff. The best programs offered here include business administration, psychology, social sciences, mechanical engineering, etc.
Stony Brook University
This university was established in the year 1957 and is considered to be the largest university at SUNY. It has a student population of around 27,000 out of which around 18,000 are undergraduate students. It also has over 2,800 academic staff. The student-to-faculty ratio here is 19:1. The best programs that one can take from here include applied mathematics, biological sciences, health sciences, etc.
Binghamton University
This university was established in the year 1946 and is one of the university centers for SUNY. It has a student population of around 18,000 along with over 800 academic staff. This university has been ranked as the best in the state with a 19:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The admit rate here is 40% for all six of the schools under this university. The best programs offered here are in the fields of economics, neuroscience, accounting, psychology, etc.
Suny Oneonta
Established in the year 1889, this university has over 6,000 undergraduates and it has a student-to-faculty ratio of 17:1. Ut also has over 150 clubs and organizations in that students can be active participants. More than 80% of students here receive financial aid. The best programs offered here are for business/managerial economics, speech communication, biological sciences, etc.
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
This university was established in the year 1911 and has its main campus in the city of Syracuse. It has a student population of around 1,700 undergraduates and 400 graduates. The student-to-faculty ratio here is 13:1 and it has been ranked fourth among the Top 50 Green Colleges in the country. This university offers over 24 undergraduate programs and around 30 graduate programs in all. The best programs offered here are conservation biology, environmental biology, bioengineering, environmental health engineering, etc.
University at Albany
This university was established in the year 1844 and is one of the university centers for SUNY. It has a student population of around 13,000 for undergraduate programs and around 4,500 for graduate programs. It has a student-to-faculty ratio of 18:1 with over 600 academic staff. The university offers around 50 undergraduate programs and more than 150 graduate programs. It has an admit rate of 50%. The best programs offered here include econometrics, biological sciences, business administration, etc.
SUNY Cortland
The university was established in the year 1868. It has a student population of around 6,200 undergraduate students along with a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1. The university offers over 65 majors and 38 minors that one can choose from. The best programs offered here are in the fields of physical education teaching, sports management, kinesiology, business economics, etc.
SUNY New Paltz
The university was established in the year 1828 and is located in the Hudson River Valley. It has a student population of around 6,500 undergraduates along with a 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The university has over 200 clubs and organizations that students can be a part of. The best programs offered here are in the fields of sociology, digital communication, psychology, speech communication, etc.
List of Best Universities and Best Programs at SUNY
Institution | Program |
University at Buffalo | Law |
Stony Brook University | Applied Mathematics |
Binghamton University | Accounting |
SUNY Oneonta | Biological Sciences |
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | Environmental Health Engineering |
University at Albany | Business Administration |
SUNY Cortland | Business Economics |
SUNY New Paltz | Digital Communication |