State University of New York at New Paltz is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in New Paltz, New York. It enrolls 6,086 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
78/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes79
Value64
Affordability52
Selectivity73
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
State University of New York at New Paltz admits 61.6% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
61.6%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1170 – 1340
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
25 – 29
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether State University of New York at New Paltz is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
13.5 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $18,809 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$8,572
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$18,822
Room & Board (on-campus)
$16,684
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,684
Books & Supplies
$1,250
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,350
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,350
Total Cost of Attendance
$28,428
Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$10,541
$30,001 – $48,000
$13,969
$48,001 – $75,000
$20,178
$75,001 – $110,000
$21,937
Over $110,000
$26,256
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$4,50010%percentile
$7,50025%percentile
$18,750Medianpercentile
$24,28275%percentile
$29,80090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $16,990
↓ $1,760
No Pell $14,500
↓ $4,250
Dependent students $15,000
↓ $3,750
Independent students $15,533
↓ $3,217
Female students $15,000
↓ $3,750
Male students $15,250
↓ $3,500
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $11,750, less than completers ($18,750), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
61% of students who start here finish within six years, and 86% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
61%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
86%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $58,073 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$58,073
Earning > $25K
81%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$46,400
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$53,500
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$46,100
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$47,000
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$51,500
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $7,100, about 13% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
15.0 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 85% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 6,086 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 32% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
6,086
Part-Time
8%
First-Generation
32%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 58.2%3,543
Hispanic 23.6%1,436
Black 6.8%413
Asian 4.6%279
Other 3.1%187
International 1.0%63
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at State University of New York at New Paltz. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
State University of New York at New Paltz offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
65 distinct programs across
20 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 16 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
16:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$14,169
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$33M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$72,636
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
319 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
61
19%
$94,894
Associate Professors
120
38%
$74,571
Assistant Professors
68
21%
$68,418
Instructors
8
3%
$61,628
Lecturers
62
19%
$53,039
Pros & Cons of State University of New York at New Paltz
No college is right for everyone. Here is where State University of New York at New Paltz is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions about State University of New York at New Paltz
The questions families ask most about State University of New York at New Paltz, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is State University of New York at New Paltz hard to get into?
Admissions at State University of New York at New Paltz are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 61.6%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at State University of New York at New Paltz?
61.6% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for State University of New York at New Paltz?
Aim for 1340 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1170 and 1340 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for State University of New York at New Paltz?
Aim for 29 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 25 and 29 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does State University of New York at New Paltz cost?
Budget around $18,809 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is State University of New York at New Paltz worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $58,073 a year against a net price of $18,809, about 3.1 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is State University of New York at New Paltz known for?
Mostly Psychology, Teacher Education (K-12), Sociology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do State University of New York at New Paltz graduates earn?
About $58,073 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is State University of New York at New Paltz accredited?
Yes. State University of New York at New Paltz is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend State University of New York at New Paltz?
6,086 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at State University of New York at New Paltz?
61% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is State University of New York at New Paltz a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is State University of New York at New Paltz located?
State University of New York at New Paltz is located in New Paltz, New York.
What programs does State University of New York at New Paltz offer?
65 different programs, most commonly Psychology, Teacher Education (K-12), Sociology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at State University of New York at New Paltz?
16 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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