Stony Brook University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Stony Brook, New York. It enrolls 18,101 students (a very 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.
Excellent
86/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes86
Value83
Affordability62
Selectivity87
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Stony Brook University admits 49% of applicants, which makes it genuinely competitive, so your application needs to be strong.
Acceptance Rate
49%
Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1330 – 1500
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
29 – 33
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 Stony Brook University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
4.9 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 $18,784 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)
$10,931
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$32,741
Room & Board (on-campus)
$18,196
Room & Board (off-campus)
$17,010
Books & Supplies
$900
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,248
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$7,152
Total Cost of Attendance
$30,539
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
$12,943
$30,001 – $48,000
$15,432
$48,001 – $75,000
$20,728
$75,001 – $110,000
$23,424
Over $110,000
$27,716
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.
$4,36610%percentile
$7,50025%percentile
$18,228Medianpercentile
$25,00075%percentile
$30,80590%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 $15,250
↓ $2,978
No Pell $14,000
↓ $4,228
Dependent students $15,000
↓ $3,228
Independent students $14,873
↓ $3,355
Female students $15,000
↓ $3,228
Male students $14,754
↓ $3,474
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($18,228), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
73% of students who start here finish within six years, and 89% 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
73%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
89%
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 $74,502 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$74,502
Earning > $25K
86%
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
$58,100
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$67,300
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$61,300
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$62,700
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$64,200
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $9,200, about 14% 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 ↑
12.1 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 87% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 18,101 students, a sprawling student community. Worth knowing: 36% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
18,101
Part-Time
5%
First-Generation
36%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Asian 35.8%6,484
White 25.0%4,529
Hispanic 15.8%2,858
International 9.5%1,712
Black 6.1%1,111
Other 3.3%592
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Stony Brook University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Stony Brook University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
186 distinct programs across
22 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 19 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
19:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$28,764
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$392M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$124,813
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
2,169 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
525
24%
$171,159
Associate Professors
479
22%
$118,362
Assistant Professors
700
32%
$94,309
Instructors
271
12%
$78,428
Lecturers
194
9%
$75,579
Pros & Cons of Stony Brook University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Stony Brook University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Best for:
Based on the data, Stony Brook University is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions about Stony Brook University
The questions families ask most about Stony Brook University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Stony Brook University hard to get into?
Stony Brook University is selective but not extremely competitive. Its acceptance rate is 49%. Strong academic credentials and a thoughtful application materially improve your odds.
What is the acceptance rate at Stony Brook University?
49% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Stony Brook University?
Aim for 1500 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1330 and 1500 (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 Stony Brook University?
Aim for 33 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 29 and 33 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Stony Brook University cost?
Budget around $18,784 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 Stony Brook University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $74,502 a year against a net price of $18,784, about 4.0 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 Stony Brook University known for?
Mostly Psychology, Biology, Business Administration. 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 Stony Brook University graduates earn?
About $74,502 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 Stony Brook University accredited?
Yes. Stony Brook University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Stony Brook University?
18,101 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Stony Brook University?
73% 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 Stony Brook University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Stony Brook University located?
Stony Brook University is located in Stony Brook, New York.
What programs does Stony Brook University offer?
186 different programs, most commonly Psychology, Biology, Business Administration. 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 Stony Brook University?
19 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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