Stony Brook University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Vestal, New York · Public · Selective · CDS 2024-2025
Stony Brook University is a public university in Vestal, New York that admits about 38% of applicants, making it a selective school. The average family pays about $21,364 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Biology, General, Economics and Psychology, General, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 82% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 4.9 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Stony Brook University is a public institution located in Vestal, New York with a selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Stony Brook University admits between a quarter and half of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 38%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1415 and an ACT composite around 32. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $21,364 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Stony Brook University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Stony Brook University?
Admitted students at Stony Brook University typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Stony Brook University weight in admissions?
Stony Brook University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Class rank
- • Application essay
- • Standardized test scores
- • Recommendations
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Interview
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores Stony Brook University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 660–760, with an EBRW midpoint near 685. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 29–34. A score at or above this school's 75th percentile materially improves your child's odds, particularly when paired with a rigorous course load.
| 25th percentile | 1360 |
| 50th percentile | 1420 |
| 75th percentile | 1480 |
| % submitting SAT | 44% |
| 25th percentile | 31 |
| 50th percentile | 32 |
| 75th percentile | 34 |
| % submitting ACT | 9% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 52% |
| Top 25% of class | 83% |
| Top 50% of class | 98% |
| % submitting class rank | 24.5% |
How much does Stony Brook University actually cost?
Published tuition is $10,363 for in-state students and $29,453 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $18,294 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $21,364 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 27% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $7,070 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $26,950 |
| Room and board | — |
| Average net price (after aid) | $21,364 |
| Application fee | $50 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Stony Brook University
| Regular deadline | 4/1 |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | 11/1 |
| EA acceptance rate | 50% |
Will my child graduate from Stony Brook University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at Stony Brook University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Stony Brook University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Biology, General, Economics and Psychology, General. Across all programs, Stony Brook University confers roughly 1,971 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Biology, General program report a median income of about $68,571 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Biology, General | 443 | $68,571 |
| Economics | 333 | $88,616 |
| Psychology, General | 310 | $66,732 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 237 | $75,089 |
| Mathematics | 175 | $90,593 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 171 | $98,898 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 169 | $95,143 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 133 | $77,548 |
Is Stony Brook University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Stony Brook University disclosed 72 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 4.9 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 12 violent offenses and 31 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
Other colleges in New York parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Stony Brook University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Stony Brook University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Stony Brook University
What GPA do I need for Stony Brook University?
Admitted students at Stony Brook University typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses.
What SAT or ACT score does Stony Brook University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 660–760, with an EBRW midpoint near 685. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 29–34.
How much does Stony Brook University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Stony Brook University after grants and scholarships is $21,364 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Stony Brook University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Stony Brook University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Stony Brook University?
Stony Brook University accepts about 38% of applicants out of roughly 53,007 who apply each year. That makes it a selective school.
Is Stony Brook University test-optional?
Yes. Stony Brook University is test-optional, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at Stony Brook University?
About 82% of students at Stony Brook University graduate within six years. 90% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does Stony Brook University look for in applicants?
Stony Brook University rates course rigor and GPA as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Stony Brook University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Stony Brook University is a public institution located in Vestal, New York.
What are the most popular majors at Stony Brook University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Stony Brook University by annual graduates are Biology, General, Economics and Psychology, General. The school awards about 1,971 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Stony Brook University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Stony Brook University reported 72 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 4.9 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Stony Brook University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.