SUNY at Albany: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Troy, New York · Private nonprofit · Moderately selective · CDS 2024-2025
SUNY at Albany is a private nonprofit university in Troy, New York that admits about 58% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $33,139 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 84% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 1.9 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
SUNY at Albany is a private institution located in Troy, New York with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, SUNY at Albany admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 58%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1415 and an ACT composite around 33. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $33,139 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether SUNY at Albany 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 SUNY at Albany?
SUNY at Albany admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. 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 SUNY at Albany weight in admissions?
SUNY at Albany 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
- • Class rank
- • Academic GPA
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Standardized test scores
- • Talent/ability
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • Interview
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores SUNY at Albany typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 680–770, with an EBRW midpoint near 700. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 30–34. 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 | 1390 |
| 50th percentile | 1450 |
| 75th percentile | 1500 |
| % submitting SAT | 49% |
| 25th percentile | 30 |
| 50th percentile | 33 |
| 75th percentile | 34 |
| % submitting ACT | 11% |
- • Tests required: Standardized test scores are part of the standard application package.
- • Policy detail: Required
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 | 56% |
| Top 25% of class | 90% |
| Top 50% of class | 98% |
| % submitting class rank | 28% |
How much does SUNY at Albany actually cost?
Published tuition is $61,884 for in-state students and $61,884 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $17,530 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $33,139 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 19% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | — |
| Out-of-state tuition | $64,400 |
| Room and board | $18,560 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $33,139 |
| Application fee | $70 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for SUNY at Albany
| Regular deadline | 1/15 |
| Notification date | 3/11 |
| Reply deadline | 5/1 |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | 11/1 |
| ED acceptance rate | 58% |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | 12/1 |
Will my child graduate from SUNY at Albany?
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 SUNY at Albany
The most popular undergraduate programs at SUNY at Albany, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering. Across all programs, SUNY at Albany confers roughly 1,011 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Computer Science program report a median income of about $148,254 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 284 | $148,254 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 212 | $94,402 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 112 | $98,049 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 107 | $116,079 |
| Mathematics | 83 | $106,266 |
| Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 80 | $135,609 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 70 | $111,812 |
| Chemical Engineering | 63 | $107,062 |
Is SUNY at Albany safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), SUNY at Albany disclosed 11 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 1.9 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 0 violent offenses and 5 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.
What is campus life like at SUNY at Albany?
About 57% of undergraduates at SUNY at Albany live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. In Greek life, 18% of men join a fraternity and 11% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in New York parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like SUNY at Albany
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like SUNY at Albany 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 SUNY at Albany
What GPA do I need for SUNY at Albany?
SUNY at Albany admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.
What SAT or ACT score does SUNY at Albany typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 680–770, with an EBRW midpoint near 700. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 30–34.
How much does SUNY at Albany actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at SUNY at Albany after grants and scholarships is $33,139 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 SUNY at Albany 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, SUNY at Albany 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 SUNY at Albany?
SUNY at Albany accepts about 58% of applicants out of roughly 17,193 who apply each year. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is SUNY at Albany test-optional?
No. SUNY at Albany requires SAT or ACT scores as part of a standard application.
What is the graduation rate at SUNY at Albany?
About 84% of students at SUNY at Albany graduate within six years. 91% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
Does applying Early Decision improve my chances at SUNY at Albany?
SUNY at Albany's Early Decision acceptance rate is about 58%, compared with its overall rate of 58%. The ED rate is not materially higher here, so weigh the binding commitment carefully.
What does SUNY at Albany look for in applicants?
SUNY at Albany rates course rigor, class rank 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 SUNY at Albany a public or private school, and where is it located?
SUNY at Albany is a private nonprofit institution located in Troy, New York.
What are the most popular majors at SUNY at Albany?
The largest undergraduate majors at SUNY at Albany by annual graduates are Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering. The school awards about 1,011 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is SUNY at Albany safe? What is its campus crime rate?
SUNY at Albany reported 11 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 1.9 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at SUNY at Albany?
At SUNY at Albany, 57% of undergraduates live on campus, 18% of men are in fraternities, 11% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by SUNY at Albany, 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.