#468 in the world · QS 2027

Stony Brook University, State University of New York

SUNY's highest-ranked university, on Long Island's North Shore, co-managing Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Stony Brook, New York, United States Public research university Founded 1957 Official website

See my chances at Stony Brook Admissions office

Acceptance rate: 48%; First-years who entered in fall 2025 (2025-26 Common Data Set)
Students: 27,199; 18,615 undergraduates
International: 11%; of students
Student–faculty: 19:1; ratio
Tuition: $34,910; 2026-27

About Stony Brook

Stony Brook opened in 1957 in Oyster Bay as the State University College on Long Island and moved to its present site on Long Island's North Shore in 1962. It is one of SUNY's two flagships, a member of the Association of American Universities, and, with Battelle, manages the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory. The 2025-26 Common Data Set counts 18,615 undergraduates and 8,584 graduate students; the university reports more than 27,700 students this fall, its largest enrollment ever.

Teaching is organised into colleges and schools including Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering and Applied Sciences, Communication and Journalism, Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Nursing, Health Professions, and the Renaissance School of Medicine. The most popular majors are biology, psychology, business management, computer science, health science, economics, and applied mathematics and statistics. Stony Brook is strong in mathematics and physics: the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics sits at the west end of the Academic Mall.

Admission is holistic and test-optional, and competitive: Stony Brook admitted 30,930 of 64,197 first-year applicants for fall 2025. It suits ambitious STEM and pre-health students who want research access and SUNY prices, about 60 miles from New York City.

Why students choose Stony Brook

U.S. News 2027 ranks Stony Brook 24th among public universities and 13th nationally for social mobility.

Students can do research linked to Brookhaven National Laboratory, which Stony Brook manages with Battelle, and faculty mentored 10 of the 300 scholars in the 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search.

New York residents pay $7,070 in tuition, and 90% of first-time students receive financial aid.

The Freshman Launch Year lets more than 200 first-years spend their first semester abroad, in places such as Florence, Seoul and Shanghai.

Admissions

First-years who entered in fall 2025 (2025-26 Common Data Set)

About 1 in 2 applicants is admitted

30,930 admitted from 64,197 applicants

SAT 1350–1470

1000120014001600

Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.

ACT 30–34

2024283236

Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.

Admit rates by residency for fall 2025: about 40% for New York residents (17,065 of 42,719), 63% for out-of-state applicants (8,198 of 13,031) and 67% for international applicants (5,667 of 8,447). Stony Brook's facts page reports a smaller 55,879 applications and 27,380 admitted for fall 2025 (the Common Data Set figures of 64,197 and 30,930 are used here); the university received over 66,000 first-year applications for fall 2026.

Testing Test-optional: SAT or ACT scores may be sent but are not required.

Grades Average high school GPA of enrolled first-years in fall 2025 was 94.5 on a 100-point scale (CDS); the university gives a 90-96 range. 38% of enrolled first-years submitted SAT scores.

Typical entry requirements

U.S. high school diploma	No automatic cutoff in GPA, rank or test scores; holistic review of GPA and strength of curriculum, with enrolled students typically averaging 90-96 on a 100-point scale
English language	IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 80 Minimums: TOEFL iBT 80 (tests before 21 January 2026) or 4 on the new scale, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 105, PTE Academic 53, ACT English 19, SAT reading and writing 480, IB English HL 5, AP English 3, A-level English C, or gaokao English 125/150. Students from English-medium schools are exempt; conditional admission is possible.

Deadlines

Early Action Non-binding Next deadline · In 25 days

November 1, 2026

Completion deadline: all materials must be received. Also the priority deadline for Honors College, WISE and University Scholars, and the deadline for the Simons STEM Scholars Program.
Regular Decision Non-binding In ~3 months

January 15, 2027

Completion deadline; also the final deadline for Scholars for Medicine, Scholars for Dental Medicine, Honors College, WISE and University Scholars.

Stony Brook lists Early Action on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 15 as completion deadlines, and gives November 1 as the Honors priority deadline for fall 2027.

How to apply

Apply with the Common App, SUNY App or Coalition ($50 fee). An essay is required, plus one letter of recommendation from a teacher or counselor (two teacher letters for honors programs) and an official transcript. SAT or ACT is optional. Honors applicants complete the Honors Program Interest Form in the StartSBU portal after applying.

What admissions looks for

Intellectual curiosity and the academic ability to succeed; each applicant is evaluated individually with no automatic cutoff.
Overall grade point average and the strength of your curriculum.
Co-curricular and community involvement, evidence of leadership, and special talents or interests.
For honors programs such as WISE, strong teacher recommendations, including one from a science or math teacher for WISE.

Tips for applying to Stony Brook

1 Treat November 1 as your real deadline if you want honors programs or the Simons STEM Scholars Program: it is the Early Action and Honors priority date.
2 Remember these are completion deadlines, so your transcript and recommendation must arrive by the date, not just your application.
3 Submit scores only if they help: enrolled students who sent the SAT had a middle 50% of 1350-1470.
4 Consider the Freshman Launch Year if you want to start college abroad.

What are your chances?

Costs & financial aid

2026-27 · figures in USD

New York State residents: tuition $7,070 plus fees $3,860 (2026-27 estimate) Tuition $10,930

+ on-campus housing ($12,291, standard double) and meal plan ($7,450), 2026-27 estimate $19,741 ≈ $30,671 per year

Out-of-state and international students: tuition $31,050 plus fees $3,860 (2026-27 estimate) Tuition $34,910

+ on-campus housing ($12,291, standard double) and meal plan ($7,450), 2026-27 estimate $19,741 ≈ $54,651 per year

Tuition On-campus housing ($12,291, standard double) and meal plan ($7,450), 2026-27 estimate

Official cost of attendance $34,819

Financial aid

90% of first-time students receive financial aid, averaging about $10,000, and 98% receive grant or scholarship aid (2024-25). Honors programs such as the Simons STEM Scholars Program have their own applications. The CDS reports that Stony Brook met on average 58% of full-time undergraduates' demonstrated need in 2025-26, so out-of-state and international students should budget for most of the cost.

$34,819 New York resident; $58,799 out-of-state
Estimated cost of attendance 2026-27, on campus: 90% (average about $10,000, 2024-25)
First-time students receiving financial aid: 58% (average aid package $16,916, CDS 2025-26)
Average need met, full-time undergraduates with need

Academics

Academic calendar: Semesters

Biology

Stony Brook's most popular undergraduate major, supported by the Life Sciences building and the Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology.

Computer Science

A top major with a new Computer Science building and the Institute for Advanced Computational Science on campus.

Applied Mathematics and Statistics

Among the most popular majors, in a department tied to the university's strength in mathematics and the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics.

Scholars for Medicine and Scholars for Dental Medicine

Honors pathways linked to the Renaissance School of Medicine and School of Dental Medicine, with a January 15 deadline.

WISE (Women in Science and Engineering)

An honors program for STEM students that requires a recommendation from a science or math teacher.

Research

Stony Brook and Battelle jointly manage Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy.
Chemistry professor Paul Lauterbur won the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work at Stony Brook that led to MRI.
Faculty hold more than 900 U.S. patents from over 2,800 inventions, and the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics was funded by a $60 million gift from Jim Simons.

Schools & faculties

College of Arts and Sciences
College of Business
College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
School of Communication and Journalism
School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences
School of Health Professions
School of Nursing
School of Social Welfare
School of Professional Development
Renaissance School of Medicine
School of Dental Medicine
Graduate School

Graduation rate

77%

First-year students who return

89%

95% of recent bachelor's graduates were employed or in graduate or professional school one year after graduating (2022-23). College Scorecard: median earnings of $74,502 ten years after entry (and $59,492 six years after entry).

Student life

Campus life centres on the Academic Mall, which runs more than a quarter of a mile from the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics to the Administration Building and includes the Student Activities Center, Melville Library and the Staller Center for the Arts, home of the annual Stony Brook Film Festival. Stony Brook has 32 residence halls and 30 apartment-style buildings (including the Southampton campus) housing 10,364 students, and 73% of first-years live on campus (fall 2026). The Seawolves compete in NCAA Division I in the Coastal Athletic Association.

NCAA Division I athletics in the Coastal Athletic Association
Stony Brook Film Festival at the Staller Center for the Arts
Charles B. Wang Center, dedicated to Asian and American culture
32 residence halls and 30 apartment-style buildings

Housing. 73% of first-years live on campus; 10,364 students (9,898 undergraduates and 466 graduate students) live in university housing (fall 2026).

Location

Stony Brook is on the North Shore of Long Island in Suffolk County, about 60 miles east of New York City and 3 miles from West Meadow Beach. The university is the largest single-site employer on Long Island, and it also has a Southampton campus and is involved in The New York Climate Exchange.

Nearest airport: Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP)

Notable alumni

JL
John L. Hennessy

Former president of Stanford University and 2017 Turing Award winner; MA and PhD in computer science
JO
Jon Oringer

Founder and CEO of Shutterstock; BS in computer science and mathematics, 1997
RG
Richard Gelfond

CEO of IMAX Corporation; BA 1976
JB
Joy Behar

Comedian and co-host of The View; MA in English education, 1966
SH
Scott Higham

Washington Post investigative journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner
JN
Joe Nathan

Major League Baseball pitcher, mainly for the Minnesota Twins; BS 1997
GD
Glenn Dubin

Co-founder and CEO of Highbridge Capital Management; BA in economics, 1978

Frequently asked questions

What is Stony Brook's acceptance rate?

Stony Brook admitted 30,930 of 64,197 first-year applicants for fall 2025, about 48%. The rate was about 40% for New York residents.

Is Stony Brook test-optional?

Yes. SAT and ACT scores are optional. Enrolled first-years who submitted scores had a middle 50% of 1350-1470 on the SAT and 30-34 on the ACT.

When is the Stony Brook application deadline?

Early Action is November 1, 2026 and Regular Decision is January 15, 2027. Both are completion deadlines, and November 1 is also the priority deadline for the Honors College, WISE and University Scholars.

How much does Stony Brook cost?

For 2026-27, tuition and fees are an estimated $10,930 for New York residents and $34,910 for out-of-state and international students. The full on-campus cost of attendance is about $34,819 for residents and $58,799 for out-of-state students.

What English test score does Stony Brook require?

Minimums include TOEFL iBT 80 (or 4 on the new scale), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 105 and PTE Academic 53. Students who attended English-medium schools are exempt.

Sources & methodology

Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.