Stony Brook, NY
Stony Brook University was founded in 1957 as a college to prepare secondary-school teachers of mathematics and science, initially operating on a former Oyster Bay estate before relocating in 1962 to its current site on land donated by philanthropist Ward Melville. Under President John S. Toll in the 1960s and 1970s, the university expanded rapidly, adding schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing, and social work and recruiting scholars including Nobel laureate C.N. Yang. It is part of the State University of New York system.
Admissions
Test scores for the Fall 2025 entering class come from Stony Brook University's own 2025-26 Common Data Set: 38% submitted SAT scores, 4% submitted ACT scores.
Application deadlines for Fall 2027 entry
- Early Action: Nov 1, 2026
- Regular Decision: Jan 15, 2027
Confirm on Stony Brook University's own admissions site before you apply.
Cost & outcomes
Out-of-state students pay $23,980 more per year in tuition and fees (3.2x the in-state rate).
The student health insurance fee, which can be waived, isn't included.
Tuition & fees are Stony Brook University's own published 2026-27 rates (source); other figures are from the US Dept of Education College Scorecard, most recent year reported. Tuition & fees are the sticker price for a full-time first-year undergrad, before financial aid, and don't include room and board.
Where do you stand against Stony Brook University's numbers?
Check your chances hereHow Stony Brook University weighs your application
From Stony Brook University's own Common Data Set, 2025-26, Section C7 -- not a generic admissions checklist. What is a Common Data Set?
What admitted applicants who posted their results listed
25 admitted applicants who posted their profiles publicly, 2024–25 and 2025–26 admissions cycles. Too few rejected or waitlisted applicants have posted to compare, so every figure here describes admits only. It shows what admitted posters looked like, not what made the difference.
Most common activities among admits
Most common awards among admits
Who the admitted posters were
How this compares across big public universities: Big Public University Accepted vs. Rejected Applicants →
These are people who chose to post their results publicly, mostly on Reddit -- a group that skews toward high scores and STEM. They describe posters, not Stony Brook University's admitted class, and recruited athletes are left out. Expect these medians to run above the school's real admitted class. For official numbers, use the admissions figures above.
See full profile -- financial aid, campus life, and what Stony Brook University weighs in your application
Paying it back
"Still growing" means a borrower's payments aren't yet covering interest 3 years into repayment -- not a default rate. A high number here can mean real repayment difficulty, or just a lot of grads who deferred for graduate school, so read it alongside the school's typical outcomes above.
Majors & earnings
Median earnings 4 years after graduation, by major, from the US Dept of Education. Only shown where the school reports a real figure for that major -- most schools don't report every major they offer, especially smaller programs.
Campus life
Room and board are shown separately from the cost of attendance above -- that total already includes them alongside tuition and fees, this just breaks out the living-cost portion.
What matters in your application
From this school's own reporting to the US Dept of Education on what it formally requires, considers, or doesn't use when reviewing applications.
Frequently asked questions
What does Stony Brook University look for in applicants?
Per Stony Brook University's own Common Data Set (Section C7), it rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, standardized test scores, application essay as "very important" in admissions decisions -- its own stated top factors, not a generic guess.
What is Stony Brook University's acceptance rate?
Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, NY admits approximately 49% of applicants, based on the US Dept of Education's most recently reported figures.
What SAT score do I need for Stony Brook University?
Per Stony Brook University's own 2025-26 Common Data Set, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1350–1470 on the SAT (25th–75th percentile, among students who submitted scores).
What ACT score do I need for Stony Brook University?
Per Stony Brook University's own 2025-26 Common Data Set, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 30–34 on the ACT (25th–75th percentile, among students who submitted scores).
How much does Stony Brook University cost?
Stony Brook University's total cost of attendance is reported at $30,539 per year, including tuition, fees, and room and board.
What is out-of-state tuition at Stony Brook University?
For 2026-27, Stony Brook University's tuition and required fees are $34,910 for out-of-state students and $10,930 for in-state students -- $23,980 more per year for out-of-state students. That's before financial aid, and room and board are extra.
When is the application deadline for Stony Brook University?
Stony Brook University's deadlines are Early Action Nov 1, 2026; Regular Decision Jan 15, 2027, per its own published admissions calendar.
Does Stony Brook University require students to live on campus?
No -- Stony Brook University doesn't require students to live in on-campus housing.
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