Howard vs. SUNY Stony Brook

Deciding between Howard University and Stony Brook University? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Howard University
Stony Brook University

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Howard Washington, DC
  • SUNY Stony Brook Stony Brook, NY
  • Setting
  • Howard Large City
  • SUNY Stony Brook Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • Howard 14,890
  • SUNY Stony Brook 26,689
  • Type
  • Howard Private 4 Year
  • SUNY Stony Brook Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Howard #310
  • SUNY Stony Brook #141
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Howard -
  • SUNY Stony Brook -
  • Status
  • Howard Non-profit
  • SUNY Stony Brook Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Howard
  • SUNY Stony Brook

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Howard $35,810
  • SUNY Stony Brook $10,931
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Howard $35,810
  • SUNY Stony Brook $32,741
  • Room & Board
  • Howard $17,322
  • SUNY Stony Brook $18,196
  • Average Net Price
  • Howard $33,368
  • SUNY Stony Brook $20,992
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Howard $21,262
  • SUNY Stony Brook $9,285
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Howard 99%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 98%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Howard 34,211
  • SUNY Stony Brook 55,880
  • Admitted
  • Howard 14,144
  • SUNY Stony Brook 27,406
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Howard 41.3%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 49%
  • Enrolled
  • Howard 19.4%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 14.7%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Howard 1210
  • SUNY Stony Brook 1420
  • Typical ACT score
  • Howard 25
  • SUNY Stony Brook 31
  • Average High School GPA
  • Howard 3.66
  • SUNY Stony Brook 3.94
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Howard A-
  • SUNY Stony Brook A
  • Admissions Standards
  • Howard Challenging
  • SUNY Stony Brook Exceptional
  • Applicant Competition
  • Howard Low
  • SUNY Stony Brook Low
  • ACT Range
  • Howard 22/28
  • SUNY Stony Brook 29/33
  • SAT Range
  • Howard 1090/1320
  • SUNY Stony Brook 1330/1500
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Howard Test optional
  • SUNY Stony Brook Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Howard Feb 15, 2027
  • SUNY Stony Brook Jan 15, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Howard 13:1
  • SUNY Stony Brook 19:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Howard
    • Business (20%)
    • Communication (20%)
    • Social Sciences (12%)
    • Biology (10%)
    • Psychology (9%)
  • SUNY Stony Brook
    • Social Sciences (17%)
    • Health Professions (17%)
    • Biology (13%)
    • Psychology (11%)
    • Business (9%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Howard 63%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 67%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Howard $51,800
  • SUNY Stony Brook $59,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Howard 33%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 73%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Howard $27,000
  • SUNY Stony Brook $19,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Howard $279
  • SUNY Stony Brook $196

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Howard 30%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 47%
  • % Women
  • Howard 70%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 53%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Howard Very Low
  • SUNY Stony Brook Very High
  • HBCU
  • Howard Yes
  • SUNY Stony Brook No
  • % White
  • Howard 2%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 36%
  • % Asian
  • Howard 1%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 24%
  • % Black
  • Howard 91%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 7%
  • % Hispanic
  • Howard 0%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 11%
  • % Native American
  • Howard 1%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Howard 0%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Howard 0%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 2%
  • % International
  • Howard 5%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 13%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Howard 0%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 7%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Howard 2%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 78%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Howard 94%
  • SUNY Stony Brook 9%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Howard Yes
  • SUNY Stony Brook Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Howard Yes
  • SUNY Stony Brook No
  • Meal Plan
  • Howard Yes
  • SUNY Stony Brook Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Howard No
  • SUNY Stony Brook No
  • Daycare Facility
  • Howard No
  • SUNY Stony Brook Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Howard University in Washington, DC with Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, NY on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Stony Brook University is larger than Howard based on total student enrollment (26,689 students vs. 14,890 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Howard University is located in Washington, DC (Large City setting); Stony Brook University is in Stony Brook, NY (Large Suburban setting).
  • Howard University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Stony Brook University is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Howard University 13:1; Stony Brook University 19:1.

Howard vs. SUNY Stony Brook Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Howard or SUNY Stony Brook? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Stony Brook University than Howard ($20,992 vs. $33,368).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Howard University are 4.8% lower than at Stony Brook University ($17,322 vs. $18,196).
  • Howard University is 227.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than SUNY Stony Brook (about $24,879 more per year; $35,810.00 vs. $10,931.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 9.4% higher at Howard than at Stony Brook University (about $3,069 more per year; $35,810.00 vs. $32,741.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Howard University than at Stony Brook University (99% vs. 98%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Howard University students is 129% larger than aid received by Stony Brook University students ($21,262 vs. $9,285).

Howard vs. SUNY Stony Brook Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Howard or SUNY Stony Brook? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between SUNY Stony Brook and Howard.

  • The typical SAT score (midpoint estimate) at Stony Brook University (1420) is 210 points higher than at Howard (1210).
  • Incoming SUNY Stony Brook students have a 6 point higher typical ACT composite (midpoint estimate) (31 vs. 25 at Howard).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: Howard University 1090/1320; Stony Brook University 1330/1500.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: Howard University 22/28; Stony Brook University 29/33.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Howard - Test optional; SUNY Stony Brook - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Howard Feb 15, 2027; SUNY Stony Brook Jan 15, 2027.
  • Enrolled freshman SUNY Stony Brook students have a 0.28 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at Howard (3.66).
  • SUNY Stony Brook has a higher acceptance rate (49%) than Howard (41.3%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 19.4% at Howard vs. 14.7% at SUNY Stony Brook.

Howard vs. SUNY Stony Brook Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Howard and SUNY Stony Brook? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

  • Stony Brook University's six-year graduation rate (67%) is higher than Howard University's (63%).
  • Graduates from Stony Brook University earn a median of about $7,500 more per year than Howard graduates about ten years after starting college ($59,300 vs. $51,800), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Stony Brook University graduates have a $8,000 lower median loan debt than Howard graduates ($19,000 vs. $27,000).
  • Among borrowers, SUNY Stony Brook graduates have an estimated $83 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Howard graduates ($196 vs. $279).
  • More SUNY Stony Brook graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Howard students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 33%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.