SUNY Stony Brook vs. Penn State

Should I go to Stony Brook University or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SUNY Stony Brook or Penn State is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Stony Brook University vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
Stony Brook University Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
Stony Brook University Penn State Main Campus
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Overview

 SUNY Stony Brook Penn State
Location Stony Brook, NY University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 25,710 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #131 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website stonybrook.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SUNY Stony Brook Penn State
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $24,990 $35,946
Room & Board $16,408 $12,744
Avg Net Price $17,213 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $11,584 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 82% 44%

Admission

 SUNY Stony Brook Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 40,513 85,784
Admitted 19,908 47,360
Acceptance Rate 49.1% 55.2%
Enrolled % 16.8% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 28/34 26/31
SAT Range 1320/1500 1210/1390
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2025

Academics

 SUNY Stony Brook Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Health Professions (17%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 SUNY Stony Brook Penn State
Graduation Rate 67% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,300 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $196 $277

Diversity

 SUNY Stony Brook Penn State
% Men 47% 53%
% Women 53% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 36% 69%
% Black 7% 4%
% Hispanic 11% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 13% 11%
% Unknown Race 7% 2%

Students

 SUNY Stony Brook Penn State
% In-State 81% 51%
% Out-of-State 10% 40%

Campus

 SUNY Stony Brook Penn State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than SUNY Stony Brook based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 25,710 students)

SUNY Stony Brook vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SUNY Stony Brook or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 159.8% more expensive to attend than SUNY Stony Brook for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 43.8% higher at Penn State than Stony Brook University ($35,946.00 vs. $24,990.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Stony Brook University than Penn State ($17,213 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 28.8% lower than costs at Stony Brook University ($12,744 vs. $16,408)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Stony Brook University than Penn State Main Campus (82% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Stony Brook University students is 15.1% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($11,584 vs. $10,066)

SUNY Stony Brook vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SUNY Stony Brook or Penn State? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Penn State or SUNY Stony Brook .

  • The average SAT score at Stony Brook University (1271) is 69 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming SUNY Stony Brook students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than SUNY Stony Brook (49.1%)

SUNY Stony Brook vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY Stony Brook or Penn State? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Penn State and SUNY Stony Brook.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Stony Brook University (87% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from Stony Brook University earn on average $4,000 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($59,300 vs. $55,300)
  • Stony Brook University students graduate with a $7,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($19,000 vs. $26,818)
  • SUNY Stony Brook graduates are paying $81 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($196 vs. $277)
  • More SUNY Stony Brook graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/