SUNY-Potsdam vs. Purchase College

Should I go to SUNY College at Potsdam or SUNY at Purchase College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SUNY-Potsdam or Purchase College 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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SUNY College at Potsdam vs. SUNY at Purchase College comparison
SUNY College at Potsdam SUNY at Purchase College College 3 College 4
SUNY College at Potsdam SUNY at Purchase College
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Overview

 SUNY-Potsdam Purchase College
Location Potsdam, NY Purchase, NY
Setting Remote Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,751 3,229
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #297
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website potsdam.edu purchase.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SUNY-Potsdam Purchase College
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $7,070
Tuition (Out of State) $16,980 $16,980
Room & Board $15,084 $15,400
Avg Net Price $14,574 $18,651
Avg Grant Aid $9,778 $9,627
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 72%

Admission

 SUNY-Potsdam Purchase College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,905 7,221
Admitted 3,338 5,259
Acceptance Rate 85.5% 72.8%
Enrolled % 12.9% 14.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.37
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 27/32
SAT Range 1178/1363
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 Jul 1, 2026

Academics

 SUNY-Potsdam Purchase College
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (24%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (12%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (37%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Communication (6%)

Outcomes

 SUNY-Potsdam Purchase College
Graduation Rate 51% 56%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,100 $40,200
Making Student Loan Payments 60% 65%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $22,500
Median Loan Payment $258 $232

Diversity

 SUNY-Potsdam Purchase College
% Men 4% 1%
% Women 16% 1%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 65% 55%
% Black 10% 10%
% Hispanic 13% 18%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 6% 7%

Students

 SUNY-Potsdam Purchase College
% In-State 96% 78%
% Out-of-State 3% 21%

Campus

 SUNY-Potsdam Purchase College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • SUNY at Purchase College is larger than than SUNY-Potsdam based on total student enrollment (3,229 students vs. 2,751 students)

SUNY-Potsdam vs. Purchase College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SUNY-Potsdam or Purchase College?

  • SUNY College at Potsdam and Purchase College cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($7,070.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at SUNY-Potsdam as SUNY at Purchase College ($16,980.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY College at Potsdam than Purchase College ($14,574 vs. $18,651)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY College at Potsdam are 2.1% lower than costs at SUNY at Purchase College ($15,084 vs. $15,400)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY College at Potsdam than SUNY at Purchase College (95% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by SUNY College at Potsdam students is 1.6% larger than aid received SUNY at Purchase College ($9,778 vs. $9,627)

SUNY-Potsdam vs. Purchase College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SUNY-Potsdam or Purchase College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Purchase College or SUNY-Potsdam .

  • Accepted freshman Purchase College students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.37) than students at SUNY-Potsdam (3.3)
  • SUNY-Potsdam has a higher acceptance rate (85.5%) than Purchase College (72.8%)

SUNY-Potsdam vs. Purchase College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY-Potsdam or Purchase College? 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 Purchase College and SUNY-Potsdam.

  • The graduation rate at Purchase College is higher than SUNY College at Potsdam (56% vs. 51%)
  • Graduates from SUNY at Purchase College earn on average $1,100 more per year than SUNY-Potsdam graduates after ten years. ($40,200 vs. $39,100)
  • SUNY at Purchase College students graduate with a $2,500 lower median federal student loan debt than SUNY-Potsdam graduates. ($22,500 vs. $25,000)
  • Purchase College graduates are paying $26 less per month on federal student loans than SUNY-Potsdam graduates. ($232 vs. $258)
  • More Purchase College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SUNY-Potsdam students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 60%)

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