SUNY-ESF vs. SUNY Poly

Should I go to SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry or SUNY Polytechnic Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SUNY-ESF or SUNY Poly 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

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

Cornell UB RPI Binghamton University UVM Wentworth Institute of Technology RIT State University of New York at New Paltz SUNY Stony Brook Syracuse Hunter University at Albany- SUNY
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry vs. SUNY Polytechnic Institute comparison
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry SUNY Polytechnic Institute College 3 College 4
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 SUNY-ESF SUNY Poly
Location Syracuse, NY Utica, NY
Setting Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 1,976 2,842
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #206 #257
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website esf.edu sunyit.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SUNY-ESF SUNY Poly
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $7,070
Tuition (Out of State) $18,720 $17,830
Room & Board $17,300 $14,008
Avg Net Price $20,928 $13,799
Avg Grant Aid $8,713 $9,497
% Receiving Grant Aid 89% 89%

Admission

 SUNY-ESF SUNY Poly
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,466 2,919
Admitted 1,714 2,384
Acceptance Rate 69.5% 81.7%
Enrolled % 20.8% 16%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.7
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 24/30 23/31
SAT Range 1130/1300 1040/1400
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2025 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 SUNY-ESF SUNY Poly
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (38%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (37%)
  • Architecture (9%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Construction Trades (4%)
  • Business (24%)
  • Engineering Technology (20%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (10%)

Outcomes

 SUNY-ESF SUNY Poly
Graduation Rate 66% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,200 $53,200
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,750 $16,585
Median Loan Payment $204 $171

Diversity

 SUNY-ESF SUNY Poly
% Men 49% 59%
% Women 51% 41%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 82% 79%
% Black 1% 6%
% Hispanic 5% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 4% 0%

Students

 SUNY-ESF SUNY Poly
% In-State 76% 95%
% Out-of-State 23% 3%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute is larger than than SUNY-ESF based on total student enrollment (2,842 students vs. 1,976 students)

SUNY-ESF vs. SUNY Poly Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SUNY-ESF or SUNY Poly?

  • SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and SUNY Poly cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($7,070.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5% higher at SUNY-ESF than SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($18,720.00 vs. $17,830.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY Polytechnic Institute than SUNY-ESF ($13,799 vs. $20,928)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY Polytechnic Institute are 23.5% lower than costs at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry ($14,008 vs. $17,300)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry as SUNY Polytechnic Institute (89% vs. 89%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by SUNY Polytechnic Institute students is 9% larger than aid received SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry ($9,497 vs. $8,713)

SUNY-ESF vs. SUNY Poly Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (1215) is 74 points higher than at SUNY Poly (1141)
  • Incoming SUNY-ESF students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at SUNY Poly (26)
  • Accepted freshman SUNY-ESF students have at the same average high school GPA (3.7) as students at SUNY Poly (3.7)
  • SUNY Poly has a higher acceptance rate (81.7%) than SUNY-ESF (69.5%)

SUNY-ESF vs. SUNY Poly Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY-ESF or SUNY Poly? 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 SUNY Poly and SUNY-ESF.

  • The graduation rate at SUNY-ESF is higher than SUNY Polytechnic Institute (66% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from SUNY Polytechnic Institute earn on average $7,000 more per year than SUNY-ESF graduates after ten years. ($53,200 vs. $46,200)
  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute students graduate with a $3,165 lower median federal student loan debt than SUNY-ESF graduates. ($16,585 vs. $19,750)
  • SUNY Poly graduates are paying $33 less per month on federal student loans than SUNY-ESF graduates. ($171 vs. $204)
  • More SUNY-ESF graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SUNY Poly students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 63%)

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