SUNY Poly vs. SUNY Cortland

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

 SUNY Poly SUNY Cortland
Location Utica, NY Cortland, NY
Setting Rural Fringe Rural Fringe
Enrollment 2,842 6,690
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #257 #399
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sunyit.edu cortland.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SUNY Poly SUNY Cortland
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $7,070
Tuition (Out of State) $17,830 $16,980
Room & Board $14,008 $13,620
Avg Net Price $13,799 $18,304
Avg Grant Aid $9,497 $9,369
% Receiving Grant Aid 89% 73%

Admission

 SUNY Poly SUNY Cortland
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,919 11,711
Admitted 2,384 7,001
Acceptance Rate 81.7% 59.8%
Enrolled % 16% 19.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.7
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/31 22/27
SAT Range 1040/1400 1090/1240
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 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 SUNY Poly SUNY Cortland
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Engineering Technology (20%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Education (41%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (16%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Health Professions (5%)

Outcomes

 SUNY Poly SUNY Cortland
Graduation Rate 47% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,200 $47,300
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,585 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $171 $222

Diversity

 SUNY Poly SUNY Cortland
% Men 59% 44%
% Women 41% 56%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 79% 74%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 7% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 1% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 5%

Students

 SUNY Poly SUNY Cortland
% In-State 95% 96%
% Out-of-State 3% 4%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • SUNY College at Cortland is larger than than SUNY Poly based on total student enrollment (6,690 students vs. 2,842 students)

SUNY Poly vs. SUNY Cortland Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SUNY Poly or SUNY Cortland?

  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute and SUNY Cortland 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 Poly than SUNY College at Cortland ($17,830.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY Polytechnic Institute than SUNY Cortland ($13,799 vs. $18,304)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY College at Cortland are 2.8% lower than costs at SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($13,620 vs. $14,008)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY Polytechnic Institute than SUNY College at Cortland (89% vs. 73%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by SUNY Polytechnic Institute students is 1.4% larger than aid received SUNY College at Cortland ($9,497 vs. $9,369)

SUNY Poly vs. SUNY Cortland Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman SUNY Poly students have at the same average high school GPA (3.7) as students at SUNY Cortland (3.7)
  • SUNY Poly has a higher acceptance rate (81.7%) than SUNY Cortland (59.8%)

SUNY Poly vs. SUNY Cortland Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY Poly or SUNY Cortland? 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 Cortland and SUNY Poly.

  • The graduation rate at SUNY Cortland is higher than SUNY Polytechnic Institute (67% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from SUNY Polytechnic Institute earn on average $5,900 more per year than SUNY Cortland graduates after ten years. ($53,200 vs. $47,300)
  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute students graduate with a $4,915 lower median federal student loan debt than SUNY Cortland graduates. ($16,585 vs. $21,500)
  • SUNY Poly graduates are paying $51 less per month on federal student loans than SUNY Cortland graduates. ($171 vs. $222)
  • More SUNY Cortland graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SUNY Poly students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 63%)

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