Stony Brook University
Stony Brook University is a public university in Brookhaven, NY, with about 24,051 students on campus and 1,814 more studying only online.
Stony Brook University, in brief
Family background barely changes what graduates earn
Ten years after starting, students from lower-income families earn a median $75,907, more than the $72,521 earned by students from families making over $75,000. Outcomes ↓
Lower-income students graduate as often as everyone else
77% of students with Pell grants finish, more than the 76% rate overall. At most colleges they trail by several points. 39% of undergraduates here get Pell grants. Outcomes ↓
Stony Brook University’s graduates are among the best paid in the country
Former students earn a median $74,502 ten years after starting, more than at 95% of U.S. colleges. Outcomes ↓
Rent in Brookhaven is above the state median
Median rent in Brookhaven is $2,314 a month, 43% above the state median. Living in Brookhaven ↓
Out-of-state students pay far more
In-state tuition and fees are $10,931 a year; students from other states pay $32,741, 3 times as much. What it costs ↓
This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; price, graduation and earnings include online students.
Do students finish, and does it pay off?
Debt vs. the paycheck
The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting
$193 a month against about $4,958 a month in pay.
Paying back loans
Federal student loans, this college
of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 88% of U.S. colleges.
Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).
Earnings by family background
Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment
How hard is it to get into Stony Brook University?
of applicants admitted
About 10 of every 20 applicants get in.
Test scores of admitted students
The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1419.
The sticker price, and what families really pay
Sticker price: $30,539 a year
Before any grants · out-of-state tuition $32,741
After grants, the average family on aid pays $18,784.
Your family’s price
Average net price after grants, by family income
About $82,912 over 4 years · 32% off the sticker price
What students study, and what it pays
Share of degrees by field
Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates
And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).
The students
18,101 degree-seeking undergraduates.
By race and ethnicity
Women and men
Living in Brookhaven
8% of Brookhaven’s 496,410 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Brookhaven pages.
Other colleges within 30 miles
Straight-line distances from Stony Brook University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.
Ask around
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.