Stony Brook University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Stony Brook University, a public university in New York, reports a 49% acceptance rate and sits in the selective band. In practice that means it admits a minority of applicants, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Stony Brook University weighs, where it ranks among New York schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1400, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Stony Brook University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Stony Brook University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Stony Brook University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Stony Brook University?
Your odds at Stony Brook University are not the same as its 49% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Stony Brook University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Stony Brook University hard to get into?
Stony Brook University is selective: it admits a minority of applicants, with about a 49% acceptance rate. A solid academic record puts you in good position, and the rest of your profile can tip the result either way.
What GPA do you need to get into Stony Brook University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Stony Brook University, but admitted students commonly present roughly a 3.5 to 3.9 GPA. Stony Brook University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Stony Brook University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Stony Brook University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Stony Brook University with a 3.5 GPA and a 1420 SAT?
About 80% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 1420 SAT, the middle of Stony Brook University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.8 GPA with a 1500 SAT comes out near 92%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/stony-brook-university.
How to get into Stony Brook University
Built from Stony Brook University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Stony Brook University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Stony Brook University carries about a 3.46 core GPA and a 1450 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1330 to 1500 SAT (29 to 33 ACT). Submit a score at 1415 or higher; below 1330, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Stony Brook University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Stony Brook University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.stonybrook.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Stony Brook University, and how many get in?
Stony Brook University admitted 24,670 of the 50,341 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 49%. 3,569 enrolled. Only about 14% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Stony Brook University enrolls about 18,101 undergraduates in total, 51% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 19 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Stony Brook University?
Admitted students at Stony Brook University post SAT scores of 1330 to 1500 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1419. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 29 to 33. A score above 1500 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1330 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Stony Brook University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Stony Brook University looks for
What Stony Brook University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Stony Brook University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Stony Brook University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Stony Brook University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Stony Brook University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Stony Brook University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $30,539 a year. Tuition and fees are $10,931 for NY residents and $32,741 for out-of-state students, a $21,810 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $18,784 a year, and it ranges from $12,943 for families earning under $30,000 to $27,716 for families earning over $110,000. 39% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Stony Brook University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Stony Brook University students ten years after entry are $74,502 ($59,492 at the six-year mark). 76% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 90% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $18,228; 35% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Stony Brook University compares in New York
Stony Brook University ranks #15 most selective of 59 schools in New York in our database.
Among the 59 New York schools we track, Stony Brook University ranks #15 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Columbia University (4%) and Cornell University (9%) sit nearby, which makes New York a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Stony Brook University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Stony Brook University often weigh North Carolina A&T State University, Purdue University, and Baruch College, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Stony Brook University's acceptance rate?
Stony Brook University admitted 24,670 of 50,341 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 49% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 14% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Stony Brook University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1330 to 1500 on the SAT and 29 to 33 on the ACT. A score above 1500 is in the top quarter of admits. Stony Brook University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Stony Brook University test-optional?
Yes. Stony Brook University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Stony Brook University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Stony Brook University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $18,784 a year against a sticker price of about $30,539. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $12,943 on average.
What do Stony Brook University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Stony Brook University are $74,502 a year among students who received federal aid, and 76% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Stony Brook University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Stony Brook University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Stony Brook University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Stony Brook University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Stony Brook University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Stony Brook University specifically.
Is Stony Brook University a target or a reach for an average applicant?
For an applicant whose GPA and scores sit near Stony Brook University's admitted range, it generally reads as a target rather than a reach. Run your exact profile through the free calculator to see your personal verdict.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.