More selective than 72% of New York colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $28,108. College Scorecard.
Higher than 62% of New York colleges we cover and 75% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 51% of New York colleges we cover and 70% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
State University of New York at Cortland acceptance rate & admissions
Of 15,867 applicants, State University of New York at Cortland admitted 8,046 and 1,217 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
State University of New York at Cortland tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for New York residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: New York residents may qualify for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP): up to $5,665 a year toward tuition at eligible New York colleges, for dependent students with New York net taxable family income up to $125,000. At SUNY and CUNY, the Excelsior Scholarship can cover remaining in-state tuition for eligible families (income limits apply). Not included in the prices above. New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC)
What State University of New York at Cortland costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of State University of New York at Cortland took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in New York. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $12,550 | $52,710 | 2.1 years |
| $30–48k | $16,453 | $69,103 | 2.7 years |
| $48–75k | $20,102 | $84,428 | 3.3 years |
| $75–110k | $21,636 | $90,871 | 3.5 years |
| $110k+ | $25,853 | $108,583 | 4.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (56% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($60,236) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $25,603 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
State University of New York at Cortland majors, earnings & careers
State University of New York at Cortland offers 51 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 12
- Health & Medicine · 8
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Science & Math · 8
- Arts & Design · 6
- Education · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Business & Finance · 2
Highest-earning majors at State University of New York at Cortland
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Special Education | $74,079 | — |
| Business Economics | $66,644 | $26,000 |
| Communications | $63,431 | $23,874 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $63,201 | $25,837 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | $62,524 | $26,995 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $62,275 | $25,902 |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | $62,122 | $23,250 |
| Biology | $61,879 | $26,000 |
Quick list of all 51 majors
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$52,067
- Anthropology—
- Archeology—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$61,879
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Economics$66,644
- Chemistry—
- Communications$63,431
- Community Organization and Advocacy—
- Criminology$56,593
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$62,275
- Education (Subject Teaching)$63,201
- English—
- English Language and Literature / Letters, Other—
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science$60,027
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Administration—
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$62,524
- History$51,043
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$56,466
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$44,687
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Outdoor Education—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$60,296
- Psychology$56,366
- Public Health—
- Public Policy Analysis—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$52,654
- Sociology$53,524
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education$74,079
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$62,122
- Studio Art—
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language—
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Education (Subject Teaching) → High school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Cortland
2 bedrooms $1,171.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 42 inches of rain a year, 64 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Cortland County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Cortland County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare State University of New York at Cortland with similar schools
Similar public colleges in New York by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State University of New York at Cortland | 60% | $22,345 | 68% | $60,236 | This school |
| State University of New York at New Paltz | 62% | $18,809 | 72% | $58,073 | |
| SUNY Oneonta | 70% | $19,158 | 69% | $60,386 | |
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 60% | $19,095 | 81% | $62,696 | |
| SUNY Brockport | 71% | $16,353 | 55% | $54,496 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
State University of New York at Cortland would cost you $3,536 more per year than State University of New York at New Paltz, on average.
- Lower sticker price at State University of New York at Cortland, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$686).
- State University of New York at New Paltz gives aided families $3,856 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, New York resident | State University of New York at Cortland | State University of New York at New Paltz | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,874 | $8,572 | +$302 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,240 | −$40 |
| Housing & meals | $15,210 | $15,896 | −$686 |
| Personal & travel | $3,050 | $3,700 | −$650 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$226 | −$980 | +$754 |
| Sticker price | $28,108 | $28,428 | −$320 |
| Average grants | −$5,763 | −$9,619 | +$3,856 |
| You pay | $22,345 | $18,809 | +$3,536 |
“+” means State University of New York at Cortland costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about State University of New York at Cortland
What is the State University of New York at Cortland acceptance rate?
State University of New York at Cortland accepts 60% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 8,046 of 15,867 applicants were admitted.
How much does State University of New York at Cortland cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $28,108 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $22,345 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,550 and families earning $110k+ pay $25,853.
How much do State University of New York at Cortland graduates earn?
Former State University of New York at Cortland students earn a median $60,236 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the State University of New York at Cortland graduation rate?
68% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 81% return for their second year.
How long does a State University of New York at Cortland degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at State University of New York at Cortland costs about $84,428 after grants ($20,102 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $60,236 ten years after starting, $25,603 more than high school graduates in New York ($34,633), so the cost is repaid in 3.3 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is State University of New York at Cortland the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing State University of New York at Cortland with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “State University of New York at Cortland: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/state-university-of-new-york-at-cortland (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).