# State University of New York at Cortland

Public college in Cortland, NY. IPEDS ID 196149.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/state-university-of-new-york-at-cortland · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/state-university-of-new-york-at-cortland.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 60% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $22,345 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 68%; beats 62% of NY colleges and 75% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $60,236; beats 51% of NY colleges and 70% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $17,500

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $12,550 |
| 30-48k | $16,453 |
| 48-75k | $20,102 |
| 75-110k | $21,636 |
| 110k+ | $25,853 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.2 years on average (56% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $60,236 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $28,108 in-state; about $38,018 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $8,874 in-state, $18,784 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $15,210; books: $1,200

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: not reported; SAT math: not reported; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 15,867 applicants, 8,046 admitted, 1,217 enrolled; test scores not considered
- Fall 2024: acceptance 60%, ACT not reported (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 51%, ACT not reported (IPEDS Admissions)

### Common Data Set 2025-26 (Fall 2025)
- Very important: rigor, gpa; important: essay, recommendations, extracurriculars, talent; considered: class rank, character, first generation, geography, state residency, volunteer, work experience, interest
- Early decision: no; early action: yes; waitlist: yes (211 admitted of 1399 who accepted a spot)
- Average high school GPA of enrolled first-years: 3.26
- Aid (full-time first-years): average 58% of need met; 36 of 624 with need fully met; merit aid to students without need: 171 students, average $4,387
- Source: https://www2.cortland.edu/offices/institutional-research-and-assessment/file-uploads/common-data-sets/CDS_2025-2026_SUNY_Cortland.xlsx

## Majors (51 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special Education | not reported | $74,079 | not reported |
| Business Economics | $40,517 | $66,644 | $26,000 |
| Communications | $34,683 | $63,431 | $23,874 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $42,132 | $63,201 | $25,837 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | $39,217 | $62,524 | $26,995 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $37,979 | $62,275 | $25,902 |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | not reported | $62,122 | $23,250 |
| Biology | $29,383 | $61,879 | $26,000 |
| Political Science | $29,143 | $60,296 | $24,138 |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | $60,027 | not reported |
| Criminology | $34,768 | $56,593 | $21,500 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $28,289 | $56,466 | $25,681 |
| Psychology | $32,159 | $56,366 | $23,616 |
| Sociology | $33,837 | $53,524 | $25,379 |
| Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences | $40,853 | $52,654 | $27,000 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | $52,067 | $27,000 |
| History | $30,192 | $51,043 | $26,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $37,940 | $44,687 | $28,150 |
| Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Relations and Advertising | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | $25,318 |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English Language and Literature / Letters, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | $32,451 | not reported | $25,000 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Outdoor Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Policy Analysis | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Archeology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Relations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Film and Photography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | $18,380 | not reported | not reported |
| Health Administration | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Education (Subject Teaching) → High school teacher: median wage not reported (metro), $97,070 (NY), $72,040 (U.S.)
- Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher: median wage not reported (metro), $85,760 (NY), $63,970 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).