SUNY at Purchase College

Public · Moderately Selective · NY

Photo: Kelly Campbell, Sandy Dylak, Roberto DeOliveira, Steven Ferry, David Grimaldi, Imani Humphries, Kristi McKee, Jared Pereira, Zoe Markwalter (CC BY-SA 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationNY · Northeast

SettingSuburban

Undergrads3,197

Student:faculty12:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate51.8%

6-yr grad rate62.8%

Drop-out rate19.7%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$9k

Out-of-state tuition$19k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity53.1%

Gender diversity58.4%

International1.8%

Identity—

Overview

SUNY Purchase, in Westchester County north of New York City, is the SUNY system's dedicated arts campus — a public school built around conservatory-level training in dance, music, acting, film, and visual arts, wrapped around a liberal arts college. Its culture is proudly unconventional relative to most public universities.

Academics

The conservatory programs are the school's real draw and operate with the intensity and audition-based structure of a private arts conservatory, while a separate liberal arts college handles the more traditional academic majors. Studio access, performance opportunities, and faculty who are practicing artists themselves define the experience in the arts divisions.

Campus & student life

Purchase's brutalist architecture and its well-known on-campus performing arts center are landmarks that shape how the school presents itself, and the surrounding Westchester suburbs contrast sharply with the campus's artsy, alternative student culture. Proximity to New York City matters for arts students seeking internships, auditions, and gallery access.

Getting in

Arts programs require auditions or portfolio review on top of standard academic admission, and those creative reviews carry significant weight — sometimes more than grades — for conservatory applicants.

After graduation

Purchase's arts alumni have a real track record in professional dance companies, orchestras, film, and theater — placement into working artistic careers is taken seriously and is a central part of the school's pitch, distinct from a typical liberal arts college's outcomes.

Worth knowing

Purchase functions almost as two schools under one roof — a competitive, audition-driven conservatory and a more conventional public liberal arts college — and the day-to-day experience differs substantially depending on which side a student enters through.

purchase.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate74.1%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1185–1380 · ACT 27–30

Test policyoptional

Rec letters1

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Applying