Empire State University

Public · NY

Photo: DanielPenfield (CC BY-SA 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationNY · Northeast

SettingSuburban

Undergrads7,585

Student:faculty17:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate28.4%

6-yr grad rate41.2%

Drop-out rate34.3%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$8k

Out-of-state tuition$18k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity54.1%

Gender diversity68.1%

International0.6%

Identity—

Overview

Empire State University is the SUNY system's dedicated university for nontraditional learners, built around flexible, individualized study rather than a conventional residential campus experience. It exists specifically to serve adult, military, and working students across New York State who need a degree structured around their existing lives rather than a traditional four-year schedule.

Academics

Degree planning here is individualized rather than following a fixed major track, with academic mentors helping students design a program of study suited to their goals, and the university is known for granting generous credit for prior learning and relevant work experience, which can meaningfully shorten time to degree.

Getting in

Admission is built around access and flexibility rather than selectivity, with a review process oriented toward evaluating a student's readiness for self-directed, often online or low-residency coursework.

Worth knowing

Because the university's population is overwhelmingly adult, military, and working students, there is little in the way of traditional residential campus life, athletics, or a single unified campus location — locations exist across New York State primarily as regional advising hubs rather than as classic college campuses.

sunyempire.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate—

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot reported

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying