SUNY College at Geneseo

Public · Moderately Selective · NY

Photo: Benjamin D. Esham (bdesham) (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationNY · Northeast

SettingRural

Undergrads3,869

Student:faculty16:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate64%

6-yr grad rate71.5%

Drop-out rate13%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$9k

Out-of-state tuition$20k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity21.6%

Gender diversity64.5%

International1%

Identity—

Overview

SUNY Geneseo is a public liberal arts college in New York's Finger Lakes region, widely regarded as the most academically selective campus within the SUNY system and often called its honors college. It combines rigorous, small-college academics with public-university pricing, drawing students who want a private-college experience without the private-college cost.

Academics

The curriculum is broadly liberal-arts, with particular strength in teacher education, biology and other pre-health tracks, and business; many students pursue double majors or minors given the flexibility of the curriculum. Class sizes are small for a public institution and taught predominantly by full-time faculty rather than graduate assistants.

Campus & student life

The campus sits in the village of Geneseo, a small, tight-knit community overlooking the Genesee Valley, giving the school a residential, self-contained feel rather than a commuter character. Most students live on campus for multiple years, and the small-town setting means campus life is central to the social experience.

Getting in

Geneseo is meaningfully more selective than most SUNY campuses, and the application is evaluated holistically with real attention to academic rigor in high school coursework, not just grades in isolation.

After graduation

Graduates place well into graduate and professional programs, particularly in education, health fields, and business, and the college's reputation for rigor carries real weight with regional employers and graduate schools in New York State.

Worth knowing

The 'public ivy' and 'honors college of SUNY' reputations are earned rather than marketing; the academic culture is noticeably more intense than at most SUNY campuses, which is part of the draw for students who want that rigor at public-school pricing.

geneseo.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate66.5%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1190–1340 · ACT 26–31

Test policyoptional

Rec letters1

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionNov 15

Regular decisionMar 1

AdmissionRolling

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying