Just Arrived: The Hardest (and Easiest) SUNY Schools in the State

With high school graduations right around the corner, many seniors are looking to take the next step in their education... but which SUNY institution should they choose? It might come down to which ones will accept them.

With more than 60 campuses in the state, there are enough options for nearly every New York resident to find the right fit. Looking at the 24 four-year destinations, however, and a pattern soon emerges: some are way harder to gain admittance than others.

SUNY Canton's 95% acceptance rate is the highest for a state college in New York (Google Maps)

The Highest Acceptance Rate in New York State: SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton in Canton, NY was originally founded as a two-year college, but has since grown to offer bachelor degree programs as well. It also has a 96% acceptance rate. That's not, however, the norm for most SUNY schools.

SUNY Fredonia (Google Maps)

The Spectrum of SUNY Acceptance Rates

Many SUNY Schools are recognized for their high academic standards. SUNY Oswego, has a 80% acceptance rate, SUNY Fredonia has a 77% acceptance rate, and SUNY Buffalo has a 69% acceptance rate. A little closer to the Hudson Valley, another institution is even more selective.

SUNY New Paltz in New Paltz, NY (Jackie Corley, Townsquare Media of the Hudson Valley)

Tough New York Schools: SUNY New Paltz & SUNY Stony Brook

As far as difficulty in applying, SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Stony Brook have some of the lowest acceptance rates, at 59% and 49% respectively. But which university is number one?

The State University of New York at Binghamton (Google Maps)

SUNY Binghamton Is the Most Selective Public University in New York

By the numbers, SUNY Binghamton is the most challenging SUNY program, and has a 38% acceptance rate (it's also ranked as the 73rd-best university in the entire country). But what about private New York schools?

Public vs. Private Colleges in New York State

Many private colleges and universities in New York are much more selective (and much more expensive) than state schools. Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY, for example, has a 19% acceptance rate. Its annual tuition is also over $67,000, a startling comparison to SUNY Binghamton's tuition of roughly $10,000.

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Luckily, it's not all serious business at college, even at the more selective options. SUNY New Paltz, for example, even let a bear in (sort of). Check out photos below.

Bear on Campus at SUNY New Paltz NY

On Thursday (June 23, 2022) this unassuming good-size black bear wandered onto campus and decided to climb a tree. The SUNY New Paltz Police along with the NYS DEC Police monitored the situation on-site. They were able to encourage the campus visitor to return home without incident.

Gallery Credit: Paty Quyn

KEEP SCROLLING: How The SUNY Schools Performed in Wall Street Journal's College Rankings

The Wall Street Journal has released it's ranking of all the colleges and universities in the United States. Keep going to see where the SUNY schools landed.