Stony Brook vs Cornell - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
A place is harder to win where the bar sits higher: Cornell admits 8.4%, Stony Brook admits 49%.
Real money goes to international students at Cornell ($84,351 on average), while Stony Brook stops at $2,834.
The order of prices reverses once aid is counted: Cornell starts at $96,268 against $55,085 and ends at $32,043 against $39,824 (Stony Brook).
Ten years on, graduates of Cornell earn noticeably more: $104K against $75K.
These numbers describe the cohorts already enrolled, not your chances; treat them as a starting point rather than a forecast.
Every sentence above comes from a field we hold in canonical. Where the data is missing, or the gap is small enough to be noise, the sentence simply does not appear.
EXPERT TAKE
Cornell is the more selective of the two (8.41% vs 49.04% acceptance). Cornell ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#301-400 vs #12). Cornell graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($104K vs $75K). Stony Brook has lower sticker-price tuition ($32,741 vs $72,270 per year).
Both universities have complete, comparable data in canonical - the choice should come down to fit (campus culture, major, aid package) alongside the differences visible in the numbers below.
Choose Stony Brook for: lower tuition, lower graduate debt.
Choose Cornell for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Cornell is more selective (8.41% vs 49.04% acceptance); Cornell has a higher median SAT (1540 vs 1410).
Cornell graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($104K vs $75K); Cornell has a higher 6-year graduation rate (95.4% vs 75.6%).
Stony Brook has lower sticker-price tuition ($32,741 vs $72,270); Cornell offers a larger average aid package ($64,225 vs $15,261).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Stony Brook | Cornell |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #301-400 | #12 |
| Rank · THE | - | #20 |
| Acceptance rate | 49.04% | 8.41% |
| Yield rate | 14.7% | 63.9% |
| Median SAT | 1410 | 1540 |
| Avg. GPA | - | - |
| Number of applications | 55,880 | 65,612 |
| International students | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $75K | $104K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $49K | $67K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $107K | $166K |
| Graduation rate | 75.6% | 95.4% |
| Retention rate | 89.7% | 98.1% |
| Median debt | $18,228 | $14,000 |
| Tuition · year | $32,741 | $72,270 |
| Avg. aid package | $15,261 | $64,225 |
| % of need met | 0.6% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $23,558 | $29,441 |
| Application fee | - | $80 |
| Enrollment | 26,689 | 26,793 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Stony Brook or Cornell?
It's harder to get into Cornell. Stony Brook accepts 49.04% of applicants, while Cornell accepts 8.41%.
Do Stony Brook or Cornell graduates earn more?
Cornell graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $104K vs $75K.
How much is tuition at Stony Brook vs Cornell?
Sticker-price tuition is $32,741 per year at Stony Brook and $72,270 per year at Cornell.
What SAT score do you need for Stony Brook or Cornell?
The median admitted SAT score is 1410 at Stony Brook and 1540 at Cornell; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Stony Brook or Cornell?
Cornell ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #301-400 for Stony Brook vs #12 for Cornell.
Which university offers more financial aid - Stony Brook or Cornell?
The average aid package is $15,261 at Stony Brook and $64,225 at Cornell.
Harvard
Stanford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton
Yale
Penn
Johns Hopkins
Washington University
Northwestern
North Carolina