Stony Brook University
STONY BROOK, NY
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS
COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

Stony Brook vs Illinois Urbana-Champaign - US university comparison

Stony Brook University
STONY BROOK
Stony Brook, NY
World rank · ARWU#301-400
Acceptance49.04%
Median SAT1410
Graduation rate75.6%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$75K
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
Champaign, Illinois
World rank · ARWU#55
Acceptance42.37%
Median SAT1470
Graduation rate85.1%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$81K
🔒 UNDERGRADUATE 🔒 GRADUATE

KEY DATA

Stony Brook University University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
#301-400 World rank · ARWU #55
- Rank · THE #46
49.04% Acceptance rate 42.37%
1410 Median SAT 1470
75.6% Graduation rate 85.1%
26,689 Enrollment 59,238

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

49.04% Acceptance rate 42.37%
14.7% Yield rate 28.8%
1410 Median SAT 1470
- Avg. GPA -
55,880 Number of applications 73,742
10.2% Int'l students 14.9%
$75K Median earnings · 10 yrs $81K
$49K Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs $55K
$107K Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs $117K
75.6% Graduation rate 85.1%
89.7% Retention rate 94.8%
$18,228 Median debt $19,500
$32,741 Tuition · year $38,400
$15,261 Avg. aid package $23,217
0.6% % of need met 0.8%
$23,558 Avg. graduate debt $22,395
- Application fee $50
$2,834 Avg. int'l aid $5,836
At a glance
Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads in 9 of 11 measured metrics
Yield14.7% vs 28.8%
Aid$15,261 vs $23,217
% of need0.6% vs 0.8%

The verdict, from the data

The one that looks dearer ends up cheaper: Illinois Urbana-Champaign lists $57,284 against $55,085 (Stony Brook), but after average aid what remains is $34,067 against $39,824.

The higher median salary ten years after enrolment belongs to Illinois Urbana-Champaign: $81K against $75K.

60 points separate the SAT profiles: 1470 (Illinois Urbana-Champaign) against 1410.

Students admitted to both more often choose Illinois Urbana-Champaign (28.8% enrol, against 14.7%).

The indicators describe a university as a whole, and your own course can sit a long way from that average.

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

Illinois Urbana-Champaign is the more selective of the two (42.37% vs 49.04% acceptance). Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#301-400 vs #55). Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $75K). Stony Brook has lower sticker-price tuition ($32,741 vs $38,400 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.

Choose Illinois Urbana-Champaign 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

Admissions

Illinois Urbana-Champaign is more selective (42.37% vs 49.04% acceptance); Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a higher median SAT (1470 vs 1410).

Graduate outcomes

Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $75K); Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a higher 6-year graduation rate (85.1% vs 75.6%).

Cost and aid

Stony Brook has lower sticker-price tuition ($32,741 vs $38,400); Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers a larger average aid package ($23,217 vs $15,261).

VALUE LANDSCAPE

$35k$76k$117k$158k$11k$35k$59k$83kStony BrookIllinois Urbana-Champaign TUITION · YEAR → MEDIAN EARNINGS · 10 YRS →
Each dot is a comparable US university; Stony Brook and Illinois Urbana-Champaign highlighted. Up and to the left = better value ratio.

FULL DATA TABLE

Metric Stony Brook Illinois Urbana-Champaign
World rank · ARWU#301-400#55
Rank · THE-#46
Acceptance rate49.04%42.37%
Yield rate14.7%28.8%
Median SAT14101470
Avg. GPA--
Number of applications55,88073,742
International students10.2%14.9%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$75K$81K
Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs$49K$55K
Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs$107K$117K
Graduation rate75.6%85.1%
Retention rate89.7%94.8%
Median debt$18,228$19,500
Tuition · year$32,741$38,400
Avg. aid package$15,261$23,217
% of need met0.6%0.8%
Avg. graduate debt$23,558$22,395
Application fee-$50
Enrollment26,68959,238

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is it harder to get into Stony Brook or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

It's harder to get into Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Stony Brook accepts 49.04% of applicants, while Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37%.

Do Stony Brook or Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn more?

Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $81K vs $75K.

How much is tuition at Stony Brook vs Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

Sticker-price tuition is $32,741 per year at Stony Brook and $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

What SAT score do you need for Stony Brook or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

The median admitted SAT score is 1410 at Stony Brook and 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.

Which university ranks higher - Stony Brook or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #301-400 for Stony Brook vs #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Which university offers more financial aid - Stony Brook or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

The average aid package is $15,261 at Stony Brook and $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Compare Stony Brook with
Harvard Stanford Massachusetts Institute of Technology Princeton Yale Cornell Penn Johns Hopkins Washington University Northwestern
Highest-ranked in ARWU. Click "↻ Change university" in the cards above to choose from all 47 universities (+35).
All metrics come 100% from College Council Atlas (canonical) - admissions, SAT, GPA, graduate outcomes, financial aid and costs from IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25; rankings from ARWU 2024 and THE 2025. Zero manual fields. "-" = not yet in canonical.