Stony Brook vs Kansas - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
The lower acceptance rate belongs to Stony Brook: 49% against 93.5% (Kansas).
The share of international students differs sharply: 10.2% (Stony Brook) against 3.1% (Kansas).
Average aid for an international student is $11,164 (Kansas) and $2,834 (Stony Brook).
The higher median salary ten years after enrolment belongs to Stony Brook: $75K against $62K.
None of these figures decides on its own; what decides is which course you want to be on, and on what budget.
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
Stony Brook is the more selective of the two (49.04% vs 93.48% acceptance). Stony Brook graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($75K vs $62K). Kansas has lower sticker-price tuition ($30,432 vs $32,741 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: higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings, a higher graduation rate.
Choose Kansas for: lower tuition, a larger aid package.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Stony Brook is more selective (49.04% vs 93.48% acceptance); Stony Brook has a higher median SAT (1410 vs 1190).
Stony Brook graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($75K vs $62K); Stony Brook has a higher 6-year graduation rate (75.6% vs 68.8%).
Kansas has lower sticker-price tuition ($30,432 vs $32,741); Kansas offers a larger average aid package ($19,700 vs $15,261).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Stony Brook | Kansas |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #301-400 | #301-400 |
| Rank · THE | - | - |
| Acceptance rate | 49.04% | 93.48% |
| Yield rate | 14.7% | 25.5% |
| Median SAT | 1410 | 1190 |
| Avg. GPA | - | 3.68 |
| Number of applications | 55,880 | 22,363 |
| International students | 10.2% | 3.1% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $75K | $62K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $49K | $40K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $107K | $88K |
| Graduation rate | 75.6% | 68.8% |
| Retention rate | 89.7% | 86% |
| Median debt | $18,228 | $21,000 |
| Tuition · year | $32,741 | $30,432 |
| Avg. aid package | $15,261 | $19,700 |
| % of need met | 0.6% | 78.6% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $23,558 | $27,212 |
| Application fee | - | $40 |
| Enrollment | 26,689 | 29,792 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Stony Brook or Kansas?
It's harder to get into Stony Brook. Stony Brook accepts 49.04% of applicants, while Kansas accepts 93.48%.
Do Stony Brook or Kansas graduates earn more?
Stony Brook graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $75K vs $62K.
How much is tuition at Stony Brook vs Kansas?
Sticker-price tuition is $32,741 per year at Stony Brook and $30,432 per year at Kansas.
What SAT score do you need for Stony Brook or Kansas?
The median admitted SAT score is 1410 at Stony Brook and 1190 at Kansas; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university offers more financial aid - Stony Brook or Kansas?
The average aid package is $15,261 at Stony Brook and $19,700 at Kansas.
Harvard
Stanford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton
Yale
Cornell
Penn
Johns Hopkins
Washington University
Northwestern