Stony Brook vs Texas Rio Grande Valley - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
The lower acceptance rate belongs to Stony Brook: 49% against 94.2% (Texas Rio Grande Valley).
The larger international cohort belongs to Stony Brook: 10.2% of students against 1.7% (Texas Rio Grande Valley).
The cheaper tuition belongs to Texas Rio Grande Valley: $22,287 against $32,741, or $10,454 less a year.
The gap in median earnings after a decade favours Stony Brook: $75K against $50K.
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 94.2% acceptance). Stony Brook ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#301-400 vs #801-900). Stony Brook graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($75K vs $50K). Texas Rio Grande Valley has lower sticker-price tuition ($22,287 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: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
Choose Texas Rio Grande Valley for: lower tuition, lower graduate debt.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Stony Brook is more selective (49.04% vs 94.2% acceptance); Stony Brook has a higher median SAT (1410 vs 985).
Stony Brook graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($75K vs $50K); Stony Brook has a higher 6-year graduation rate (75.6% vs 50.9%).
Texas Rio Grande Valley has lower sticker-price tuition ($22,287 vs $32,741); Stony Brook offers a larger average aid package ($15,261 vs $11,242).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Stony Brook | Texas Rio Grande Valley |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #301-400 | #801-900 |
| Rank · THE | - | - |
| Acceptance rate | 49.04% | 94.2% |
| Yield rate | 14.7% | 55.4% |
| Median SAT | 1410 | 985 |
| Avg. GPA | - | - |
| Number of applications | 55,880 | 12,137 |
| International students | 10.2% | 1.7% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $75K | $50K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $49K | $29K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $107K | $67K |
| Graduation rate | 75.6% | 50.9% |
| Retention rate | 89.7% | 78.9% |
| Median debt | $18,228 | $12,950 |
| Tuition · year | $32,741 | $22,287 |
| Avg. aid package | $15,261 | $11,242 |
| % of need met | 0.6% | 72% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $23,558 | $14,589 |
| Application fee | - | - |
| Enrollment | 26,689 | 31,864 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Stony Brook or Texas Rio Grande Valley?
It's harder to get into Stony Brook. Stony Brook accepts 49.04% of applicants, while Texas Rio Grande Valley accepts 94.2%.
Do Stony Brook or Texas Rio Grande Valley graduates earn more?
Stony Brook graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $75K vs $50K.
How much is tuition at Stony Brook vs Texas Rio Grande Valley?
Sticker-price tuition is $32,741 per year at Stony Brook and $22,287 per year at Texas Rio Grande Valley.
What SAT score do you need for Stony Brook or Texas Rio Grande Valley?
The median admitted SAT score is 1410 at Stony Brook and 985 at Texas Rio Grande Valley; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Stony Brook or Texas Rio Grande Valley?
Stony Brook ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #301-400 for Stony Brook vs #801-900 for Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Which university offers more financial aid - Stony Brook or Texas Rio Grande Valley?
The average aid package is $15,261 at Stony Brook and $11,242 at Texas Rio Grande Valley.
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