Stony Brook vs Yale - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
The lower acceptance rate belongs to Yale: 4.7% against 49% (Stony Brook).
Real money goes to international students at Yale ($84,185 on average), while Stony Brook stops at $2,834.
The order of prices reverses once aid is counted: Yale starts at $98,900 against $55,085 and ends at $24,547 against $39,824 (Stony Brook).
Ten years on, graduates of Yale earn noticeably more: $101K against $75K.
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
Yale is the more selective of the two (4.7% vs 49.04% acceptance). Yale ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#301-400 vs #11). Yale graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($101K vs $75K). Stony Brook has lower sticker-price tuition ($32,741 vs $72,500 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 Yale 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
Yale is more selective (4.7% vs 49.04% acceptance); Yale has a higher median SAT (1540 vs 1410).
Yale graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($101K vs $75K); Yale has a higher 6-year graduation rate (95.7% vs 75.6%).
Stony Brook has lower sticker-price tuition ($32,741 vs $72,500); Yale offers a larger average aid package ($74,353 vs $15,261).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Stony Brook | Yale |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #301-400 | #11 |
| Rank · THE | - | #10 |
| Acceptance rate | 49.04% | 4.7% |
| Yield rate | 14.7% | 68.4% |
| Median SAT | 1410 | 1540 |
| Avg. GPA | - | - |
| Number of applications | 55,880 | 50,264 |
| International students | 10.2% | 10.6% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $75K | $101K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $49K | $66K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $107K | $194K |
| Graduation rate | 75.6% | 95.7% |
| Retention rate | 89.7% | 99.4% |
| Median debt | $18,228 | $12,975 |
| Tuition · year | $32,741 | $72,500 |
| Avg. aid package | $15,261 | $74,353 |
| % of need met | 0.6% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $23,558 | $22,185 |
| Application fee | - | $80 |
| Enrollment | 26,689 | 15,657 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Stony Brook or Yale?
It's harder to get into Yale. Stony Brook accepts 49.04% of applicants, while Yale accepts 4.7%.
Do Stony Brook or Yale graduates earn more?
Yale graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $101K vs $75K.
How much is tuition at Stony Brook vs Yale?
Sticker-price tuition is $32,741 per year at Stony Brook and $72,500 per year at Yale.
What SAT score do you need for Stony Brook or Yale?
The median admitted SAT score is 1410 at Stony Brook and 1540 at Yale; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Stony Brook or Yale?
Yale ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #301-400 for Stony Brook vs #11 for Yale.
Which university offers more financial aid - Stony Brook or Yale?
The average aid package is $15,261 at Stony Brook and $74,353 at Yale.
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