SUNY Oneonta is among the top 15 public schools in the Northeast, according to U.S. News and World Report’s 2024 rankings of “Best Colleges,” released Sept. 18.
The university sits at No. 30 in the “Best Regional Universities—North” category, which includes institutions in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and New England that offer a full range of undergraduate and master's degrees, but few, if any, doctoral programs. Among public schools in the region, SUNY Oneonta is No. 13.
The U.S. News ranking is the second in recent weeks recognizing SUNY Oneonta’s academic quality and value. In August, Forbes named SUNY Oneonta to its 2023 list of “America's Top Colleges, which "showcases 500 of the finest U.S. colleges, ranked using data on student success, return on investment and alumni influence." SUNY Oneonta sits at No. 141 in the Northeast, No. 185 among public colleges and No. 400 overall.
“We are pleased to be recognized as one of the nation’s top institutions by both U.S. News and Forbes,” said SUNY Oneonta President Alberto JF Cardelle. “This external recognition affirms that SUNY Oneonta continues to provide students with an excellent educational experience and the support they need to succeed. Our faculty work hard to provide student-centered learning experiences, both in and out of the classroom.”
Preparation for Success
To calculate the rankings, both organizations used outcomes data ranging from first-to-second year retention and six-year graduation rates to average salaries, job placement rates and loan debt after graduation. SUNY Oneonta has a strong track record of helping students graduate on time, with low debt, and preparing students for successful careers.
- Students who started college at SUNY Oneonta and graduated in 2020, 2021, 2022 or 2023 took 4.1 years, on average, to complete their degree.
- At 77%, our six-year graduation rate is well above the national average for public institutions.
- Our strong alumni network helps students find and land jobs. Each year, dozens of alumni return to campus to speak with classes and share career advice. Through our Campus to Careers programs, students interested in business, theatre, music industry and political science travel to New York City or Washington, D.C., to meet with successful alumni at their places of business.
Personalized, Real-World Learning
With small class sizes, accessible faculty, and an emphasis on learning by doing, SUNY Oneonta offers many opportunities for personalized learning. Students get plenty of interaction with faculty members who are not just scholars and teachers, but also club advisers, research partners and mentors.
- Average class size: 19 students
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 15 to 1
- Each year, more than 150 students present research and creative projects undertaken with support from faculty mentors at spring and fall campus research showcase events.
- During the 2022-23 academic year, dozens of students participated in faculty-led field experiences ranging from an international synthetic biology competition in Paris to a geology course in the Southern California, to a trip to Los Angeles for the world’s largest music products trade show.
Value and Affordability
SUNY Oneonta offers a comprehensive financial aid program, including renewable need- and merit-based scholarships for first-year and transfer students. And, thanks to a strong philanthropy program managed by the SUNY Oneonta Foundation, that support can extend throughout a student’s college career through endowed scholarships that recognize academic excellence and special funds to support experiential learning.
- SUNY Oneonta awarded $6.1 million in merit- and need-based scholarships in 2022-23.
- The college awards more than $100,000 annually in student grants to support research and travel to professional conferences.
- More than 20 different scholarships are available for students who study abroad or participate in faculty-led field trips, and additional funds support off-campus internships.
- SUNY Oneonta’s Student Emergency Fund offers a safety net for students facing unforeseen financial hardships such as medical emergencies, theft or loss of employment.