Public · University

State University of New York at Cortland

Cortland, New York · Distant town

59.8%
Admit rate
$22,345
Avg net price
68%
Graduation rate
$60,236
Median earnings

State University of New York at Cortland is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Cortland, New York (distant town setting), enrolling 5,901 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 5,901 undergradsDistant townSelective · 60% admitNCAA Division III with football · Empire EightCold wintersSnowy

About Cortland, New York

Cortland is a city and the county seat of Cortland County, New York, United States. When the county was formed in 1808, Cortland vied with other villages to become the county seat. Known as the "Crown City" because of its location on a plain formed by the convergence of seven valleys, Cortland is 1,130 feet (340 m) above sea level. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Distant town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
31 miles to Syracuse, NY
To Great Lakes shore
58 miles
Nearest airport
16 miles to Ithaca Tompkins (ITH)

How State University of New York at Cortland compares

Selectivity59.8%

More selective than 76% · #41 most selective of 137 in New York

Graduation rate68%

Higher than 74% · #56 of 159 in New York

First-year retention81%

Higher than 65%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$60,236

Higher than 68% · #68 of 133 in New York

Average net price$22,345

Cheaper than 39% · #90 cheapest of 153 in New York

Median debt at graduation$21,500

Lower than 63%

Student–faculty ratio15 : 1

Lower than 35%

Undergraduate enrollment5,901

Larger than 81%

Percentiles compare State University of New York at Cortland with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in New York.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

6,928students
  • Undergraduate5,90185%
  • Graduate1,02715%

Undergraduates by gender

5,901undergrads
  • Women3,18954%
  • Men2,71246%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White76%
  • Black3.7%
  • Hispanic12%
  • Asian1.1%
  • Other or multiracial7.1%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
5,901
Graduate enrollment
1,027
Student–faculty ratio
15 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
27%
First-generation students
27%
Students over 25
2%
Median family income
$72,219
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$68,013
Endowment
$60,145,944

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,216 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From New York94%
  • Other U.S. states4.7%
  • International1.8%

Most first-years stay in state — State University of New York at Cortland draws overwhelmingly from New York.

2% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
59.8%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite
Average GPA
3.48

Cost

In-state tuition
$8,874
Out-of-state tuition
$18,784
Room & board
$15,560
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$28,108
Average net price
$22,345

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
68%
Graduated on time (4 years)
56%
First-year retention
81%
Transferred to another college
25%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$46,535
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$60,236
Median debt at graduation
$21,500
Students with federal loans
61%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
66%

About 12% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
56%
Low-income (Pell)
60%
First-generation
60%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
3,110
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
53%
Housing charge (year)
$8,710
Meal plan (year)
$7,000
Application fee
$50
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Empire Eight
Varsity athletes
931 (568 men · 363 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (17)

Track and Field (Indoor)128
Football127
Track and Field (Outdoor)109
Lacrosse103
Soccer70
Swimming and Diving (combined)58
Ice Hockey51
Wrestling51
Cross Country49
Baseball48
Basketball31
Field Hockey24
Softball23
Gymnastics22
Volleyball19
Tennis13
Golf5

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.3 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
34
Property offenses (2022–2024)
14

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (6,938 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

16reported offenses a year
11 violent a year4.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
7.0
Fondling
4.0
Burglary
3.7
Motor vehicle theft
0.7
Aggravated assault
0.3
Arson
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$12,550
$30–48k
$16,453
$48–75k
$20,102
$75–110k
$21,636
$110k+
$25,853

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$85,709

$20,102/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

54%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$2,548
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 54% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,548. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,340 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$60,236
Typical debt at graduation
$21,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
36%
Out-earn a HS grad
69%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$58,772
Men
$63,070

Men out-earn women by $4,298 (7%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
79°F
Winter low
12°F
Annual rain
39.5″
Annual snow
64.4″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.14.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Freeville 1 NE, NY US station (9.1 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to State University of New York at Cortland

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare State University of New York at Cortland side by side →

Colleges near State University of New York at Cortland

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.