Stony Brook University has welcomed its largest incoming class of first-year students in its 66-year history. The university saw a 13% increase in first-year undergraduate student enrollment for the Fall 2024 term, with a total of 4,042 new students compared to 3,569 in Fall 2023. Additionally, there were 1,334 new transfer students in Fall 2024, marking a 4% increase from the previous fall.
The university received the highest number of undergraduate applications among all State University of New York (SUNY) schools. Stony Brook continues to prioritize enhancing the student experience through faculty engagement, professional advising, mental health services, and other support services. These efforts have contributed to its growing reputation as a leading academic institution.
“This historic enrollment of first-year students is a testament to Stony Brook University’s steadfast commitment to providing an exceptional educational experience and its rise in reputation as one of the nation’s most prominent public flagship research universities,” said Interim President Richard McCormick. “Stony Brook today exemplifies dramatically all the most important developments in modern American higher education — a growing and highly diverse student body, an expanding research enterprise, and research achievements that are contributing mightily to the economy and society.”
Stony Brook also boasts one of the highest percentages of Pell-eligible students among public universities. It leads the SUNY system in Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) applications and posted its largest EOP class ever. The EOP program supports promising New York students who face financial and academic barriers.
While institutions like MIT and Harvard have seen drops in enrollment for Black and Latinx students this fall, Stony Brook reported increases in these demographics. Enrollment of first-time Black students rose from 364 (10.2% of the incoming class) in Fall 2023 to 433 (10.7%) in Fall 2024. Similarly, Latinx student enrollment increased from 496 (13.9%) to 633 (15.7%) over the same period.
In terms of rankings, Stony Brook has maintained its position at #58 in U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings for three consecutive years and remains ranked as the #1 public university in New York. It is also among the Top 30 public universities nationwide, coming in at #26 for two years running.