Stony Brook University has been named an Opportunity College and University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This recognition identifies institutions that create opportunities for student success.
The new Student Access and Earnings Classification, introduced by the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education, evaluates whether institutions provide opportunities by reflecting their communities' demographics and comparing student earnings with local peers.
Out of 479 institutions designated as Opportunity Colleges and Universities in 2025, Stony Brook is one of only three members of the American Association of Universities to achieve this status, alongside Arizona State University and the University of California Irvine. Stony Brook is the only one among the four University Centers in the State University of New York (SUNY) to receive this designation. Other SUNY institutions include SUNY at Fredonia, SUNY College of Technology at Alfred, SUNY Cortland, SUNY Oneonta, and SUNY Polytechnic Institute.
Interim President Richard L. McCormick remarked, "Stony Brook is one of the nation’s leading research universities, with a growing and highly diverse student body that includes many who are the first in their families to attend college. This Carnegie Classifications recognition is a testament to Stony Brook’s commitment to providing an exceptional education that is accessible to students from all backgrounds. Our students graduate and we are among the top universities in propelling their affluence and opportunity.”
The Student Access and Earnings Classification evaluates institutions using multidimensional groupings from the 2025 Institutional Classification, which considers student access and post-attendance earnings, based on data from sources like the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Census Bureau.
In addition to this new designation, Stony Brook University's 2025 Carnegie Classification lists it as a Mixed Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate Large, a category that includes 107 institutions. Among U.S. colleges and universities, this classification applies to 3% of institutions.
Stony Brook University was recognized as New York's first public R1 Research Institution by the Carnegie Classification in 1987.
The Carnegie Classification system, which began in 1973, serves to recognize and describe the diversity of U.S. higher education institutions, updated periodically to reflect the changes within the sector.
More information about the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education, as well as Stony Brook University's extensive achievements and affiliations, can be accessed through their respective channels.