If you’re interested in going to college in New York, you may want to consider a State University of New York school. Unlike The City University of New York (CUNY) colleges, the majority of SUNY schools are outside of New York City, and many of them are in rural areas.

 The State University of New York (SUNY) is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States. SUNY colleges are New York public colleges; there are 64 SUNY institutions of various types and sizes.

In this article, I’ll focus on the independent 4-year SUNY colleges with baccalaureate programs that you can enter as a freshman student. There are 25 SUNY schools that fit this criteria.

In addition to the schools I’ll be focusing on, there are also 2-year SUNY colleges, which are community colleges. Some of the SUNY 2-year colleges include Erie Community College, Nassau Community College, and Finger Lakes Community College.

Also, there are upper division SUNY colleges, which are colleges you can transfer to as a junior or senior. SUNY Upstate Medical University and SUNY Downstate Medical Center are upper division colleges. The Fashion Institute of Technology allows you to apply to one of its Bachelor programs after you complete your first two years there and earn an Associate’s Degree.

Finally, there are five statutory colleges, which are schools that receive funding from the state but are hosted at and primarily run by private colleges. Four of the statutory colleges are at Cornell University and the other, the NYS College of Ceramics, is at Alfred University.

SUNY colleges vary in size, but most of the SUNY 4-year colleges are smaller state schools. Geographically, they’re spread throughout the state of New York, and they offer a wide variety of majors and programs.

Also, SUNY schools tend to be more affordable, especially for New York residents. For the 2020-2021 academic year, in-state tuition for a SUNY baccalaureate degree program (4-year degree) is $7,070. For out-of-state students, average tuition is $16,980. However, out-of-state tuition is $24,660 at University at Albany and Binghamton University. It’s $24,740 at the University at Buffalo and Stony Brook University.

Alfred State College

About its location: Alfred is a small town in Allegany County. Alfred’s a picturesque hilly area in the northern part of the Appalachian Mountain chain with a population of about 5,000. Alfred State has over 70 majors and offers small class sizes. It also offers certificates and 2-year degrees.

Empire State College

About its location: Empire State College has more than 35 New York State locations, and offers more than 500 online courses. Its main campus is in Sarasota Springs, which is just north of Albany. Sarasota Springs has a population of about 27,000.

Morrisville State College

About its location: Morrisville is in the center of the state of New York. Its population is about 2,000. It offers a rural, small town environment. Morrisville State offers bachelor’s and associate degree programs in over 75 majors.

University at Buffalo

Suffolk County Community College

Nassau Community College

Monroe Community College

Erie Community College

Hudson Valley Community College

SUNY Oswego

Onondaga Community College

Dutchess Community College

Rockland Community College

Orange County Community College

Mohawk Valley Community College

Mohawk Valley Community College

Finger Lakes Community College

Genesee Community College

Jamestown Community College