Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsPublic

State University of New York at Cortland

Cortland, New York·Public, 4-year or above·Mid East·www2.cortland.edu
6-yr Graduation
68%
+16.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Total enrollment
6,938
peer median 6,660
Avg net price
$22,345
+$8.3k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
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About

The State University of New York at Cortland is a public university located in Cortland, New York. It offers 68 academic majors and is recognized for its strengths in teacher education and health-related programs. It is a medium-sized institution within the SUNY system, focusing on a diverse range of disciplines including business, natural sciences, and the arts.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
17,571
17,571 candidates competed
Admitted
10,505
59.8% acceptance rate
Enrolled
1,394
13.3% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
68%+16.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
4-year graduation
56%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
68%
Full-time retention
81%

Pell equity

7.5pp gap
Pell recipients
63%248 of 394
Non-Pell (all)
70%582 of 826
Subsidized loan, no Pell
69%217 of 315
No Federal Aid
71%365 of 511

Non-Pell students graduate at a 7.5-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 68 Title IV programs, 23 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 45 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
68
Passing
23
33.8% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

68programs
  • Passing23 · 33.8%
  • No Data45 · 66.2%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
4
Safe
19
No data
45

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

23
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+10.3%
$68,204 vs $61,854
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+21.9%
$56,556 vs $46,391
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+22.5%
$63,148 vs $51,545
Special Education and Teaching
Master's Degree · Education
+24.4%
$57,719 vs $46,391
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+30.1%
$44,687 vs $34,350
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Master's Degree · Education
+40.7%
$65,285 vs $46,391
History
Bachelor Degree · History
+48.6%
$51,043 vs $34,350
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+51.6%
$52,067 vs $34,350

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

20
History
Bachelor Degree · History
47%
$23,815 debt · $51,043 earn
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
44%
$23,125 debt · $52,067 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
41%
$18,500 debt · $44,687 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
40%
$24,659 debt · $62,275 earn
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences Other
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
39%
$24,650 debt · $62,524 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
38%
$20,500 debt · $53,524 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
38%
$24,000 debt · $63,148 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
38%
$21,418 debt · $56,466 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Accredited since 1949Next review Jan 2030

Programmatic accreditations · 4

Action history · 5

  1. Jul 2025Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: Probation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
  2. Mar 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
  3. Jun 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  4. Jun 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Council on Education for Public Health · Public Health Programs (PHPB) — Baccalaureate only level programs offered outside a school of public health
  5. Nov 2017Renewal of Accreditation
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$12,550
$30–48k$16,453
$48–75k$20,102
$75–110k$21,636
$110k+$25,853

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$22,345
+$8,291vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs median $14,054
Federal loans
60.7%
In-state tuition
$8,874
Out-of-state
$18,784

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 1,827 students received $10.4M in Pell grants, alongside $39.4M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,827
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$10.4M
$10,387,810 total
Direct Loans
$39.4M
6,551 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

2k
’20
2k
’21
2k
’22
2k
’23
2k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$9.1M
2,155 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$13.5M
3,270 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$6.1M
421 loan awards
Parent PLUS$10.6M
697 loan awards
Grad PLUS$103K
8 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 1,884 borrowers who entered repayment, 27 (1.4%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.4%
-0.9pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,884
Defaulted
27
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
3.5%
2017
4.5%
2018
3.5%
2019
1.4%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Cortland

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs78
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,856 total completions
01Education
83444.9%
02Parks/Recreation
33618.1%
03Business
1347.2%
04Psychology
1136.1%
05Social Sciences
1095.9%
06Health Professions
1035.5%
07Biological Sciences
683.7%
08Communication
613.3%
09History
532.9%
10Liberal Arts
452.4%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
6,938
12-mo unduplicated
8,044
Undergraduate
6,583
Graduate
1,461

Gender split

Men
43%3,479
Women
57%4,565

Race / ethnicity composition

White
76.1%
Hispanic
12.0%
Black
3.7%
Unknown
3.5%
Two or more
2.5%
Asian
1.1%
Non-resident
0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
597
384 M · 213 W
Women athletes
35.7%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$6.9M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$57K
$47K
Head-coach salaries
$58K
$46K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 17

Track and Field (Indoor)
75 M · 53 W
$158K
Football
127 M · —
$787K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
65 M · 44 W
$174K
Lacrosse
70 M · 33 W
$488K
Soccer
35 M · 35 W
$404K
Swimming and Diving (combined)
30 M · 28 W
$380K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.62
11 offenses · 6,780 students

3-year trend

2.552 yrs ago2.991 yr ago1.62Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
48
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
72
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
4
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
8

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
6
Rape
2
Fondling
2
Arson
1

By location

11total
  • On campus11

Includes 8 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

2
Domestic violence
10
Dating violence
11
Stalking
23 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Race1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons02
Drugs02
Liquor0189

Residence-hall fires

  • DeGroat Hall1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Hayes Hall1 fire
    ArsonDamage $100-$999

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
15.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
327

Cortland vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Cortland selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectState University of New York at Cortland
68%—6,938$22,345Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Albany State University
33%73.0%6,768$11,898Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Clayton State University
41%68.4%6,163$8,365Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
College of Charleston
66%60.0%11,926$18,960Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Colorado State University Pueblo
40%94.9%6,851$10,051Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Delaware State University
39%46.6%5,327$13,910Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Fayetteville State University
38%82.1%7,107$7,892Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Indiana University-South Bend
40%83.8%4,631$8,653Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Longwood University
61%90.2%4,612$19,066Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Metropolitan State University
44%98.7%6,660$16,863Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Middle Georgia State University
24%99.7%8,363$12,361Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Nicholls State University
54%90.8%6,043$12,947Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Norfolk State University
39%87.8%6,053$15,282Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Northern Michigan University
53%84.0%7,409$14,085Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Purdue University Fort Wayne
36%83.9%7,206$13,171Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
SUNY Old Westbury
45%83.6%4,709$11,282Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
SUNY Oneonta
69%69.6%5,337$19,158Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
The University of Tennessee-Martin
53%88.2%7,499$10,701Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
65%82.3%10,049$16,550Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
53%88.6%11,174$13,369Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
57%81.7%5,243$14,054Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
57%91.8%8,233$14,559Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Washburn University
44%—6,033$15,280Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Western Connecticut State University
52%87.0%4,169$17,604Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Winona State University
56%75.5%6,045$17,503Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Peer group median52%83.9%6,660$14,054

Institutions like Cortland

Explore the federal data for institutions in Cortland's comparison group.

IPEDS

Cortland Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Phone
607-753-5565
Address
Miller Building, Room 404, SUNY Cortland, P.O. Box 2000, Cortland, New York 13045

The page redirects to another URL where presumably more information about the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment at SUNY Cortland can be found. The office is located in the Miller Building and provides a contact phone number.

Visit IR office page
Team
1 member
  • Gabriel (Hyung-Jung) Kim
    Institutional Research Analyst

Common Data Set

Cortland's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Acceptance rate
59.8%
Accessible
Yield
13.3%
of admitted students enroll
Total enrollment
6,938
5,911 UG · 1,027 grad
6-yr graduation rate
68%
First-year retention
81%
Student–faculty ratio
15 to 1
Est. net price (aided)
$21,064
after avg need-based grant
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
17,571
Admitted
10,505
Enrolled
1,394

17,571 applied → 10,505 admitted (59.8%) → 1,394 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
59.8%

Accessible — 59.8% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
men52.9%
women65.3%
another gender58.3%
unknown50.0%

Admit rate varies by gender.

High-school class rank

C10
top tenth0.10643015521064302%
top quarter0.3946784922394678%
top half0.8292682926829268%
bottom half0.17073170731707318%
bottom quarter0.028824833702882482%

Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.

Waitlist outcome

C2
Offered
1,804
Accepted spot
112
Admitted
87

1,804 offered a waitlist spot, 112 accepted it, 87 admitted (77.7% of those who stayed on).

What matters in admission

C7
Important2
Rigor of secondary school recordAcademic GPA
Considered5
Class rankStandardized test scoresApplication EssayRecommendation(s)Character/personal qualities
Not Considered11
InterviewExtracurricular activitiesTalent/abilityFirst generationAlumni/ae relationGeographical residenceState residencyReligious affiliation/commitmentVolunteer workWork experienceLevel of applicant’s interest

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Affordability & Value

Cost of attendance

G
Total$27,884
Tuition
$7,07025%
Fees
$1,8046%
Room & board
$15,56056%
Books
$1,2004%
Other
$2,2508%

Total sticker cost of attendance is $27,884 (2025-2026).

Sticker vs. net price

G+H
Sticker COA
$27,884
Net (aided)
$21,064
Avg need grant
$6,820

Sticker $27,884 → about $21,064 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($6,820); 67% of demonstrated need is met.

Where grant aid comes from

H1
Total Scholarships/Grants27.8%
Total Self-Help22.2%
Student loans from all sources21.5%
Scholarships/Grants Federal17.9%
State all states9.6%
Federal Work-Study0.7%
Institutional0.3%

0% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
71%
Avg debt
$30,049

71% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $30,049 on average.

03

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
68%
Retention
81%

6-year graduation rate 68%; first-year retention 81%.

Equity: Pell graduation gap

B4
All students68%
Pell recipients62%

Pell-grant recipients graduate 6 pts below the overall rate (62% vs 68%).

04

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students45
10-19 students253
20-29 students485
30-39 students245
40-49 students70
50-99 students43
100+ students7

26% of classes have under 20 students; 4% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
15 to 1
Women faculty
57%

Key faculty indicators.

Degrees by discipline

J
Education35.29%
Parks and recreation20.14%
Social sciences7.89%
Business/marketing6.49%
Psychology5.93%
Health professions and related programs5.93%
Biological/life sciences4.24%
Communication/journalism3.54%

STEM-dominant: ~5% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

05

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
White, non-Hispanic76.1%
Hispanic/Latino12.0%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic3.7%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown3.5%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic2.5%
Asian, non-Hispanic1.1%
Nonresidents0.9%
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic0.1%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic0.1%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

International students

B2
International UG
56
Share
1%

1% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Undergraduate
5,91185%
Graduate
1,02715%

5,911 undergraduates and 1,027 graduate students.

06

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
1,595
Admitted
883
Enrolled
403

1,595 transfer applicants → 883 admitted (55.3%) → 403 enrolled — more selective than first-year admission.

Source publications

Reports & documents (3)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Grants & funding (1)

Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.

USA Spending

Notable alumni of Cortland (10)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • George Tenet
    Politics
  • Scott Israel
    Law Enforcement
  • Ted Demme
    Entertainment
  • Kevin James
    Entertainment
  • C. B. Bucknor
    Sports
  • Mick Foley
    Sports
  • George Breen
    Sports
  • Ann E. Dunwoody
    Military
  • Aljamain Sterling
    Sports
  • Tamdan McCrory
    Sports

Frequently asked questions about State University of New York at Cortland

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Cortland.

What is the graduation rate at State University of New York at Cortland?

State University of New York at Cortland reports a 6-year graduation rate of 68% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend State University of New York at Cortland?

State University of New York at Cortland reports a total enrollment of 6,938 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at State University of New York at Cortland?

The average net price at State University of New York at Cortland is $22,345 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at State University of New York at Cortland?

State University of New York at Cortland's yield rate is 13.3%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is State University of New York at Cortland located?

State University of New York at Cortland is located in Cortland, New York 13045-0900.

Who runs Institutional Research at State University of New York at Cortland?

State University of New York at Cortland's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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