University at Albany
About
The State University of New York at Albany is a public research university in Albany, New York, United States. Founded in 1844, it is one of four "university centers" of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, and the most senior (oldest) by date of founding. In 2024, the university enrolled 17,567 students in nine schools and colleges, which offer over 50 undergraduate majors and over 150 graduate degree programs. Portions of the campus extend into Guilderland, and the health sciences campus is located in neighboring Rensselaer, New York. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research spending and doctorate production". UAlbany is home to the New York State Writers Institute.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 2.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 176 Title IV programs, 52 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 123 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing52 · 29.5%
- No Data123 · 69.9%
- Failing1 · 0.6%
Severity spectrum
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.
Near the line (±5%)
Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Programmatic accreditations · 8
Action history · 12
- Sep 2025Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
- Sep 2025Initial AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
- Oct 2024Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
- Oct 2024Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Counseling Psychology (COPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
- Dec 2022Renewal of AccreditationCouncil on Education for Public Health · Public Health (PHBG) - Baccalaureate and Graduate level school of public health
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 6,263 students received $38.0M in Pell grants, alongside $76.3M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
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.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 3,912 borrowers who entered repayment, 66 (1.6%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* 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.
Academic programs at University at Albany
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 12
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus28
Includes 20 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Sexual orientation1
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- B-31 fireElectricalDamage $100-$999
- D-21 fireCookingDamage $0-$99
- G-31 fireCookingDamage $0-$99
Data quality: 1 report was later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
University at Albany vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions University at Albany selected for federal comparison reporting.
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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectUniversity at Albany | 61% | — | 17,560 | $18,486 | R1 Research |
Binghamton University | 82% | 38.6% | 18,816 | $21,364 | R1 Research |
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | 94% | 14.1% | 53,363 | $13,289 | R1 Research |
Northern Illinois University | 49% | 69.8% | 15,414 | $12,909 | R2 Research |
Old Dominion University | 46% | 90.4% | 23,743 | $14,170 | R1 Research |
Stony Brook University | 76% | 49.0% | 26,689 | $18,430 | R1 Research |
University at Buffalo | 75% | 74.2% | 31,903 | $20,470 | R1 Research |
University of California-Irvine | 87% | 28.6% | 37,297 | $12,840 | R1 Research |
University of California-San Diego | 86% | 26.7% | 44,256 | $11,750 | R1 Research |
University of California-Santa Barbara | 83% | 33.0% | 26,133 | $13,825 | R1 Research |
University of California-Santa Cruz | 75% | 65.8% | 19,938 | $16,607 | R1 Research |
University of Colorado Boulder | 74% | 78.1% | 38,799 | $21,480 | R1 Research |
University of Connecticut | 83% | 52.4% | 28,306 | $22,886 | R1 Research |
University of Hawaii at Manoa | 64% | 86.6% | 20,028 | $13,181 | R1 Research |
University of Houston | 65% | 73.9% | 47,980 | $13,853 | R1 Research |
University of Oregon | 72% | 88.3% | 24,404 | $21,782 | R1 Research |
University of Vermont | 79% | 65.3% | 14,476 | $20,860 | R2 Research |
University of Virginia-Main Campus | 96% | 16.8% | 26,409 | $22,881 | R1 Research |
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 53% | 90.7% | 22,450 | $16,177 | R1 Research |
| Peer group median | 75% | 65.5% | 26,133 | $16,607 |
University at Albany Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
IRPE is a major source of official data about the University, with a shared responsibility for developing campus administrative databases and managing database information and analysis. The office supports campus planning, budgeting, and enrollment management activities, meeting operational information needs within the university.
Visit IR office page- Lisa DanielsAssistant Vice President for Academic and Resource Planning
- Steven F. DoellefeldDirector of Assessment
- Jeffrey T. GerkenAssociate Director of Institutional Research, Planning, and Effectiveness
- Elizabeth (Beth Anne) HorningAssistant Director of Assessment and Coordinator of Survey Research
- Laura Benson MarottaResearch Analyst
- Larry LevineResearch Analyst
- Roman HulaResearch Analyst
- Kayla CarterResearch Analyst
- Andrew P. WheelerAssessment Analyst
Common Data Set (1)
The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.
Reports & documents (4)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- Data definitionData Available | University at AlbanyThe University at Albany provides a variety of institutional data resources to support decision-making, managed by the Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Effectiveness. Key resources include the Business Intelligence System for academic and enrollment data, the Common Data Set for standardized institutional information, Employee Diversity Data presenting workforce demographics, and the Student Achievement Measure which provides comprehensive tracking of student progress and outcomes.albany.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookData Available | University at Albany2023The University at Albany provides official data through the Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Effectiveness. Data includes information on enrollment, degrees awarded, retention, course planning, and employee diversity, with detailed reports accessible via the Business Intelligence System. The Common Data Set responses and Employee Diversity Excel files offer detailed institutional statistics. The Student Achievement Measure provides insights into student progress beyond traditional metrics, accounting for students who enroll in multiple institutions. Graduation outcomes are tracked over several years, with data available on first-time, full-time, bachelor students and transfer students.albany.edu
- Strategic planGreat Danes Rising: Unleashing Our Potential2023The University at Albany's 'Great Danes Rising: Unleashing Our Potential' strategic plan spans from 2024 to 2029 and focuses on five core priorities: student success, research excellence, diversity and inclusion, internationalization, and engagement and service. It aims to foster a leading student-ready research environment, enhance interdisciplinary research and diverse perspectives, and build transformative local and global partnerships. Success will be measured through various metrics, including retention rates, participation in experiential learning, and the breadth and impact of interdisciplinary and international collaborations.albany.edu
Notable alumni of University at Albany (30)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Phoebe AdamsArts
- Lisa LillienBusiness
- Norman E. SnyderBusiness
- Tony VinciquerraBusiness
- Harvey MilkGovernment, law, and public policy
- Susan MolinariGovernment, law, and public policy
- Lawrence KorbGovernment, law, and public policy
- Tom JunodJournalism
- Joseph E. PersicoLiterature
- Randy CohenPerforming arts and broadcasting
- Hamdi UlukayaBusiness
- Sallie W. ChisholmScience
Frequently asked questions about University at Albany
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about University at Albany.
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