The 10 Cheapest Colleges in New York

What’s Covered: 

• 10 Most Affordable Colleges in New York
• Tips for Saving Money on College
• How Much Will You Pay for College?

College can be expensive! For many students, one of the most important considerations when choosing a school is the cost of earning a degree. If you’re planning to attend college in New York and want an affordable option, we’ve compiled a list of the ten most affordable colleges in the Empire State.

Note that this list is based on the sticker price before financial aid is applied.

10 Most Affordable Colleges in New York

1. Brooklyn College

Tuition In-State/Out-of-State: $7,452/$15,402

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Acceptance Rate: 54%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 11,330

Brooklyn College is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, the largest public university system in the country. Its rich history as a university for students of immigrant families continues today with students from 136 countries and 91 different languages spoken within the student body.

In addition to its diverse student body, the curriculum offers 76 undergraduate and 66 graduate programs—in fields ranging from business administration to theatre—to its roughly 14,000 students.  

Learn more about Brooklyn College and what it takes to get accepted. 

2.  State University of New York at Purchase | SUNY Purchase

Tuition In-State/Out-of-State: $8,593/$19,203

Location: Purchase, NY

Acceptance Rate: 73%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 3,165

Located just outside New York City, SUNY Purchase is a predominantly undergraduate institution known for liberal and fine arts programs. It offers conservatories in music, dance, and drama/theatre arts. Media studies and mass communication are also popular majors.

Its proximity to New York City provides students and faculty easy access to the city’s extraordinary cultural and career opportunities. Graduate studies at SUNY Purchase offer master’s degrees in fine arts and music.  

Learn more about SUNY Purchase and what it takes to get accepted.

3. State University of New York Polytechnic Institute | SUNY Poly

Tuition In-State/Out-of-State: $8,625/$21,215

Location: Utica, NY

Acceptance Rate: 78%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,904

SUNY Polytechnic offers students opportunities for learning and extensive research in the sciences. Engineering and computer science are among the most popular fields of study. Business and marketing, health professions, and communications are also common among SUNY Polytechnic students. With just under 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled, the school features an impressive 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio. 

Learn more about SUNY Polytechnic Institute and what it takes to get accepted. 

4. State University of New York at Potsdam | SUNY Potsdam

Tuition In-State/Out-of-State: $8,768/$18,678

Location: Potsdam, NY

Acceptance Rate: 87%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,211

Founded in 1816, SUNY Potsdam is one of the oldest colleges in the United States and counts itself among the nation’s first 50 institutions of higher education. The university offers roughly 100 undergraduate majors and minors covering a wide range of subjects. Potsdam is home to the Crane School of Music, the School of Education and Professional Studies, and the School of Arts and Sciences. It has a rich cultural tradition in fine arts, liberal arts, and teacher education. 

Learn more about SUNY Potsdam and what it takes to get accepted. 

5. State University of New York at Oswego | SUNY Oswego

Tuition In-State/Out-of-State: $8,825/$18,735

Location: Oswego, NY

Acceptance Rate: 80%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,652

With over 120 programs, students can explore a wide range of subjects at SUNY Oswego. Hands-on education is an important feature of the Oswego experience. From lab-based research opportunities to theatre productions to on-air broadcasting, students learn by doing. More than 400 students study abroad every year, making them one of the leading study-abroad campuses in the SUNY system.  

Learn more about SUNY Oswego and what it takes to get accepted. 

6. State University of New York at Fredonia | SUNY Fredonia

Tuition In-State/Out-of-State: $8,831/$19,771

Location: Fredonia, NY

Acceptance Rate: 81%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,877

Fredonia is located in rural western New York, just two miles from Lake Erie. The college offers more than 65 majors to students looking for an affordable, residential college town experience. One of the oldest schools in the country—it was founded in 1826—Fredonia has a history of educating music teachers. While music remains a focus, the school also offers programs in science, communications, and social sciences. 

Learn more about SUNY Fredonia and what it takes to get accepted. 

7. State University of New York at Oneonta | SUNY Oneonta

Tuition In-State/Out-of-State: $8,831/$19,781

Location: Oneonta, NY

Acceptance Rate: 70%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 4,904

Located in the Catskill Mountains, Oneonta is a beautiful and picturesque college town. Known for teacher preparation, the university boasts one-on-one mentoring and a low 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio. In addition to traditional majors, Oneonta also offers Family and Consumer Science Education, Africana and LatinX Studies, Meteorology, and Fashion and Textiles programs.  

Learn more about SUNY Oneonta and what it takes to get accepted. 

8. State University of New York at Cortland | SUNY Cortland

Tuition In-State/Out-of-State: $8,874/$18,784

Location: Cortland, NY

Acceptance Rate: 51%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,905

SUNY Cortland students are typically interested in becoming physical education or early-elementary teachers. Education is the most popular major overall, with exercise science and sports management close behind. There is a proud tradition of excellence in athletics and academics at Cortland.

Graduate programs offer master’s degrees in sports management and specialized master’s degrees in literacy education, school leadership, and education for students with communication disorders and disabilities.  

Learn more about SUNY Cortland and what it takes to get accepted. 

9. State University of New York at Geneseo | SUNY Geneseo

Tuition In-State/Out-of-State: $8,999/$19,569

Location: Geneseo, NY

Acceptance Rate: 64%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 3,868 

Geneseo is a liberal arts college focusing largely on undergraduate studies. There are 54 undergraduate majors, including a cooperative 3+2 engineering program. The most popular majors at Geneseo are education, business, and the social sciences. Geneseo is also considered a “space grant” institution, thanks to its research support from NASA and involvement in the New York Space Grant Consortium.  

Learn more about SUNY Geneseo and what it takes to get accepted. 

10. State University of New York at Albany | SUNY Albany

Tuition In-State/Out-of-State: $10,866/$31,256

Location: Albany, NY

Acceptance Rate: 70%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 12,190 

SUNY Albany offers extensive internship opportunities to students, particularly in state government and corporate sectors. The university is an R1 research-intensive institution, indicating significant research spending and the awarding of doctoral degrees. SUNY Albany is recognized for its strong programs in the social sciences, public law, life sciences, and atmospheric sciences. The New York State Writers Institute is also located here. 

Learn more about SUNY Albany and what it takes to get accepted.    

Tips for Saving Money On College

Demonstrated financial need is the gap between the full cost of attending college and the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined by the FAFSA. The total of attendance includes all expenses associated with being a student at a given school, such as tuition, room and board, fees, books, and important personal purchases. Families with more financial resources are expected to contribute more; consequently, their EFC is higher than those without the same resources. 

Some colleges meet 100% of students’ demonstrated financial need, meaning they will cover the full difference between the total of attendance and a student’s EFC. After financial aid is applied, expensive private colleges may be more affordable than in-state tuition at a public university. 

In New York, the colleges that will pay 100% of demonstrated financial need include: 

• Barnard College
• Colgate University
• Columbia University
• Hamilton College
• Skidmore College
• Union College
• Vassar College
• University of Rochester 

Attend an in-state public school

Public universities offer lower tuition rates to in-state students who choose to attend college in their home state. You will notice that the cost to attend a public university in another state is higher for out-of-state students.  

There are many fantastic in-state public school options in New York, namely the SUNY (State University of New York) and CUNY (City University of New York) schools. Many of these schools offer excellent academics, unique extracurricular opportunities, and appealing locations, as well as reduced tuition rates for New York residents.

Commute to college

Living on campus can cost nearly as much as tuition itself. Many students choose to live at home to significantly reduce the overall cost of earning a degree—an arrangement that can also make it easier to balance work and classes.

How Much Will You Pay for College?

Estimating the cost of a college education is not an easy task, but CollegeVine is here to help. Our financial aid calculator can help your family find and maximize financial aid to get the most value out of your college costs. 

Our free chancing engine is another valuable resource—it calculates your chances of acceptance at more than 1,600 schools across the country based on your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, demographics, and more. 

Use both of these tools to plan your college finances and improve your profile!