SUNY campuses are filled with extraordinary opportunities throughout all regions of New York State. With 64 campuses made up of community colleges, four-year colleges, technology colleges and university centers, there are plenty of interesting facts that make each campus unique among the 64. From unique educational opportunities, campus activities, unique buildings and structures, and histories that stretch more than 100 years, there is no shortage of interesting characteristics and stories that provide the reasons for students to attend college at SUNY.
So, how much do you know about the public higher education institutes in New York? We’ve put together a list of 64 random and unique facts, one about each SUNY campus, that you might not already know. Take a look, and share the many more unique facts out there with us on Twitter or Facebook.
Adirondack Community College
They have a Visual Arts Gallery where student, local, and international artists get to showcase their work throughout the year.
Alfred State College
99% of recent graduates have either found jobs or continued on to further education.
Alfred University, NYS College of Ceramics at
The MFA in Ceramic Art is ranked number one in the nation by US news and World Report.
University at Albany
Strategically located in New York’s capital city, this campus also offers more than 600 study abroad opportunities in more than 50 countries around the world.
Binghamton University
The campus has a Nature Preserve, made of 190 acres of protected forest and wetlands which includes hiking/biking/running trails and a six-acre pond for a full array of outdoor activity options.
SUNY Brockport
This school has a Leadership Development Program specifically for students who want to strengthen their skills in this area.
SUNY Broome Community College
This college has a fully equipped dental hygiene clinic as part of the Dental Hygiene, A.A.S., that is available for free to students.
Buffalo State College
Every year students and alumni participate in the Bengal 5k Run around campus with the proceeds going to a scholarship fund.
University at Buffalo
Every year students compete in one of the largest collegiate mud volleyball tournaments in the United States called “Oozfest”.
SUNY Canton
Here students are able to cross register at SUNY Potsdam, Clarkson University or St. Lawrence University to take classes at these campuses at no extra cost.
Cayuga Community College
The 2013 nursing school class had a 100% pass rate for licensing and also a 100% placement rate for graduates attaining jobs and getting accepted into four year schools.
Clinton Community College
Students can take part in a fun laser tag event between the residence halls hosted by the Faculty Student Association.
Cobleskill, College of Agriculture & Technology at
An annual College Transition Ceremony is held for freshman and newly arriving students where each student walks across a stage and receives an orange tassel that symbolizes the goal of graduation.
Columbia-Greene Community College
It has a College-in-the-High-School program where students in areas high schools can get advanced standing or college credit for work completed as an alternative to AP classes.
Cornell University, NYS College of Agriculture & Life Sciences at
They currently have 734 research projects around the world to address the needs of all types of communities.
Cornell University, NYS College of Veterinary Medicine at
The school’s first veterinary degree was awarded to Daniel Salmon, who is the discoverer of Salmonella.
Cornell, NYS College of Human Ecology at
This school began as a college for Home Economics, which was a pathway for women into higher education.
Cornell, NYS School of Industrial & Labor Relations at
It is the only school that offers workplace studies in the country.
Corning Community College
It is the only college with a planetarium, observatory and nature center in the United States.
Cortland, State University College at
It has been home to the NY Jets training camp during the NFL pre-season since 2009.
SUNY Delhi
Its online bachelor’s degree program is ranked number one in the nation by US News and World Report.
Downstate Medical Center
This school has the oldest Midwifery Education Program in the country, the first to have been offered in the United States!
Dutchess Community College
This school has the lowest tuition rate of any college or university in the state.
Empire State College
ESC has 35 locations across New York State, allowing students to pursue associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees onsite or online, wherever and whenever they can.
College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Founded in 1911, this is the oldest and most distinguished college in the United States dedicated to the study of the environment, renewable energy and sustainability.
Erie Community College
One of only five colleges in the United States (with RIT, RPI, Columbia and Yale) to offer training on water jet technology.
Farmingdale State College
Ranked fifth-safest campus in the United States in a nationwide statistical analysis.
Fashion Institute of Technology
Two of the world’s most recognized fashion and clothing designers, Calvin Klein and Michael Kors, attended FIT.
Finger Lakes Community College
More than 75 percent of Finger Lakes students received financial aid last year, totaling more than $16 million.
Fredonia State
In 2006-07, the Financial Aid Office at Fredonia was the first institution in New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (NYSHESC) to conduct all required Parent PLUS Loan credit checks on-line. The office remains one of the leaders in the use of technology.
Fulton-Montgomery Community College
This school received the 2014 Sportsmanship Award in recognition for the display of outstanding sportsmanship during competition by student-athletes and staff.
Genesee Community College
GCC created a one-week Invention Convention Camp to help kids develop the creative and critical thinking skills that lead to breakthrough ideas, such as the creation of the iPod and iPhone and the ability to influence millions to change their behavior through the use of entertainment.
SUNY Geneseo
The highest percentage of Greek life within SUNY is housed among the student body at Geneseo.
Herkimer County Community College
The Herkimer Generals are the top-ranked athletic program in the nation among two-year non-scholarship athletic programs. (2013-2014)
Hudson Valley Community College
The college’s TEC-SMART (Training and Education Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing and Alternative and Renewable Technologies) facility, a joint initiative with NYSERDA, provides education and training to find work in New York’s growing semiconductor/technology fields.
Jamestown Community College
61% of graduates were employed full-time or enrolled at a transfer institution within six months of graduation in 2013.
Jefferson Community College
JCC has an agreement with Cornell University that provides JCC students with easier transfer options to pursue a bachelor program at the university.
Maritime College
The only Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) unit in New York City can be found at Maritime College.
Mohawk Valley Community College
The only community college-based aviation maintenance program in New York is located here.
Monroe Community College
In 1997, MCC opened the Applied Technologies Center, a 53,000-square-foot, $6.4-million facility offering certification and training in high-needs manufacturing and technology fields.
Morrisville State College
MSC became the first college in the nation to comprehensively replace all phones in residence halls with individual cellular phones for students.
Nassau Community College
The largest single-campus community college in New York has more than 120,000 alumni, including comedians Eddie Murphy and Billy Crystal.
SUNY New Paltz
This campus is home to the nation’s first MakerBot Innovation Center, a 3D Printing Technology center that allows students, faculty and local industries to collaborate in engineering, industrial design and art.
Niagara County Community College
The original building of this college was in the old Nabisco Shredded Wheat office building, which led to their nickname of “Nabisco Tech”.
North Country Community College
This school was the official college of the 1980 Olympics, held in Lake Placid, NY and home to the “Miracle on Ice”.
SUNY Old Westbury
This school has been awarded the U.S. President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll six times!
SUNY Oneonta
Each year the school celebrates its founding with Red Day, a day filled with fun activities such as fireworks and outdoor movie viewings.
Onondaga Community College
The OCC Lazers men’s lacrosse team has compiled 87 wins in a row with 6 national championships in that time.
Optometry, College of
This school has a unique Homebound Program where faculty and students go to the homes of individuals with limited mobility to give them eye care.
Orange County Community College
Has the first and oldest associate nursing program in the country.
SUNY Oswego
Launched SUNY’s first multiple-major cooperative education (co-op) program in 2011, giving students the opportunity to be placed into jobs within their fields of interest for up to six months.
SUNY Plattsburgh
This school has an Expeditionary Studies program, where student learn skills for thinking and acting in dynamic outdoor settings to prepare them for careers such as mountain guides, park rangers, professional ski patrollers, and more.
SUNY Potsdam
Founded in 1816–it is the oldest SUNY school and also in the top 50 of oldest colleges in the United States.
SUNY Purchase
This school has one of the country’s most highly regarded dance conservatories which annually presents The Nutcracker in December.
Rockland Community College
This college has two award winning publications including their student run newspaper Outlook Student Press and a literary magazine called Impulse.
SUNYIT
This school recently merged with the College of Nanoscale Science in Albany and Engineering to become SUNY Polytechnic Institute.
Schenectady County Community College
The culinary arts program maintains the Casola Dining Room, where students run a full restaurant from the kitchen to the front of house.
Stony Brook University
Every year students compete in a boat race called “Roth Pond Regatta” where they create boats hand made from cardboard, duct tape and paint.
Suffolk County Community College
The campus houses the Center on the Holocaust, Diversity and Human Understanding on its Ammerman Campus, which documents the Holocaust and chronicles slavery in America.
Sullivan County Community College
This year, alumnus Cleanthony Early ’12 was drafted by the New York Knicks as their first pick of the NBA draft, becoming possibly the first SUNY alumni in more than 30 years to play in the NBA.
Tompkins Cortland Community College
TC3 has an organic farm on campus that supplies fresh produce to the College’s downtown Ithaca restaurant and culinary center, Coltivare.
Ulster County Community College
This college offers a Police Basic Training Program, where students can complete many of the requirements before being appointed as a police officer in the state of New York.
Upstate Medical University
This school has an annual Radioathon for Kids to raise money for the patients at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.
Westchester Community College
It is considered a “Veteran Friendly Campus” due to the large amount of services it extends to those who have served in the military.
As SUNY takes aim at graduating 150,000 students per year by 2020, we are asking the State to #InvestinSUNY by enabling us to create for our campuses an Investment Fund to support the scale up of evidence-based programs known to support student success. We are also seeking an extension of NYSUNY 2020 and rational tuition. Students want a continued rational tuition policy so they can plan to finance the full, known cost of a full degree program – but they can only commit to their share if the state also does its part.
Learn more at suny.edu/invest
