The State University of New York at New Paltz, in the beautiful Hudson Valley region, is halfway between Albany and New York City, across the Hudson from Poughkeepsie. There are about 6000 undergraduate students and 1000 graduate students. Like many colleges and universities these days, the male/female ratio is a bit skewed: 64% of the students are female and 36% are male. 93% are New York residents, 3-5% come from out of state, and the tiny remainder are international students. It’s a really nice, manageable size for a public university. As such, 79% of classes have fewer than 30 students, and 95% of classes have fewer than 40. A little more than half of the faculty hold terminal degrees in their field.

There are six colleges, five of them offering programs for undergraduates: The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Education, the School of Fine and Performing Arts, and the School of Science & Engineering. The most popular majors are Psychology, Early Childhood and Childhood Education, Biology, Computer Science, Sociology, English, Visual Arts, Digital Media Production, Mechanical Engineering, Theatre Arts, Communication Disorders, and Communication Studies. There’s an accelerated 3+4 dual degree Osteopathic Medicine program, where a student can earn their BS and DO. As with BS/MD programs, it’s very selective: they receive about 300 applications for 11 spots. The minimum GPA for consideration is 93 (NY high schools grade on a 100-point scale), but they really want at least a 98. A test score is required (only for this program), and they want a minimum of 1310 on the SAT or 28 on the ACT. Students in the program continue their osteopathic studies at either New York Institute of Technology or Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Admissions says they’re looking for students with a high school GPA in the mid-80’s (out of 100 or higher.) Average SAT scores of admitted students who chose to submit are 1190-1330; average ACT is 25-29. They really focus on GPA and coursework when making admissions decisions, but an essay can help (or hurt) students on the cusp. The all-in price is about $30K for in-state students, and about $40K for out-of-state students, which is probably why Princeton Review ranked SUNY New Paltz as one of the nation’s “Best Value” colleges. Honestly, the New Paltz campus is fine – it feels a bit dated, but there’s nothing wrong with it. But the Hudson Valley area is just gorgeous with plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities and a robust arts culture. All of these reasons may be why, after the 2 New York state flagships, Stony Brook and Binghamton, many New York residents put New Paltz at the top of their list.