National university
#22 Best value colleges in the Northeast in AmericaUniversity at Albany
Albany, NY · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $17,167 a year
Median debt at graduation: $19,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in America#22 of 239
- Best value colleges in America#77 of 674
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#79 of 681
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#106 of 690
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#202 of 1,046
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#149 of 684
In New York
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.61%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.83%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.16 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$17,210
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $28,802 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 12,190 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 46% · Women 54% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 30% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 4% |
| Total students | 16,880 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $17,167 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $28,802 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $19,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 61% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 63% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 62% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 67% |
| First-year retention | 83% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $67,979 |
| Admission rate | 69% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $50 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,417 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 44% |
Value: Exceptional · Top 10% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Applied mathematics | |
| Accounting | |
| Information technology | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Business administration | |
| Mathematics | |
| Chemistry | |
| Homeland Security | |
| Other public administration and social service professions | |
| Other mathematics and statistics | |
| Other biological and biomedical sciences | |
| Romance languages | |
| Public health | |
| Political science | |
| Global studies | |
| Economics | |
| Criminology | |
| Communication studies | |
| Journalism | |
| Social work | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Biology | |
| Clinical and counseling psychology | |
| Sociology | |
| Writing and rhetoric | |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | |
| History | |
| Psychology | |
| Ethnic and gender studies | |
| English | |
| Area studies | |
| Anthropology | |
| Fine arts |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Applied Statistics, Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Biochemistry, Classics, Clinical laboratory science, Computer engineering, Computer science, Criminal justice, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electrical engineering, Engineering (general), Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, Geography, Geology and earth science, Human Biology, Information science, Interdisciplinary studies, Liberal arts, Linguistics, Management science, Materials Engineering, Music, Nursing, Other education, Other engineering, Philosophy, Physics, Public Policy Analysis, Public administration, Religious studies, Secondary education, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Theatre.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Social sciences | |
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Psychology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 4% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 5% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $16,423 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · America East |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 16 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 5%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 57%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $7,668IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 57% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Albany International Airport (ALB)About 4 miles away · about 20 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Bradley International Airport (BDL)About 78 miles away |
| Town population | 100,492Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | NewarkAbout 137 miles away · about 3 hours 10 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 24°F in January · 73°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Albany Airport, NY, about 4 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.20 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.17 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.14 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.37 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.03 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is University at Albany’s Compass Score?
- Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 32% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does University at Albany cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $17,167 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into University at Albany?
- University at Albany admitted 69% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do University at Albany’s graduates do?
- 61% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $67,979; the median federal debt at graduation is $19,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 196060
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
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