According to the most recent US News and World Report, Stony Brook University has received its highest rankings to date in State University of New York (SUNY) history.
Stony Brook has not only held its ranking as the No. 1 public university in New York but it also stands at No. 58 among national universities, No. 26 among public universities and No. 2 in the Association of American Universities. These are impressive leaps from the University’s previous standings at No. 77 among national universities and No. 31 among public universities.
“Stony Brook has long been recognized as a leader supporting the social and economic mobility of our graduates and their families, and the ability to create a dynamic, engaged environment that welcomes ambition has provided us with great forward movement in becoming one of the most prominent public flagship research universities in the nation,” Stony Brook President Maurie McInnis said in a press release.
Students expressed varying reviews regarding the new rankings.
Mary Rose Sunukjian, a sophomore art history major, is baffled by Stony Brook’s new rankings; the University scored much higher than she expected.
“Although I am happy I go to a school with such a high ranking, I can’t say I agree with it,” Sunukjian said. “It is confusing to me how a school with skyrocketing food pricing for on-campus dining, low mental health rates for students and a ranking of [the] 7th ugliest campus should be considered this high on the list of [ranked] universities.”
Emely Cruz, a freshman studying globalization studies and international relations, said that Stony Brook’s strengths in STEM subjects justified the new rankings.
“I agree with the ranking Stony Brook has received in terms of their research, as well as the undergraduate [and] graduate education[s] [offered] within the STEM sector, as it is a growing industry and Stony Brook has been keeping up with it,” Cruz said. “SBU has mostly been regarded as a STEM school, so in terms of its ratings I would say it is well deserved, according to its successes within the sciences.”
Students agreed with the rankings in terms of the University’s many research opportunities but seemed to disagree with other factors behind the rankings.
“Our reputation across New York and the world has grown with the selection of Stony Brook University as the anchor institution for New York Climate Exchange and the recent $500 million unrestricted endowment gift made by the Simons Foundation,” President McInnis said in the press release. “As we celebrate the university’s upward momentum reflected in these new rankings, the commitment of our exceptional students, faculty and staff, as well as our partners locally and across the globe make our continued progress possible.”
University administration has not provided additional comments.
