By Sarah Kirkup and Elsie Boskamp

Stony Brook University achieved a new national record. Based on recent statistics from “US News & World Report,” the university jumped to 82nd among the best national schools. Additionally, the School of Engineering was ranked at 65th among doctorate programs in engineering.

Ranked the highest among State University of New York campuses, SBU beat both Binghamton University and the University at Albany. With a 40 percent acceptance rate and 42 percent of accepted students at the top of their graduating class, Stony Brook is considered extremely competitive. Of the 11,023 students accepted,  2,676 became Seawolves.

Both the student body and hopeful applicants boast a strong sense of pride regarding the news. Freshman journalism major Brittany Garguilo predicts nothing but a positive outcome for the school and its students stemming from this report.

“The new ranking surprised me at first but it’s much deserved,” she said. “It’s increasing the university’s credibility and attracting remarkable professors like investigative reporter Carl Bernstein.” Bernstein is famous for his involvement in reporting the Watergate scandal.

Eric Noh, a sophomore environmental engineering student from Georgia, said, “This is helping Stony Brook University’s reputation, not only in New York but also in Georgia where Stony Brook is a known name and many of my friends are looking into it as a possible school.”

The School of Engineering achieved success as well. Competition is tight, as Stony Brook University’s engineering program only stands 22 spots below Yale University.

“Stony Brook is just as good, if not better than competing universities,” Yacov Shamash, dean of the Engineering School, said. “The increase quality of students is highly impressive, and our student-oriented faculty provides opportunities through research and internship to help our students succeed.”

Materials engineering graduate student Michael Miller agrees with the dean’s outlook and has positively benefited from internship and research experiences.

“The professors provide good connections to students, which has allowed me to advance my skills at the Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Thermal Spray Lab on campus.”

On average, students are enrolled in 18 credits per semester to accomplish the 128 required credits for graduation.

These rankings are established through well-known organizations like College Board, Peterson’s and U.S. News and World Report. Their intensive data surveys rate the schools based on SAT scores, graduation and retention rates and general education requirements.  Stony Brook University’s average SAT score for incoming freshmen is between 1130 and 1340, with the School of Engineering’s mean SAT score at 1300.