Stony Brook University Reviews

  • 127 Reviews
  • Stony Brook (NY)
  • Annual Tuition: $28,480
92% of 127 students said this degree improved their career prospects
90% of 127 students said they would recommend this school to others
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Student & Graduate Reviews

Ashley Lovett
  • Reviewed: 11/18/2015
  • Degree: Liberal Studies
"Stony Brook was amazing; I got an awesome education there. Class sizes began really large, however once you hone into more in-depth, upper-division classes, they become smaller and more personal. The professors are very knowledgeable and always tried to help. I went for a Linguistics major, while also studying TESOL education. I had a minor in English. Now in my graduate school, I can say that I've already learned most of what's being taught there at Stony Brook. Both the Linguistics and Education programs were amazing. As were my English classes. Don't be fooled by people saying Stony Brook is a "science school:" it's so much more!"
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 9/29/2015
  • Degree: Biology
"One of the best universities to prepare you for the rigorous workload of the graduate schools."
LCJ
  • Reviewed: 9/29/2015
  • Degree: Liberal Studies
"I thought that the education that I received was excellent as well as the services that I received as a student (health services, career services, etc.). It is, however, a very big school, and you have to seek individualized attention if you need it."
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 9/23/2015
  • Degree: Education Administration
"It's very diverse and large, but has an excellent online MA program."
Psychmajr
  • Reviewed: 9/1/2015
  • Degree: Psychology
"My years at Stony Brook were some of the best times of my life. I stayed in a dorm, so my review is particularly aimed at non-commuter students. My best piece of advice for students is to try and get involved with campus organizations or activities early. There is no hand-holding and you will need to make an effort to find your niche and a good group of friends. This is what is often the cause of student dissatisfaction as SBU can be very lonely and isolating without these connections. The vast majority of students leave on Fridays to go home for the weekends, so if you will be staying on weekends, try to get to know other students who will do the same. In terms of academics, the coursework (particularly in psychology) is rigorous and challenging. This is not a school where you can get away with a little bit of studying. This means that you are getting a quality education, but also that you will need to find a way that you can be organized. This is probably also why this is not a party school. Upon graduating I found that SBU's great reputation helped me find a job quickly and was instrumental in being accepted into graduate and doctoral programs."
Sy 2005
  • Reviewed: 8/4/2015
  • Degree: Social Work
"Stony Brook is an excellent blend of the big college social experience with the medium college academic experience."
Sy 2005
  • Reviewed: 8/4/2015
  • Degree: Social Work
"Stony Brook is an excellent blend of the big college social experience with the medium college academic experience."
Christele Mathieu
  • Reviewed: 6/2/2015
  • Degree: Social Work
"The pro of this program is that the faculty is very helpful. As a student you want to feel as though the staff is there for you to aid you to progress within the program and I feel with Stony Brook they do an outstanding job with that. Also, since I'm a student that is commuting all the way from Queens village to Long Island, which is a 45 minuite drive, stony brook accommodates both their city students and Long Island students. One con is there needs to be more classes offered out in the city campus, although they do accomidate to us as far as trying to work with our schedules, there needs to be an increase of classes offered out in the city campus."
Luz Bove
  • Reviewed: 1/31/2015
  • Degree: Occupational Therapy
"I feel the quality of the education I am receiving is as competitive in curriculum as other programs that are well established and highly regarded but are triple in cost. This provides an opportunity for those interested in continued education to pursue their degree without fear of being unable to afford it."
Carley Jagger
  • Reviewed: 1/12/2015
  • Degree: Social Work
"Excellent program. Teachers are intrested and informed. Great internship possibilities. Not much social life. Expensive cost of living."
amber Butler
  • Reviewed: 1/7/2015
  • Degree: Creative Writing
"Cons: no aid is offered to Grads while tuition is high for a SUNY school and fees are being constantly increased every semester. Options for transportation are minimal if you can't bring your car to campus. Housing is expensive if you live on campus. The community is also small, making it hard for those to fit in who don't live on campus. The hub of the program is in the Hamptons but there is very little to do near campus. Pros: Safety is superior. The professors are very accomplished and well known in their fields, and you will graduate knowing you are are better writer when you leave."
Micah Mumper
  • Reviewed: 12/4/2014
  • Degree: Psychology
"Great professors, but the school is largely a commuter school and so there isn't a college town around campus. Instead, people tend to leave after work and there isn't much social life."
Jason Shank
  • Reviewed: 11/30/2014
  • Degree: Other Engineering
"The graduate program allowed me to continue my education in a field that I loved. It helped me build my knowledge to further enhance the opportunity for my career, which I currently have been in employed in for the past three years. I would not trade it in for anything, as I valued my time and the lifelong friends that I made. What I did not like was the diversity, way to many people from the same region of the world, and way to much favoritism to those in certain situation outside of the classroom. Still though, Stony Brook was one of the best decisions of my life."
David Hu
  • Reviewed: 11/30/2014
  • Degree: Mathematics
"For a PhD Program, the quality of research going on at the university is of utmost importance. The amount of activity going on at Stony Brook, especially in Geometry, Topology, and Dynamical Systems, is fantastic. The atmosphere is electric."
Weiliang Xing
  • Reviewed: 11/29/2014
  • Degree: Computer Science
"Pros: good ranking, good location, good relationship with industry; Cons: many international students."
Andrew Rimby
  • Reviewed: 11/29/2014
  • Degree: English
"Stony Brook University's PhD program in English allows for a wide array of literary periods to study and research since the faculty has expertise in multiple periods and theoretical practices. The graduate certificate program at Stony Brook also allow for the PhD students to advance their knowledge in Feminist and Queer theory, as well as Philosophy, Film theory, and Cultural Analysis theory. The Melville library is extremely quick when processing inter-library loans, and the program encourages interdisciplinary research."
zhongshan an
  • Reviewed: 11/29/2014
  • Degree: Mathematics
"Academic quality here is excellent. However it's not so nice a place for living..."
Connor Behan
  • Reviewed: 11/29/2014
  • Degree: Physics
"This site is a joke. They don't even tell you whether "a huge amount of work" means 1 star or 10 stars. In case people want to learn about this program, I will use one word to describe it: infantilizing. To understand what courses you need to take, there are 3 pages of reading, detailing all of the prerequisites, corequisites and postrequisites in the comprehensive paths they have imagined for you. The people who have enough respect for authority to go along with this will not make good scientists. Just ask all the schools with a more sensible system. Their students last encountered this kind of structure and micromanaging where it belongs: high school."
Mani Sen
  • Reviewed: 11/29/2014
  • Degree: Other Engineering
"The graduate program is very supportive of students. It helps students with financial aid. The support goes a long way to help students to achieve success in their work."
Elizabeth Berrigan
  • Reviewed: 11/29/2014
  • Degree: Physics
"The program is difficult but overall good. My main complaint is the buildings which are dangerous and inhospitable. There are fires frequently. My office resembles an asylum. They are a severe detriment to productivity. The Simons Center is of course spectacular however."