Stony Brook University Reviews

"The school is great! Mostly a commuter school so if you are looking for that on campus activities there are not a lot to choose from. It you want challenge with the sciences, especially pre-med this is a great choice to go do, The med school is right across the street and there are opportunities to take advanced classes at a undergraduate level."

"Stony Brook has helpful teachers and gave me a good education. It is a large school so it is a little difficult to navigate."

"Not protected live of students. Large class sizes. Professors don't care about teaching, but rather only their research."

"It's the best institution for sciences with a lower cost one of the best state schools in the world top 30"

"Great school for motivated students. Some growing pains, but handling it well. Good opportunity to integrate with the medical center and rotate through various areas of dentistry. Small class size and low tuition are a bonus. Nice place to live in the world too."

"My school took education very seriously and offered some of the best classes out there. The work was rigorous and very challenging. However, due to the lack of faculty support and student academic support for classes, it was very much a figure it out yourself or self-study type of environment. The diversity in Stony Brook was very lacking, however they have been making strides in the last few years. Overall, getting a biology degree did open a lot of career doors for me but nothing outside of what getting a normal college degree would do. I loved the school but it may not be the best at preparing students for a career in the real world, networking or even gaining skills apart from those that are regularly gained by undergraduates.Read Less"

"The School of Professional Development at Stony Brook University was fantastic. I completed all of my studies online from the convenience of home. I was able to take classes that were interesting and appropriate to my field of study. The professors were great. The classes allowed me to work at my own pace. It was a great experience."

"The program was a little small for me, but the professors were very responsive and the material covered was very beneficial. I really enjoyed my time here--a great education at a great price!"

"Very good school and exceptional faculty, advisors, and career support within the Applied Math and Statistics department."

"Stony Brook's School of Social Welfare is affordable, excellent, and is preparing us very well for a career as professionals working for improved social welfare. Beyond that, there is also a consciousness that we need to be involved, using our skills not only for micro-level helping of individuals and families, but also for promoting reforms that enhance social justice. Our faculty members are wonderful in the classroom, very helpful, and they hold students to high academic standards. As students, we combine theoretical study with practical experience. Even if I had unlimited money to study in top programs at private universities, I would choose Stony Brook as one of the very best programs for the MSW.Read Less"

"As a Masters Student in the Philosophy Program, you have access to great courses in NYC at the Manhattan campus as well as excellent instructors who are knowledgeable about their field. The course often include an Art focus, so you will read a wide variety of texts. However, the benefits of the Manhattan campus also come with a downside, that being that you will have to commute from Long Island, or commute to Long Island when you take classes on the main campus or have affairs to attend to. However, the Manhattan campus and Main campus are conveniently aligned with the LIRR and NYC subway. The tuition is high for non-residents and there is little to no financial support for Masters students, and the cost of living is exorbitant with rent and sales tax. The students can be a bit cliquish, which is unfortunate as I was told as an undergrad that Stony Brook was not only competitive and highly ranked, but a more accepting and discourse driven community. There also doesn't appear to be any organization for students in the department and events are only loosely publicized or only on short notice. However, the quality of the education cannot be beat and the professors and relative variety, yet compatibility, of the classes are exceptional.Read Less"

"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!Read Less"

"One of the best universities to prepare you for the rigorous workload of the graduate schools."

"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."

"It's very diverse and large, but has an excellent online MA program."

"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.Read Less"

"Pros: 1. Very affordable for graduate program 2. Offer hybrid classes that are both online and in-person. I loved being back in the classroom! 3. Teachers have office hours which accommodate the working student 4. For online classes, always forums for students to ask one another ‘random’ questions that may relate to financial aid, graduation, etc… 5. Classes for Fall and Spring are only 10 weeks which is nice because you can take on a class during their Winter or Summer sessions 6. Provide great resources for APA formatting – easy to forget after being out of school for several years! Cons: 1. Syllabus for class can be sometimes 9+ pages which makes it very overwhelming to understand what’s required for posting online responses 2. Never meeting others in your class face to face. I wish the program would utilize technology like Google Hangout. 3. When meeting requirements for online posts, it is hard to sometimes find things to say to other students. It can be especially hard to find things to write because some professors only provide you with reading the textbook, which can be dry. Other professors have provided us with videos and articles which provides more opportunities for conversations. 4. The school does not e-mail your personal e-mail address when class enrollment opens, so I have personally struggled to get the classes I want.Read Less"

"Stony Brook is an excellent blend of the big college social experience with the medium college academic experience."

"Stony Brook is an excellent blend of the big college social experience with the medium college academic experience."

"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.Read Less"