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

Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 1/17/2023
  • Degree: Psychology
"Do not come here period. For many reasons this school is has so many flaws and if you have the opportunity to go elsewhere please do so. To start of with, if you are interested in creative subjects: filmmaking, dance, acting etc. this schools creative programs are terrible and if you want to collaborate with students they are known to be rude and stuck up about it because they only want to choose the people they like to be a part of their projects. The clubs and extra curriculars are also known to be cliquey and if you want to be a board member or a rep for a club the students who run it choose unfairly because they only want people who they deem are physically attractive enough or have a high social media following just to get attention. Along with that this campus is very isolated so if you do not have your own car it will feel like a prison basically Alcatraz. It very isolated from public areas if you want to get groceries or food you have to rely on public transportation and that is very unreliable the Suffolk county buses tracking is garbage and there is a shopping bus by the school but it is ONLY in Sunday’s which makes no sense because Saturday and Sunday would be a good time as well but then again not a lot of bus drivers want to work on a weekend but that’s the schools fault for building their school like a deserted island."
X
  • Reviewed: 5/19/2021
  • Degree: Mathematics
"For a while, everything was good at Stony Brook. My professors were good and actually taught the material. Recently, I switched my major to mathematics. However, when others found out about it, they warned me that the mathematics professors at Stony Brook were terrible. I wished I listened. I went from an A student to a C- student, and that's with a curve. The professors can't teach and still expect us to know everything. I'm pretty sure the only reason people are passing these kind of courses is because they cheat. I don't, and I'm ironically getting penalized for it. My advice is, if you attend Stony Brook, do NOT seek a mathematics degree, or any degree that involves math."
Uchenna Ozuzu
  • Reviewed: 12/24/2019
  • Degree: Biology
"Stony Brook is a great university for the sciences. It will propel a student's love for the sciences even more with the many resources offered to students in different majors. A lot of research and volunteer opportunities to explore at Stony Brook, therefore I highly recommend this university for students."
Emily
  • Reviewed: 12/13/2019
  • Degree: Psychology
"Stony brook has a wide variety of opportunities for psychology majors. There is a large department that ranges from professors specializing in areas of cognitive psychology to women's psychology. As an undergraduate there are opportunities to participate and assist in a professor's research experiments both as a participant or an assistant. However, if you would like to assist in research I suggest applying early and talking to as many professors as possible, as there is a lot of competition for these positions. There is a large variety in the topics of the lectures and the professors are all approachable. Overall I would recommend this school if you are intending to major in psychology."
Phillip Virgile
  • Reviewed: 8/10/2019
  • Degree: Electrical Engineering
"I would say that overall, the program is well worth the money, especially if the student lives locally. The student would save a lot of money by choosing this school over going away, if this concerns them. There a many great professors who care about getting the best from there students. I would recommend this school to anyone."
Alexia
  • Reviewed: 8/1/2019
  • Degree: Psychology
"Stony Brook University is amazing and provides an incredible opportunity for personal growth and the excellent, bright education we all think of when thinking of this prestigious university. Stony Brook University provides an incredible amount of services and opportunities to its students and faculty. Its affiliations with the hospitals, the veteran's home, and the community altogether allow for even more opportunity and a chance at a once in a lifetime experience for individuals. I would highly recommend the university."
Cait Z
  • Reviewed: 5/29/2019
  • Degree: Liberal Studies
"The professors in the Spanish department are unlike any others on campus. They are passionate about their work and their teaching. They stay late, they answer emails after hours, and are always willing to listen to their students about literally anything. They will discuss politics, current events, other classes. They are fair and they are genuinely happy and proud of all of their students. Even if it's not your major, consider taking a Spanish course at Stony Brook."
Chereen James
  • Reviewed: 5/29/2019
  • Degree: Liberal Studies
"I met the most encouraging and my lifelong friends at Stony Brook University. There is a sense of unity among students despite our diversity. In fact, our diversity led to great experiences and a better understanding of other cultures. It was there I ate Jollof rice from West Africa, there I first tried sushi from Japan, and there I was able to share my Caribbean culture with my new friends. Stony Brook University poses an academic challenge to its students and each degree requires the same degree of dedication. Dont let those Easy A classes fool you. Even acting class required much work and a lengthy paper. It was at Stony Brook University that I learned to speak, read and write Spanish. An achievement that benefits me in the workplace. Daily, I translate and communicate with Spanish-speaking clients who are surprised at my accomplishment. There were moments of difficulty at Stony Brook University, but the encouragement from my friends and family helped in overcoming those challenges. I am proud to be a graduate of this institution."
Raquel Rose
  • Reviewed: 10/12/2018
  • Degree: Psychology
"Stony Brook university, while a good university for particular disciplines, does not hold your hand. The curriculum around the sciences is pretty great and having the attached medical school means that you'll have a plethora of fantastic experiences. However, not as much care is taken towards the humanities, academic advisement or financial aid processes."
Melissa Pena
  • Reviewed: 9/29/2018
  • Degree: Psychology
"Stony Brook University was a wonderful place to obtain my undergraduate degree. I majored in Psychology and Sociology, with a minor in Child and Family Studies. Many of my classes overlapped, due to the similarity in nature of the subjects. I can attest to wonderful educators and great advisors. I attended Stony Brook, through their Educational Opportunity Program, and it was the best thing that has ever happened in my educational life! Some of the beginner classes at Stony Brook can be as large as 500 students, but once you get to higher level classes, that number tends to decrease. The student life is excellent; make sure to join a club (or 5!)"
Ellie
  • Reviewed: 9/27/2018
  • Degree: Biology
"Honestly, I'm not sure how this University is getting so many favorable reviews. And this is a review of the University as a whole and not my department which was pretty good to me, and my adviser was amazing. The University itself cares nothing for it's graduate students. The healthcare provided is sub-par and I know some students that have accumulated thousands of dollars worth of debt for necessary medical procedures. The university charges graduates students who already struggle to make ends meet almost $1000 of 'student fees' per semester for services that they do not even use and then also refuses to provide receipts that the fees are actually going to what they say they are going towards. On top of that, graduate students have met with the administration to discuss these fees as many of us have issues affording both the fees and necessities like food when they are due, and the administration was uncaring and unresponsive. The administration is terrible; unresponsive and unhelpful and they often cause more problems than they solve. Overall getting an education here was a harrowing experience and if you are accepted to a graduate program elsewhere I would consider taking that offer instead."
Jo
  • Reviewed: 5/23/2018
  • Degree: Cultural Studies
"I absolutely loved my department, as a transfer student I wasn't initially sure of what major I wanted to choose but it became evident taking courses within the department that being apart of the WST department was the way to go. Given my curriculum almost all of my classes at Stony Brook were challenging and not easy. My department was tight knit and small so I got a lot of individualized attention in my program. And their are a variety of clubs and events held weekly that pertained to my interest. The administration at the school and school itself could focus more on supporting the Humanities however, I felt that this school is known heavily for Math & Science but overall I think most of the programs at Stony Brook are well regarded and academically rigorous. Stony Brook's Women Studies Department has prepared me for future graduate work in Social Work. I especially liked that I could take so many classes in different departments that were cross listed and the career services were top notch! The campus is lovely, the gym is high tech and fairly new, but the school is heavily commuter. You will be forced to park far from campus when you first become a student. Some students even bike or walk to campus. I lived out on Long Island and also commuted from the city via train while going to Stony Brook. I was even able to take a class out at the Manhattan Campus before they decided to close that campus down (missed opportunity in my opinion). Housing is unaffordable on Long Island and expect to be paying a lot more near Stony Brook's Campus, their are housing shortages both on and off campus and getting housing on campus is extremely competitive. So always have a back up! I lived mid-island so I didn't have as much of a problem. Dining is horrendous, Stony Brook went through three vendors in my time going to the school, and their always seems to be a dissatisfaction with dining on campus. Besides University at Buffalo, if you want a well funded, public, highly regarded school come to Stony Brook, the extra funding has definitely helped to solidify my experience at this school (I transferred from a underfunded school in the midwest). I felt that I was in a supportive environment but felt that CAPS at the student health services could of been more accessible and accomodating to students with mental health issues. The school could focus less on the administration side of things (their is a admin bloat on campus and the Stony Brook Union was one buiding that suffered the consequences of that) and not be so focused on corporate philanthropy work and the Stony Brook Foundation. Their have been rumors circulating forever that Stony Brook is going private (Once was supposed to be the Berkeley of the East). I would not recommended this school for both a undergraduate/graduate degree however, and I do have to admit their were several points where I wasn't going to return or transfer to another school again because of how dissatisfied I was with the actual school itself. If you want a traditional campus environment you may not get it at Stony Brook. But for those coming from NYC, this school is very accessible by train, car and the bus that used to drop off people on campus. And is very much more accessible then other SUNY institutions Upstate. If you are coming from out of state as a undergraduate, expect to not be able to establish In State Residency here while attending, I fought this issue back and forth with administration and was not given In State (even though Suffolk Community College down the road did) even given my long history and record being a New York State Resident. That being said tuition is more affordable at most SUNY institutions even if it is out of state. Stony Brook is known so much for science and math disciplines that they often get students from other more elite private institutions, That being said you can't really go wrong at Stony Brook, just know what your getting yourself into before coming here!"
Shia Golden
  • Reviewed: 1/31/2018
  • Degree: Marketing - MBA
"For prospective students wanting an MBA from Stony Brook, know this: 2 of my favorite professors said they dumb down the material so the disproportionate amount of foreign students can understand them. And yes, it is as bad as it sounds. One is retiring, one is leaving. Just make sure to look into other schools offering a similar degree and don't settle on a degree that doesnt teach you much, and leaves you in debt."
Wendy York
  • Reviewed: 10/30/2017
  • Degree: Occupational Therapy
"I cannot speak to Stony Brook University as a whole, although I have heard they do have great education for a very low price, which is the reason I would still recommend Stony Brook University to others. However, my specific program (masters of occupational therapy), would need to improve before I would recommend the MSOT to others. This particular program will have taken me three years by the time I graduate in June 2018. While their are other OT programs that take up to three years, many are two or two and a half. I believe our program could have condensed some of our classes to fit in less than 3 years, and thus less money for tuition. Some of my professors have been expert in their fields and I have learned so much from them, however, a majority of our classes have been taught by the same professors who are not necessarily expert in the specific class they are teaching. One of the redeeming factors for me in my education at SBU has been my fantastic fieldwork experiences. I have had two 3 -month fieldwork placements at great facilities (one being NYU Langone neurorehab unit, and one being U of U Pediatric Life Skills Clinic). However, many in my class were placed in mediocre, or even poor quality facilities. The majority were not placed settings that they requested whatsoever. To be clear, I would recommend getting a degree in occupational therapy to anyone. I think it is a fantastic career choice. However, I think the time and lack of expert professors at Stony Brook University MSOT program are negatives to be considered when selecting a school."
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 9/1/2017
  • Degree: Business
"Great school with awesome professors. Need to work more on connecting their graduates with jobs after college/grad school (particularly at the departmental level)"
Lovetolearn75
  • Reviewed: 9/1/2017
  • Degree: Social Work
"College provided me the arena in which to thrive and gain the skills and knowledge for a successful career."
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 9/1/2017
  • Degree: Public Health
"It is worthwhile in certain fields. One should work for a well-rounded education initially and use post-graduate for career-oriented classes. Don't stress too much for the first few years"
LA
  • Reviewed: 6/17/2017
  • Degree: Occupational Therapy
"Stony Brook has provided me with an amazing education in Occupational Therapy. I recently completed my first 12 week fieldwork experience. After going out on this first clinical experience I can really appreciate how much Stony Brook had prepared me for my future career. The faculty and staff provide such a great foundation for us to develop into hard working and successful professionals."
Roro
  • Reviewed: 5/22/2017
  • Degree: Mathematics
"I did both undergraduate and graduate degree here ... Best school"
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 5/22/2017
  • Degree: Chemistry
"It was a pretty decent school for the price. The campus is big and has many resources."