The State University of New York

What The State University of New York does

The State University of New York (SUNY) is the largest comprehensive public university system in the United States, operating 64 campuses across New York State including four R1 research universities (University at Albany, Binghamton, University at Buffalo, and Stony Brook) and 11 Carnegie-designated research institutions. Founded in 1948 through the consolidation of 29 institutions, SUNY serves 387,446 enrolled students (Fall 2025) and 1.3 million students in credit-bearing and continuing education programs, supported by 87,956 faculty and staff. The system offers over 7,000 academic programs from associate to doctoral levels, including 4,352 undergraduate majors and 700+ online programs, with $1.5 billion in annual research expenditure and 1,830+ patents held system-wide.

SUNY's revenue model is a hybrid of tuition and fees (averaging $7,070 in-state undergraduate at state-operated campuses and $5,560 at community colleges), recurring New York State appropriations, sponsored research (5,145 awards from 2,290 sponsors totaling $1.095B in FY 2022 research activity), philanthropy through the SUNY Impact Foundation, and technology commercialization (62 license agreements and 124 operational start-ups from FY 2021). The system distributes through 64 physical campuses, the centralized applySUNY application portal, the SUNY Online platform (650+ online degrees), a Recruitment Response Center, the SUNY Welcome Center in NYC, EducationUSA advising centers for international recruitment, and a dedicated military and veteran recruitment function. Proprietary research assets include the country's largest quantum network at Stony Brook, a 300mm semiconductor research facility, Empire AI Research Center, and the New Energy New York Battery Tech Hub. Student success is supported by the ASAP|ACE retention program at 34 campuses, SUNY Reconnect (free community college for adults 25-55), the Empire State Service Corps, and the SUNY Research Connect platform linking 6,500+ researchers.

Name

The State University of New York

Legal name

The State University of New York

Website

https://suny.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

SUNY is the largest comprehensive public university system in the US, operating 64 campuses across New York State that serve 387,000+ enrolled students and 1.3 million in total educational programs, with $1.5 billion in annual research expenditure and 87,956 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Flagship Public Research Universities (R1/R2) (EDAHAAAA), Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis (EDAHAAAD), Online Technology & Computer Science Universities (EDAHALAH)

Keywords

• Public higher education
• University degree programs
• Online learning programs
• Academic research services
• Workforce development training

Headquarters

HQ city

Albany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Tuition revenue from approximately 387,446 enrolled students across 64 campuses. State-operated undergraduate in-state tuition is $7,070; out-of-state averages $17,730. Community college in-state tuition averages $5,560. Additional revenue from mandatory fees averaging $1,830 for state-operated and $1,090 for community colleges. Application fees of $50 per campus choice.
2. State Appropriations: SUNY receives significant funding from New York State for operations, including double-digit percentage increases for every state-operated campus and recurring annual funding for mental health services, student disabilities services, paid internships, and research.
3. Sponsored Research Programs: Total research activity support of $1.095 billion (FY 2022). Direct expenditure activity of $932 million and indirect expenditure activity of $162 million. 5,145 awards from 2,290 sponsors. Total annual research expenditure of $1.5 billion (2025).
4. Philanthropy and Alumni Giving: Nearly 3 million SUNY alumni worldwide contribute through the SUNY Impact Foundation and individual campus foundations. The Impact Foundation works to sustain proven student success programs across the system.
5. Technology Commercialization: Revenue from 238 invention disclosures, 286 U.S. patent applications filed, 83 U.S. patents issued, 62 license agreements executed, and 124 operational start-ups (FY 2021 data).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

SUNY is the largest comprehensive public university system in the United States, delivering higher education through 64 colleges and universities across New York State. It offers more than 7,000 academic programs from associate to doctoral levels, including 650+ online degrees, alongside student success programs, research, microcredentials, and workforce development pathways. The system serves nearly 1.3 million students and confers 96,000+ degrees annually.

Product overview

SUNY (The State University of New York) is the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the United States, comprising 64 colleges and universities across New York State. Rather than a single product, SUNY operates as a platform of interconnected institutions offering over 7,000 academic programs from associate to doctoral levels. The ecosystem includes: the core SUNY Online platform (650+ online degrees); ASAP|ACE retention programs (34 campuses); SUNY Esports and gaming programs; microcredentials and apprenticeship pathways; Empire AI Research Center for AI development; and SUNY Research Connect for researcher collaboration. These products serve nearly 1.3 million students through state-operated campuses, community colleges, and specialized institutions including four R1 research universities (Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Stony Brook).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SUNY Impact Foundation: The philanthropy arm of SUNY that works to sustain proven student success programs across SUNY's 64 colleges and universities.

Products and services

• SUNY Online Online learning platform offering over 650 online degrees and 950 online programs including microcredentials, certificates, associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees, available to domestic and international students seeking flexible learning options.
• ASAP|ACE (Advancing Success in Associate Pathways / Advancing Completion through Engagement) Nation-leading retention and completion initiative providing academic, financial, and personal support to help students stay on track and graduate on time, currently at 34 campuses with expansion planned to reach 10,000 students by Fall 2026.
• SUNY Microcredentials Short, focused credentials providing in-demand skills, know-how, and experience, designed as high-quality, stackable credentials for today's learners seeking targeted workforce skills.
• SUNY Apprenticeship Program Apprenticeship program providing education and job training opportunities, teaching specific skills to meet growing labor and economic needs in New York State through earn-while-you-learn pathways.
• SUNY Reconnect Free community college tuition, fees, books, and supplies for adults ages 25-55 without a college degree who pursue an associate degree in a high-demand field.
• SUNY Esports Collegiate esports program that has joined the Eastern College Athletic Conference, offering gaming industry degrees and career pathways in game development, digital arts, and esports management across multiple SUNY campuses.
• Empire State Service Corps Paid community service opportunity program providing hundreds of SUNY students each year with service opportunities as part of Chancellor King's System-wide Civics and Service Agenda.
• SUNY Research Connect Platform providing access to research, scholarship, and expertise of more than 6,500 active SUNY researchers, as well as facilities and equipment across the SUNY System to empower discovery, collaboration, and innovation.
• Nitro-Oxidation Process (NOP) Technology Patented SUNY technology producing carboxylated cellulosic nanofibers from cellulose as alternatives to petroleum-based materials and plastics, being commercialized through partnership with SWFT Labs; first commercial product targets agriculture applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65.1% 6-year graduation rate for SUNY (vs. 64.0% National Public Universities)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SWFT LabscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026Stony Brook University and SWFT Labs announced expanded research partnership through Master Research Agreement with Research Foundation for SUNY, accelerating commercialization of Nitro-Oxidation Process (NOP) technology. SWFT Labs entering commercialization phase with first commercial product launch scheduled April 23 targeting agriculture applications. Series A financing round planned for Q3 2026 to scale manufacturing capacity and deepen strategic partnerships.

Scale indicators30 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• University of California System: The University of California is the closest direct peer to SUNY: a multi-campus public research university system with 10 campuses including multiple R1 institutions, serving ~290,000 students, with comparable scale in research expenditure and similar governance by a Board of Regents. UC and SUNY are the two largest comprehensive public university systems in the US.
• City University of New York (CUNY): CUNY is SUNY's most direct geographic peer: a New York State public university system with 25 campuses across NYC, including community colleges, four-year colleges, and graduate/professional schools serving ~243,000 students. CUNY competes directly with SUNY for NY high school graduates and adult learners in the same state.
• California State University (CSU): CSU is a 23-campus multi-campus public university system comparable to SUNY in scale (largest US public higher ed system by enrollment), with similar mission focus on broad access, teacher preparation, and applied/professional programs. CSU and SUNY share the archetype of large, geographically distributed state university systems with significant research and workforce development mandates.
• University of Texas System: The University of Texas System is a multi-institution public system with 13 institutions including multiple R1 research universities (UT Austin, UT Dallas, UT San Antonio). Like SUNY, it has a major semiconductor and advanced manufacturing research presence and operates with similar state appropriations and tuition revenue mix.
• University of Wisconsin System: The University of Wisconsin System is a 13-campus public university system serving ~164,000 students, with two R1 research universities and a similar mix of research, comprehensive, and branch campuses. Comparable to SUNY in mission, governance structure, and reliance on state appropriations.
• Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE): PASSHE is a 10-university public system in Pennsylvania serving ~85,000 students. Comparable to SUNY's non-R1 portion as a multi-campus state system focused on broad access, teacher preparation, and workforce development, with similar state appropriation dependency.
• University of North Carolina System: The UNC System is a 17-institution public university system including multiple R1 research universities (UNC Chapel Hill, NC State) and a similar mix of comprehensive universities and community colleges. Comparable to SUNY in research intensity and breadth of academic programs.
• University of Illinois System: The University of Illinois System operates three universities (Urbana-Champaign R1, Chicago, Springfield) plus online (UIUC Online). Comparable to SUNY's R1 cluster in research intensity ($700M+ research expenditure at UIUC) and like SUNY has significant online and adult learner offerings.

Broad incumbents

• University of Michigan: The University of Michigan is a flagship public R1 research university with $1.7B+ in research expenditure, comparable to SUNY's individual R1 campuses (Stony Brook, Buffalo) in research scale and graduate program depth. Functions as a peer for high-end research and graduate student competition rather than system-level enrollment competition.
• Ohio State University: Ohio State is one of the largest single-campus public R1 universities in the US (~60,000 students, $1.4B+ research). Comparable to SUNY's Stony Brook or University at Buffalo as a direct research and enrollment competitor, particularly for out-of-state and international students choosing a flagship public research experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SUNY
• Facebookfacebook.com/generationSUNY
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/state-university-of-new-york

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The State University of New York