Affordable, Public Liberal Arts Education at SUNY Geneseo
SUNY Geneseo appears in our ranking of 30 Colleges with the Best Study Abroad Programs when Cost isn’t an Object.
Named the North’s 14th best by the U.S. News & World Report, Geneseo State College is a senior, space-grant SUNY branch in the Finger Lakes that offers 47 bachelor’s, three master’s, and five cooperative programs at an 18:1 student-teacher ratio. For example, the B.A. in Geology builds a 120-credit, four-year curriculum with Rock Prep Lab projects, Planetary Sciences Lab research, January field trips from Cyprus to Chile, and Sigma Gamma Epsilon membership. Directed by Dr. Alla Myzelev, the 120-credit B.A. in Art History encourages undergrads to add the Museum Studies Minor, work in Bertha V.B. Lederer Gallery, intern at Wadsworth Library, and join Toastmasters.
Since 1998, the Ella Cline Shear School of Education has housed the M.S. in Adolescence Education with four 36-credit, CAEP-accredited emphases for English, French, Social Studies, and Spanish that satisfy New York’s 7-12 Professional Certificate after two field practica. Chaired by Dr. Harry Howe, a Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching recipient, the M.S. in Accounting follows a 30-credit, one-year sequence costing just $11,999 total with 500-level South Hall courses like Advanced Taxation that lead to Certified Public Accountant licensure.
Other Geneseo degrees include the B.A. in Economics, B.S. in Neuroscience, B.A. in Black Studies, B.A. in Theatre, B.S. in Chemistry, B.A. in Communication, B.A. in International Relations, and M.S. in Reading & Literacy Education.
About SUNY Geneseo
SUNY Geneseo originated in 1867 when the Wadsworth Normal & Training School named for settlers James and William Wadsworth was established. In 1871, it welcomed an inaugural class of 91 future teachers as the Geneseo Normal School. In 1948, it transitioned into Geneseo State College for a four-year liberal arts curriculum. In January 1949, President Alvin C. Eurich added Geneseo into the newly approved SUNY system. In 1952, SUNY Geneseo earned regional accreditation candidacy. On October 8, 1953, fraternities and sororities that discriminated based on race were notably outlawed. In 1966, Dr. William J. Milne Library was completed. In 1992, NBC Today anchor Jenna Wolfe began her studies at SUNY Geneseo. In 2004, Geneseo started a Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society chapter. In 2006, the New York Times profiled SUNY Geneseo among 20 “hidden gems.”
Endowed for $28.6 million, SUNY Geneseo now employs 379 faculty teaching 5,333 full-time and 182 part-time Knights from 21 countries on a 220-acre Greater Rochester campus with 150+ clubs like the Anthropological Association for 86 percent retention. In 2018, Geneseo earned the NASPA Lead Institution in Civic Engagement Award. In 2019, SUNY Geneseo won the Association of College & Research Libraries’ Innovation in Librarianship Award. Geneseo accepted the 2016 Russell Athletic “Together We R” Team Award too. Forbes picked SUNY Geneseo 167th overall with the 48th top public education. On Niche, Geneseo State boasts America’s 147th best teaching degrees, 190th best political science majors, and 221st top accounting programs. Business First deemed Geneseo the 65th best public value. The Peace Corps crowned SUNY Geneseo the 13th best volunteer producer.
SUNY Geneseo Accreditation Details
On November 16, 2017, SUNY Geneseo satisfactorily submitted the Fifth-Year Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Board of Trustees to continue Level III accreditation through 2021-22 under its 13th president, Dr. Denise A. Battles, an American Council on Education Fellow. Located 323 miles down Interstate 476 in Philly, this superb six-state Northeast Region accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and New York State Department of Education. Particularly, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) approved Geneseo through June 2020. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) also reaffirmed Geneseo State on April 27, 2017.
SUNY Geneseo Application Requirements
Getting into SUNY Geneseo is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s because only 6,836 of the 10,548 Fall 2018 applicants were selected for 64.8 percent acceptance. First-year Knights are holistically reviewed after high school diploma or GED certificate completion. The Class of 2022 presented a mean 3.63 GPA or 93 average. The middle 50th percentile had ACT composite marks of 25-29. Median accepted SAT scores were 613 Verbal and 617 Math. The Edgar Fellows Program only admits undergrads with a minimum 3.4 GPA and 30 ACT score. Competitive transfers will have finished at least one full-time semester with GPAs above 3.0. Non-U.S. residents prove English fluency with 71 TOEFL iBT and 6.5 IELTS marks or better. The Graduate Admission Office seeks entrants holding accredited, four-year bachelor’s at minimum 3.0 GPAs. M.S. in Accounting cohorts specifically need an accounting major and satisfactory GMAT score. Ella Cline Shear School programs require proof of current NYS PreK-12 certification.
SUNY Geneseo set freshman deadlines of November 15th for Early Decision and January 1st for Regular Decision. Domestic U.S. transfers enjoy rolling admission year-round. International students must file by June 1st for Fall or November 1st for Spring enrollment. The Transitional Opportunity Program has a March 1st deadline. Education graduate degrees consider cohorts until April 1st, June 1st, and November 1st. The M.S. in Accounting suggests the September 1st priority date. Accordingly, submit the SUNY, Common, or Coalition Application online with the Geneseo Supplement for $50. Forward official transcripts to 1 College Circle in Geneseo, NY 14454. Fulfill checklist requirements, such as the standardized test score, parent statement, secondary school report, two references, Praxis results, one-page essay, and NYS teacher certification. Pose further questions to (585) 245-5000 or [email protected].
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, SUNY Geneseo is charging full-time New York undergrads $7,070 annually. Non-resident bachelor’s tuition is $16,980 each year. Mandatory student fees total $1,816 yearly. Living at the Finger Lakes campus’ dorms like Monroe Hall adds $8,370 for room rent. Standard meal plans for MacVittie College Union are $4,536 extra. Geneseo budgets $1,000 for books, $1,500 for travel, and $1,000 for miscellaneous. Annual undergrad attendance equals $25,292 in-state and $35,202 out-of-state. Master’s tuition generally bills New Yorkers $462 and non-residents $944 per credit. The graduate comprehensive fee is $442 each year. M.S. in Accounting cohorts uniquely pay a flat-rate price of $11,999.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Office of Financial Aid in Erwin Hall Room 104 connects 56 percent of full-time Geneseo Knights to tuition assistance averaging $6,185 each for $18.88 million combined. Institutional awards include the Humphrey Family Scholarship, Ryan Kennedy Memorial Scholarship, Edward Pettinella Leadership Scholarship, Xerox Multicultural Teacher Scholarship, Strauss Scholarship, Spencer Roemer Scholarship, Friends of Music Scholarship, Larry Scoville Scholarship, Mary Judith Smith Scholarship, Dr. Julia Delehanty Scholarship, and Charles VanArsdale Scholarship. The Regal Merit Scholarship gifts up to $10,000 annually to freshman and transfers. New York families with income under $125,000 receive the Excelsior Scholarship to cut full SUNY tuition. Other state programs, such as the World Trade Center Scholarship, Horatio Alger Scholarship, Ascend Educational Fund Scholarship, and Aid to Native Americans, are helpful. Filing FAFSA applications coded 002845 unlocks federal resources like the Pell Grant, Opportunity Grant, and Teach Grant too.
Explore the 20 accredited divisions housing 55+ degrees ranked 210th overall by Money magazine at the SUNY Geneseo website.