StonyBrook University, NY

Named by Fiske Guide to Colleges as one of the top 40 best buys in public and private universities nationwide, State University of New York at Stony Brook stands out among colleges on Long Island.

Founded in 1957, the University started with only 100 students. The first campus was located at the William Robertson Coe Planting Fields Estate in Oyster Bay. The original premise behind the college was to provide education for those who wanted to be teachers in secondary schools in the fields of math and science.

In 1962, the University moved to its current location in Stony Brook, New York. The 400 acres of land was donated by Ward Melville (a philanthropist of the times). By the 1970s, with such as influx in enrollment, the campus continued its development to accommodate its growing population of students and educational programs.

Before the turn of the dawning of the new millennium, large campus revitalization took place. They renovated older buildings and started construction plans for new additions to the campus. Today, the Stony Brook campus has tripled in its size. They added in the more recent years the Charles B. Wang Asian American Center as well as new apartments and even renovated the Humanities building, one of the original buildings on campus. They continue to receive donations which make things like the Simons center for Physics and Geometry possible. The past 50 plus years has expanded the campus to over 1,000 acres and over 120 buildings.

Stony Brook University is located right in the middle of Long Island. It akes about one hour to get to New York City on the east side and one hour to get to the far west reaches of Montauk. Being such a large institution, the campus is split into several different areas: West Campus, East Campus and South Campus.

The West Campus: This is the main campus of Stony Brook. This is the site of its original beginnings. Most of this area are called residential quads. It is these quads that surround the academic buildings, the campus main library and the Student Activity Center. In the west campus you will also find Staller Center. This houses the largest movie screen in Suffolk County. There is also a sports complex which has the ability to allow over 5,000 people to participate in all sorts of activities.

The East Campus: This section of campus is dedicated to field of medicine and sciences. The largest hospital in all of Suffolk County, Stony Brook University Medical Center, is found here. Attached to it is the Health Sciences center and the Basic Science Tower. In these attachments you will find the medical school, laboratories and the Allied health programs.

The South Campus: Just past the Ashley Schiff Forest Preserve, you will find the smallest of the Stony Brook University Campuses. This is where you will find the School of Dental medicines, the Cody Center for Autism and developmental Disabilities and the Marine Sciences Research Center.

They also have smaller branches across Long Island. In Manhattan they opened up a facility in 2002 that allows students the opportunity for professional and graduate courses closer to where they work. More recently in 2006 Stony Brook University purchased Southampton College from LIU. They currently offer undergraduate degrees in many programs focusing on the environment and its needs. The Research and Development Campus in St. James, New York when completed will be another science park that will have 10 buildings dedicated to research and development. In 2008 the Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology will be completed and in 2009 the Advanced Energy research and Technology Center should be completed.

You can’t go wrong by choosing Stony Brook University. They offer over 100 undergraduate programs, over 100 masters programs and 40 doctoral programs to choose from. They also have over 30 graduate certificate programs to choose from. There is not another University around that offers so much for such a little price.

Degrees Offered: Bachelor's degree Postbaccalaureate certificate Master's degree Post-master's certificate Doctor's degree First-professional degree First-professional certificate

Other College Details: 4-year, Public Suburb: Large Housing on Campus: Yes