


SUNY Cortland is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Institutional accreditation evaluates the university as a whole; it is distinct from any approval or specialized accreditation that may apply to an individual degree program.
Accreditation matters because it is one condition associated with participation in federal student-aid programs. It can also matter when students seek to transfer credits or apply to graduate school, although another institution decides which credits it will accept. Students considering teaching, health, or another licensed profession should separately check the program's current approval and the licensing rules in the state where they intend to work. Institutional accreditation alone does not grant a professional license.
First-year applicants to SUNY Cortland generally apply through the SUNY Application or Common Application and submit an official secondary-school record. The university does not have open admission: recent first-year admissions figures show about 10,505 students admitted from 17,571 applicants, an acceptance rate of roughly 60%.
Admissions information also identifies recommendations as required. School performance and the courses an applicant has taken are part of the review; an applicant should not interpret the absence of a universal published GPA cutoff as a promise of admission. Students completing high school through an equivalency credential should confirm which records establish their eligibility.
SAT and ACT scores are not a general requirement. For context, among enrolled students whose scores were reported, the median SAT composite was 1165 and the median ACT composite was 25; these figures are not minimum scores or a prediction of an individual decision. International applicants should review the university's current English-proficiency and credential instructions, and applicants to specialized programs should check for additional requirements. Application dates and document deadlines can differ by entry term and applicant category.
The standard undergraduate application fee reported for SUNY Cortland is $50. This is an application charge, not a tuition payment or an enrollment deposit.
Eligible applicants may be able to obtain a fee waiver through SUNY, the Common Application, or another applicable waiver pathway. Eligibility and the way a waiver is requested depend on the application used; applicants should complete the waiver portion of that application before submitting it and paying a fee. Transfer and graduate applicants should check the fee and waiver instructions for their own application route rather than assuming the first-year process applies to them.
Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC opportunities are identified through cooperating host institutions, not as ROTC units operated directly by SUNY Cortland. A student interested in either branch should establish which host program accepts Cortland students and how travel, course registration, and scheduling work before relying on ROTC in a semester plan.
ROTC participation, scholarship selection, and commissioning are separate decisions. Eligibility can involve citizenship, academic standing, medical or fitness standards, and an eventual service commitment; joining a class does not by itself mean a student has received a scholarship. Applicants should discuss branch-specific requirements with the host ROTC program and coordinate any participating coursework with SUNY Cortland.
SUNY Cortland accepts transfer applicants for fall and spring entry and generally considers college credit earned at other accredited institutions. Transfer admission and transfer-credit acceptance are separate decisions: being admitted does not mean every previous course will satisfy a requirement in the chosen major.
Applicants should expect to provide official transcripts from every college attended and should check whether a high school record is needed for their circumstances. The competitiveness of an application may depend on completed coursework, college grades, available space, and the intended program. Education and other sequenced majors can require particular prerequisites or additional review.
Before enrolling, a transfer student should seek an official evaluation showing how courses apply to general education, major requirements, and electives. SUNY transfer pathways and course-equivalency information can help with preliminary planning, but an unofficial match is not a final degree audit. Students should also confirm SUNY Cortland's residency requirements - the credits that must be completed through Cortland to earn its degree.
SUNY Cortland students can explore study-abroad options through international-program advising, including opportunities within the wider SUNY system. Depending on the offering, study may take place during a semester, a full academic year, or a shorter term.
The most consequential step is academic approval before departure. Students should establish which courses will count toward their major, general education requirements, or electives, and whether a program will affect the sequence of required classes. Program charges, housing, travel, scholarships, and the treatment of financial aid can differ substantially. A SUNY-wide or partner program should not be assumed to have the same costs or credit arrangements as a program administered directly by Cortland.
13% of admitted students enrolled (1,394 of 10,505)
Application fee
$50Early Decision
NoEarly Action
Yes, deadline November 15Median composite SAT score
1165Median composite ACT score
25High school completions
General Educational Development (GED) requiredSecondary school GPA
Considered but not requiredSecondary school rank
Considered but not requiredSecondary school record
RequiredCompletion of college-preparatory program
Considered but not requiredRecommendations
RequiredFormal demonstration of competencies
Neither required nor recommendedAdmission test scores
Neither required nor recommendedTOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language
Considered but not requiredOther Test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.)
Neither required nor recommendedOpen admission policy
NoDual credit
NoCredit for life experiences
NoAdvanced placement (AP) credits
YesOrientation program
YesDisabilities services
YesROTC-Army
ROTC branch unit at a cooperating host institutionROTC-Air Force
ROTC branch unit at a cooperating host institutionStudy abroad
YesStudent can complete their preparation in certain areas of specialization
YesPreparation at another institution required
NoApproved by the state for initial certification or licensure of teacher
YesAccept ACE recommendation for credit
YesPossible transfer
Fall, SpringData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.