State University of New York - University at Albany (UAlbany)

At the University at Albany, you'll find top-ranked academic programs, immersive hands-on experiences and diverse perspectives, ready to help you unleash your potential and become the better-world builder you've always wanted to be.

UAlbany has a rich history dating back more than 180 years, starting as a "normal school" founded to train teachers. We evolved over time with new curricula and four-year programs, eventually transforming into a major public research university.

Today, the University at Albany is one of four University Centers in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. As a Research 1 institution dedicated to future-facing programing, we provide our 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students with ample opportunities to work alongside top-ranked faculty in scholarship and major research pursuits across a wide range of disciplines. In fact, at UAlbany interdisciplinary collaboration and research in the interest of the public good are common pursuits for most of our students.

While UAlbany offers the resources of a large university with Research 1 status, we're also known for our close-knit, nurturing community—a proven combination that helps our students be the author of their own success.

UAlbany students have more than 250 clubs and organizations to choose from, with a wide range of interests and affiliations represented. More than 60 of these are identity-based groups, and over 22 of them are identity-based Greek Life organizations or fraternities and sororities. Students will also find clubs focused on public service, religion, recreation, pre-professional interests, culture, arts, academics, media, politics and more.

And whether you are an athlete yourself or simply enjoy watching sports and cheering on fellow Great Danes, UAlbany has 19 NCAA Division I athletics teams, 30 Club Sports teams and over 20 Intramural Sports activities each year.

"Diversity is not just respected but it is honored and appreciated" among the "inquisitive and hard-working" population of UAlbany, who find that it "enriches academic discourse, fosters cultural understanding, and prepares students for a globalized world." There are multiple resources for various student groups on campus, "like the women's resource center, the interfaith center, the multicultural resource center, and the gender and sexuality resource center," furthering an environment where "every individual has a safe space to truly express themselves to their fullest extent." If there's one understandably typical trait, it's that there are "a lot of people from all over the state of New York." Students are highly active and "spend time outside of class studying but always leave room for some fun"; you can "always see other students participating in bake sales, fundraisers, events, and displaying school spirit at sports games or in everyday campus life." On the whole, students present "a strong welcoming ambiance" and "there are always events going on hosted by students to engage with peers."

One of the best things about this "very social school" is that "there is always something to do and truly never a dull moment." The "beautiful campus that's easy to get around" is great, as it gives individuals or the many people with "big friend groups they spend their time with" (or the organizations they're involved with) plenty of places to work or hang, or to "go to the gym or sporting events, play volleyball, basketball, or soccer at the outdoor courts." Over the weekend, students add that "nightlife is a very big thing at the school," as are visits to the state capital of Albany, which "is huge and there are so many different places to go and explore (coffee shops, tons of street festivals and flea markets, art shows, lots of food options)." Explorative students also call out "all the historical places nearby," not to mention opportunities for winter skiing and snowboarding in the Adirondacks.