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SUNY College at Potsdam
Most applicants get into SUNY College at Potsdam — 77.7% were admitted — so the real questions are cost, fit and outcomes, covered below.
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SUNY College at Potsdam anchors the college town of Potsdam, NY, where the public campus and town largely share a footprint.
Its highest-earning path is Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, where graduates median $62,004 four years out. Faculty pay averages $88,596 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 1,823 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 77.7% of first-years come back for a second year.
The numbers above and the majors table below tell the measurable half of that story.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, SUNY College at Potsdam received 3,905 applications and admitted 3,338 (85.5%), with 430 enrolling.
How SUNY College at Potsdam compares
| SUNY College at Potsdam | New York median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 77.7% | 70.1% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $8,768 | $17,408 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $47,866 | $60,236 | $53,781 |
Ten years out, SUNY College at Potsdam's median earnings are $47,866 — below the New York benchmark of $60,236. Weigh that against the $8,768 price above; the by-major table shows majors drive much of this gap.
Cost, size & completion
As a public university, SUNY College at Potsdam prices by residency: $8,768 in-state versus $18,678 out-of-state — a $9,910 gap that makes state lines part of the decision.
With 1,823 undergraduates, SUNY College at Potsdam is small enough that class size and faculty access are structural, not marketing claims.
45.3% graduate within six years. Roughly 55% don't — ask a SUNY College at Potsdam tour guide what happens to them and watch the answer carefully.
Top majors by earnings at SUNY College at Potsdam
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $62,004 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $57,949 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $57,066 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $53,834 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $53,597 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | $52,583 |
| Sociology | $51,086 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $50,659 |
| Biology, General | $49,725 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $48,920 |
| Psychology, General | $48,601 |
| History | $45,234 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $43,686 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $38,562 |
| Music | $36,677 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | $33,743 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $33,581 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $30,688 |
Median earnings for these 18 SUNY College at Potsdam programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $47,866 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 26 additional SUNY College at Potsdam programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What is SUNY College at Potsdam's acceptance rate?
85.5% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 3,338 admitted from 3,905 applicants.
How much does SUNY College at Potsdam cost?
In-state tuition is $8,768; out-of-state students pay $18,678. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do SUNY College at Potsdam graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $47,866 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in New York
- State University of New York at Oswego — 80.5% admitted
- SUNY Oneonta — 69.6% admitted
- SUNY at Purchase College — 74.1% admitted
- State University of New York at New Paltz — 61.6% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.