Binghamton University is a public university in Vestal, New York, within Broome County, near the Binghamton metropolitan area but in a suburban setting, not downtown. The government classifies it among doctoral institutions with the highest research activity, and its most recent description lists it as a large, primarily residential four-year school: at the time of that measurement, between 25 and 49 out of every 100 undergraduates lived in housing owned, controlled, or affiliated with the institution. It is also listed among universities that enroll many transfer students and, based on its highest level of study, offers research doctorates. None of these labels tells you whether your child will be happy there. They tell you what kind of institution it is, so you can begin to place it on the map.
One more thing before moving on: Carnegie also classifies it among the universities with the most selective admissions. Being more selective does not mean teaching better. It describes whom the university lets in, not how well it teaches once students are inside. And if your child were to come here after studying at another school, you should know from the start that this institution enrolls many transfer students—that does not tell you how many credits they bring in or how many are lost along the way. Ask about that in writing before making the move.
Binghamton has none of the three designations the government tracks for institutions with a specific mission: it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this census, 138 have at least one of the three. Binghamton's absence from that list does not tell you which students it serves or how your child will feel on that campus. Ask directly which cultural centers and student organizations exist today.
If your child plans to live at home while studying here, do yourself a favor: drive the route on a weekday at the time your child would have class. The actual travel time is almost never what the map says.
A large community, and few Latinos within it
Let us start with the size and with who makes up this community, because both affect what studying here feels like.
Binghamton reported 18,456 enrolled students in the official fall count. It is a large school, in the range of 10,000 to 19,999 students, and compared with 519 similar selective public schools, it is on the larger side: between one and three out of every ten have more students. But that large number hides something important: it is divided into 14,409 undergraduate students and 4,047 graduate students. If your child is beginning an undergraduate degree, the number that really matters is 14,409, not the total. A substantial part of this school consists of people who have already completed one degree and returned for another.
Now for the question many Latino families ask first: how will my child feel here?
Of the undergraduate students reported in the fall of 2023, 13 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority. Compared with 519 similar selective public schools, Binghamton ranks above the midpoint of the group but below the highest quartile. That means some similar schools have less Latino representation, but many also have more. Put plainly: Latinos are few here. That does not remove the school from your child's list, but it does tell you what to ask during the visit—what is available for Latino students, whether there is a student group, a cultural center, or someone in the office who speaks Spanish.
It is worth saying something about that comparison: it is constructed by school type and control, not by state. It does not account for what part of the country the school is in, and that matters here. It also does not go down to the major level—it covers the entire school.
Other outlines of this community: there are almost no older students; only 2 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old. The undergraduate population is almost evenly divided between men and women, with women accounting for 53 out of every 100. And most first-time students, 83 out of every 100, already lived in New York State when they applied. If your family lives outside New York, your child would enter a campus where most new classmates are from the same state as the school—not yours.
How academics work
The academic calendar is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. In its official report, Binghamton said it accepts credit for AP exams, but it did not check the box for credit based on life experience. It also reports that it enrolls high school students in college courses for credit, though outside a formal dual-enrollment program, and that it accepts credit for military training.
Here is the fine print that truly matters: saying that the university accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every exam. It does not say how many points are required or how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits will count toward your child's specific major. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
As for the range of majors, Binghamton awarded 3,573 bachelor's degrees in one year, distributed across 20 distinct academic families. The largest was biological and biomedical sciences, with 21 out of every 100 degrees—no other family comes close, but it does not account for the majority either. Compared with 514 similar schools, Binghamton is in the quartile awarding the most degrees per year. It offers a broad range spread across many fields, although 20 reported families do not necessarily mean 20 complete majors: one family groups several programs, and some may report no degrees in that year. Verify the exact program that interests your child.
Regarding student-to-faculty size: Binghamton reports 18 students for every full-time-equivalent faculty member. That is a middle-range figure on the overall scale, but compared with 519 schools of the same type, it falls in the quartile with the highest ratio—in other words, among similar schools, there are relatively more students per faculty member here. Both readings are true at the same time. And be careful: this ratio does not tell you the actual size of first-year classes. It is an institutional average, not a classroom.
The institution also reports structured pathways: study abroad, a full evening or weekend program, and routes to teacher certification, including state approval for initial certification.
Admission here is not automatic
Binghamton does not have open admission. Of nine considerations it reviews, it marked five as required: the high school transcript, grade point average, personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. Put plainly: your child has to write here. The essay is required, not optional. Have your child start it during the summer, not the week of the deadline—the first draft is never the one that gets submitted. The undergraduate application costs $50.
How selective is it in practice? In the 2023 cycle, Binghamton received 49,513 first-time applications and offered admission to 18,683. That is 38 out of every 100. Compared with 519 similar selective public schools, Binghamton is among those admitting the smallest share: nine out of every ten schools in that group admitted a higher percentage of applicants. On the other side, 30,830 applicants were left without an offer. It is fine for Binghamton to be on your child's list. It should not be the only school on it.
Here is a fact many families do not expect: out of every 100 admitted students, only 17 ultimately enroll. The other 83 had an acceptance in hand and did not take it. That is a typical proportion among similar schools—neither high nor low. Do not read it as a mark against the school: the record does not say why each person chose what they chose. What others decided does not tell you what the school will offer you. What matters is your own letter, with the net price in it—that is what really determines whether the school stays on the list.
Regarding tests: the SAT and ACT are optional. Among enrolled students who did submit scores (47 out of every 100, one of the highest submission rates among 406 similar schools), the middle half scored between 660 and 730 in reading and writing, and between 660 and 760 in math. That range describes students who had already enrolled and submitted scores—it is not a minimum for admission or a guarantee of acceptance.
And regarding transfers: of the bachelor's-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, 16 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing here. Compared with similar schools, that departure rate is on the low side—fewer students leave than at most peer schools. At the same time, in the fall of 2023, 801 students arrived at Binghamton after previously studying at another institution—a high incoming count. Changing schools is not failing. But if your child transfers, either in or out, ask in writing which courses will count and which will not before the move.
The sticker price and what is actually paid
At Binghamton University, among 382 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $12,916. Among 224 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $21,832; among 598 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $28,008. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income and their own.
There is a difference of $15,092 between the average for the lowest-income band (382 students) and the average for the highest-income band (598 students). These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $18,860.
Among the 519 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, Binghamton falls within the most expensive quartile for the lowest-income families. That does not mean you should rule it out. It means you should request the financial aid letter before deciding.
Because the price varies so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The letter that governs is the financial aid letter you receive.
How it is paid: grants, loans, and what remains unknown
The good news first: 57 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received aid that does not have to be repaid—more than half, though not everyone. Compared with similar schools, that share falls in the quartile where grant or scholarship aid reaches fewer students; among those who did receive it, the average was $10,085 per year.
The Pell Grant, which is federal aid specifically for low-income families, reached 27 out of every 100 students. That is a smaller share than the share receiving aid overall—the difference may come from other sources of aid that the breakdown does not allow you to attribute directly to the school. When your letter arrives, separate it by hand into three piles: what does not have to be repaid, what must be repaid with interest, and what must be earned through work. Many letters mix them together in a single column, and that confusion costs families dearly.
Regarding loans: 41 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal loan in the 2022-23 year—more than two out of every ten, but less than half. Those who borrowed received an average of $6,473 that year. That is a typical share among similar schools, neither among those generating the most debt nor among those generating the least. This average covers only one year and only federal loans in the student's name—it does not include what parents borrow through Parent PLUS loans, bank debt, or credit card debt, and it is not the total debt with which someone graduates. That figure is not in this report. This percentage describes other families, not yours: what your child would need to borrow comes from your child's own letter, not from this average.
Binghamton also offers an installment tuition payment plan for those who prefer to spread the cost throughout the year instead of paying it all at once.
Campus life: housing, sports, library, and support
Binghamton has institution-owned housing, although not all first-time students are required to live there. It also offers meal plans, with the number of meals varying according to the selected plan. The reported maximum housing capacity is 7,586 students. The existence of rooms does not guarantee an available bed when your child needs one—ask in writing for the rate for that year, the application deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or students are placed on a waiting list.
For those considering ROTC, Binghamton reports an opportunity in two branches: Army and Air Force. The Navy branch is not marked. The fact that it is reported does not mean it is necessarily offered on this campus—ask directly before building a plan around it.
In sports, Binghamton competes in the NCAA, with teams reported in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field, among others. If your child wants to play here, the right approach is to write directly to the coach of the relevant sport and ask about a place on the team, the division, and athletic scholarships.
Regarding distance education: only 1 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes remotely; the other 99 took at least one class in person. Binghamton does not report a complete undergraduate program that can be taken entirely through distance education.
The library operates with paid staff, annual spending above $100,000, physical and digital materials, and interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee that databases specific to your child's major are available—ask about that by the name of the major.
Reported services include combined academic and career counseling, employment services for students, placement services upon program completion, on-campus child care, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military service members, a student veterans organization, and a services webpage for people with disabilities. The institution's reporting of these services does not indicate how accessible, good, or sufficient they are in practice—that must be confirmed in person.
Do they stay? Do they graduate?
Here we reach one of the most important questions a family can ask, and Binghamton's numbers are strong.
Of the cohort that entered in the fall of 2022, 88 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already completed the bachelor's degree one year later. Compared with 519 similar schools, Binghamton ranks near the top—it retains a larger share of students than most of its peers. This figure combines two different groups, those who remain enrolled and those who have already completed, without separating them, so a high result is not the same as a final graduation rate.
Regarding graduation: of the bachelor's-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, totaling 2,672 students, 84 out of every 100 had earned the degree within six years. At four years, the figure was already 77 out of every 100—only seven points lower than at six years, a small gap. Compared with 518 similar schools, Binghamton is among those graduating the largest share: nine out of every ten schools in that group reported an equal or lower proportion.
Of that same cohort of 2,672 students, 421 transferred without completing here, 9 remained enrolled without finishing as of the reporting cutoff, and 7 had no enrollment record. Transferring does not mean they did not graduate—it only means they did not do so at Binghamton within the measured period.
A high figure is not a promise for your child in particular. It is what happened to the cohort that entered in 2017. What is within your control, and your child's, is making sure your child arrives with credits in order and knows from the first semester who the academic advisor is and when registration opens for courses in the major.
One last figure, with a longer window: following a cohort that entered between 2015 and 2016, including full-time and part-time students, 83 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from Binghamton eight years later. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 80 out of every 100—five points below the group without Pell, a small gap. Compared with similar schools, Binghamton is among those graduating the largest share within eight years. Again: this describes an earlier cohort; it does not predict your child's path. It is worth asking about current support in the program and the outcomes of more recent cohorts.
What you now know, and what remains yours to decide
You now know in detail one important part of Binghamton University: a large, selective public university with a small Latino community within a larger undergraduate population, a high price especially for out-of-state students, aid that reaches more than half but not everyone, and graduation and retention outcomes that consistently rank among the strongest in its comparison group.
That does not tell you whether Binghamton is the right school for your child. That depends on two pieces this article cannot know: what your child wants to study and what your child has already built to get there, and what your family can and is willing to pay. Put those three pieces together and, for the first time, you will have a real plan—not a hunch, not a pretty name, but a plan made from numbers you understand and decisions you made in time. That is what you are responsible for steering through this stretch of the road: the deadline, the financial aid letter, the right question before signing. What belongs to your child—the career being pursued, the effort being made, the life beginning to take shape—remains entirely your child's own.
Source note: the information in this article comes from official data reported to IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and published by the United States Department of Education, corresponding primarily to the years 2022-23 and 2023-24, with some measures from earlier cohorts as indicated in the text. Best College Aid does not represent Binghamton University or the United States government; this piece is informational and does not constitute personalized admissions advice.