SUNY Fredonia

suny fredonia niche

Small, Student-Centered College Courses at SUNY Fredonia

SUNY Fredonia appears in our ranking of 50 Great Affordable Colleges in the Northeast.

Named Washington Monthly’s 105th best value, Fredonia State College is a public, coed SUNY liberal arts school serving Western New York with 76 bachelor’s, 12 master’s, and two certificate options at an 11:1 student-teacher ratio for 66.9 percent on-time graduation. For example, the Music Therapy B.S. follows a 123-credit, NASM-accredited plan outlined by Dr. Melvin Unger to produce Board Certified Music Therapists after King Concert Hall recitals, Wind Ensemble practice, and six-month internships like Spectrum Creative Arts. Chaired by Dr. Justin Conroy, the 120-credit Earth Sciences B.S. lets undergrads conduct Jewett Hall Lab research, attend Geology Field Camp, intern with the National Park Service, travel from China to Cyprus, and join Chautauqua Garden Club.

Since Fall 2015, the College of Education led by Dr. Christine Givner has granted a 36-credit, CAEP-accredited Literacy M.S.Ed. for initially certified New York teachers with hybrid 500-level courses like Multicultural Children’s Literature partly on Blackboard plus 100-hour practica, such as Wheelock Primary. Directed by Dr. Cheryl Drout, the Speech-Language Pathology builds a 62-credit, four-term sequence for ASHA certification with hands-on experience in Youngerman Center, 375 hours of off-campus practicum, and a capstone project.

Other Fredonia degrees include the Acting B.F.A., Criminal Justice B.A., Industrial Management B.A., Journalism B.A., Physics B.S., Social Work B.S., Video Production B.S., Collaborative Piano M.M., Biology M.S., and Inclusive Education M.S.Ed.

About SUNY Fredonia

SUNY Fredonia originated on October 4, 1826, when New York’s seventh oldest school called Fredonia Academy was opened for 81 male and 55 female students by Mr. Austin Smith. In December 1867, it became the New York State Normal School and waived tuition for future teachers. By 1930, the Normal acquired 58 acres to begin building its permanent Chautauqua County home. In 1942, Governor Herbert Lehman signed the Feinberg Law renaming it the New York State Teacher College. On March 13, 1948, it joined the new State University of New York system. One decade later, the Division of Humanities was added to broaden curriculum. In 1968, AIA Gold Medal-winning architect I.M. Pei designed the Central Avenue Complex. During the early 1970s, Thompson Hall was erected as SUNY Fredonia’s largest building. In 1984, Fredonia State launched one of the first Sound Recording Technology B.S. degrees.

Endowed for $31.1 million, SUNY Fredonia now employs 443 faculty teaching 4,657 Blue Devils from 18 states and nine countries online or face-to-face near the Lake Erie shoreline with 170+ clubs like the Society for Professional Journalists. In 2014, Fredonia won the inaugural SUNY Shared Governance Award. In 2009, The Leader accepted two New York Press Association Awards. Its School of Music received the 2007 AIA Buffalo/Western New York Merit Award for Mason Hall too. The U.S. News & World Report declared SUNY Fredonia the 163rd best speech-pathology school. On Niche, Fredonia boasts America’s 46th best music degrees, 267th top public education, and 356th best teacher programs. CollegeNET placed Fredonia State 78th for opportunity on its Social Mobility Index. College Factual noticed SUNY Fredonia for the 154th best biology, 36th top communications, and 122nd best history value.

SUNY Fredonia Accreditation Details

On November 19, 2015, SUNY Fredonia sent the Fifth-Year Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Board of Trustees to successfully extend the Level III accreditation through the 2019-20 review under its 13th president, Dr. Virginia Schaefer Horvath, who earned the Poets’ League of Greater Cleveland Poetry Award. Located 377 miles southeast via Interstate 80 in Philadelphia, this special six-state Mid-Atlantic Region accreditor is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and New York State Education Department. The Academic Affairs Office also lists these degree accreditations:

  • National Association of Schools of Art and Design
  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
  • National Association of Schools of Theatre
  • Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
  • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
  • National Association of Schools of Music
  • Council on Social Work Education Office of Accreditation

SUNY Fredonia Application Requirements

Starting at SUNY Fredonia is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s because just 4,711 of the 6,183 Fall 2017 applicants were selected for 76 percent acceptance. First-year Blue Devils should rank in the top half of graduating high school classes with 16+ college-prep academic units. The Educational Development Program will consider GED recipients with 2250 or better scores. Freshmen present a mean 3.3 GPA or 90 average. The middle 50th percentile earn SAT scores of 450-570 on Reading and 450-550 on Math. Mid-range ACT composite marks are 21-26. Competitive transfers will have 30-75 accredited college credits at minimum 2.5 GPAs. The Communication Disorders & Sciences B.S. mandates at least 3.0 GPAs. Global learners need 79 TOEFL, 6.5 IELTS, 53 PTE, or 176 Cambridge English Advanced scores. Each master’s program stipulates four years of postsecondary education at GPAs over 3.0. The Education M.S.Ed. seeks New York State certification plus a 272 GRE General Test minimum.

SUNY Fredonia set priority undergrad deadlines of March 1st for Fall or November 1st for Spring. For Early Decision, freshmen must apply by November 15th. The Office of Graduate Studies has rolling admission until April 1st and November 1st. Only the Speech-Language Pathology M.S. requires a February 1st deadline. Master of Music cohorts must audition by March 28th. Accordingly, complete the $50 ($75 if graduate) SUNY or Common Application online. Forward official transcripts to Fenner House at 178 Central Avenue in Fredonia, NY 14063. For testing results, use Fredonia’s 2539 SAT/TOEFL or 2934 ACT code. Supplemental materials might include the proof of graduation, financial statement form, passport, 1-3 references, 500-word autobiography, and resume or CV. Contact (800) 252-1212 or [email protected] with questions.

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2018-19, SUNY Fredonia billed full-time New York State undergrads $4,244 by term or $8,488 annually. Non-resident bachelor’s tuition was $9,134 each semester or $18,268 each year. Studying part-time incurred $353 to $761 per credit. Support service and activity fees totaled $1,619 yearly. Residing at the Greater Buffalo campus’ dorms like Kasling Hall added $3,750 for semester rent. Standard meal plans for Erie Dining Center were $2,565 extra. Fredonia budgeted $1,200 for books and $1,624 for miscellaneous. Annual undergrad attendance equaled $23,902 in-state and $33,682 out-of-state. The Office of Graduate Studies priced master’s tuition at $462 for New Yorkers and $944 for non-residents per credit. Full-time grads expect paying $11,090 to $22,650 per year with $1,618 in fees.

The National Center for Education Statistics reported that the Financial Aid Office in Maytum Hall Room 209 connects 72 percent of full-time SUNY Fredonia Blue Devils to median assistance of $6,438 each or $20.20 million combined. Collegiate programs include the James Kaminski Scholarship, Kelly Family Scholarship, Baross-Clothier Scholarship, Doris Newman Memorial Scholarship, John Saulitis Friends Scholarship, Mac Nelson Scholarship, Merrins Szekely Arts Scholarship, Bennett Accounting Scholarship, and Maureen Fries Scholarship. The President’s Award of Excellence gifts $3,000 each year to outstanding freshmen meeting the 1080 SAT or 22 ACT minimum. The $5,000 Out-of-State Scholar Award supports full-time transfers achieving a 2.8 GPA or better. FAFSA applications coded 002844 determine federal aid, such as the Pell Grant and Teach Grant, eligibility. New Yorkers can also benefit from the Excelsior Scholarship, Tuition Assistance Program, STEM Incentive Scholarship, Master’s in Education Teacher Scholarship, and others.

Explore the four accredited colleges granting 85+ degrees ranked 50th regionally by the U.S. News & World Report at the SUNY Fredonia website.