SUNY Cortland welcomes biggest first-year class in decades

08/29/2022 

SUNY Cortland will welcome nearly 1,400 first-year students in Fall 2022 — the university’s largest first-year class in 33 years and a major achievement given enrollment challenges facing higher education institutions across the country.

The university expects 1,384 first-year students, the most in the more than three decades first-year attendance has been tracked. More than 11,700 students applied for admission for the fall semester, which officially began Monday.

“This is an extraordinary milestone,” said SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum. “Students and their families realize that they can receive a world-class education at an affordable cost while enjoying the unique academic, athletic and social experience this university offers. SUNY Cortland is an amazing institution with faculty, staff and alumni who truly care about our students.”

Nationally, post-secondary enrollment declined 4.1% over a one-year span in 2022, according to National Student Clearinghouse data. Bitterbaum credited the efforts of the university’s Admissions Office, especially given challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation. 

Among the highlights that SUNY Cortland emphasizes in student recruitment:

• Nearly 70 academic majors span education, business, science, the humanities, performing arts and many in-demand professional fields.

• More than 85% of Cortland students pursue career readiness experiences such as internships, undergraduate research and field placements, supported by offices ranging from Career Services to Alumni Engagement.

• Recent construction upgrades have transformed the campus, creating new academic space, renovating residence halls and providing unique facilities, such as the university’s state-of-the-art Student Life Center.

• Forty-plus study abroad partnerships across six continents are managed through the university’s International Programs Office, in addition to hundreds more available through the SUNY system.

• Nearly 100 student clubs encompass academics, multicultural interests, social activities and service.

• A nationally-recognized Division III athletics powerhouse stands out as a source of Red Dragon pride, in addition to many sport clubs and intramurals offered through Recreational Sports.

• Advisement and Transition leads new student programs and offers academic decision-making support. Many other offices are dedicated to helping students succeed, including The Learning Center, Memorial Library, the Writing Center and the Disability Resources Office.

The majority of SUNY Cortland’s first-year class entering in Fall 2022 — more than 95% — comes from New York state, with 19 total states represented. The five most common New York counties represented included Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Onondaga and Orange.

In addition to 21 former high school class presidents and 19 vice presidents, SUNY Cortland’s newest students include five valedictorians and two salutatorians.

In 2021, the university placed No. 46 in the nation — the second-highest ranked SUNY comprehensive college — for service, social mobility and value, according to Washington Monthly, and recently earned recognition in the 2022 Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings.