Stony Brook University was recognized on May 8 for its success in promoting economic mobility among students, especially those from low-income and first-generation backgrounds, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The recognition highlights the university’s role as a leading and affordable public institution. Roland Fryer, professor of economics at Harvard University and founder of Equal Opportunity Ventures, wrote in a May 6 opinion piece that Stony Brook pairs high access for low-income students with strong success rates. He noted that the university achieves a mobility rate of 8.4 percent, representing the proportion of students who move from the bottom fifth to the top fifth of income distribution.
“The point isn’t that every private college underperforms every public college,” Fryer said. “It is that upward mobility is available, at scale, outside the prestige hierarchy and often at much lower prices.”
Fryer also discussed trends affecting higher education nationwide, including an increase in private college closures and what he called a broader “market correction.” He said more families are focusing on affordability and outcomes when choosing colleges.
At her April 18 investiture ceremony, Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith said that forty percent of Stony Brook students are first-generation college graduates and more than forty percent qualify for federal Pell Grants. “For these students, and all our students, a Stony Brook education doesn’t just transform their lives, it also reshapes what is possible for their families and their communities,” Goldsmith said.
Stony Brook University is part of the State University of New York system. It is ranked number one among New York’s public universities and holds membership in the Association of American Universities.
