SUNY Oswego at a Glance

Come and explore our lakeside learning community. Nestled on nearly 700 scenic acres along the shore of Lake Ontario, the Oswego campus offers magnificent lake views year round.

Oswego is a comprehensive public college with 155 years of history and tradition. Nearly 8,000 students are enrolled in its more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs.

Oswego has earned a reputation for quality. Princeton Review annually ranks Oswego among “The Best Northeastern Colleges,” and U.S. News rates Oswego as one of 15 best public campuses in the Northern region.

The undergraduate academic program is built around a required core of courses that focus on fundamental skills (writing, critical thinking, computer literacy) as well as the broad perspective (human diversity, the arts and sciences) that students need for lifelong success. Among the undergraduate major and minor programs available are many that point directly to careers. Alternatively, students can major in a traditional liberal arts and sciences discipline and supplement studies with courses from career-oriented programs like public relations or international business. A supportive faculty helps students meet the academic demands so that they can join the ranks of our graduates who have found success in business, education, law, medicine, public service, and other fields.

Among the more than 340 full-time faculty at Oswego 60 are are grant recipients for research from such agencies as the Sloan Foundation, the Fulbright Scholars Program and the National Science Foundation. The State University of New York has honored dozens of Oswego professors for excellence in teaching.

Faculty strive for quality classroom instruction and individualized attention whenever possible.

The effective student-faculty ratio is 17:1. About 88 percent of the full-time teaching faculty hold doctoral degrees or the terminal degree in their fields.

Students benefit from daily contact with these scholars, who often share their research interests with them. Each year at Quest, Oswego’s forum for scholarly and creative activities, many faculty and students present their research.

Oswego provides information to the campus community and the world through its World Wide Web site, www.oswego.edu.

Most undergraduate students are between 18 and 25, are studying full-time toward a degree, and live in campus residence halls. The ratio of men to women is close to 50 to 50. Students come from every county in New York as well as from 31 other states and approximately 23 foreign countries.

They arrive well prepared for college study. Students entering as freshmen have earned an average grade of 90 in high school. About 53 percent have graduated in the top quarter of their class and 86 percent in the top half. Average SAT scores total about 1100. The academic records of transfer students are equally impressive; typically transfer students have earned a B average or better in their previous college work.

SUNY Oswego is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. All programs in Liberal Arts and Sciences, Business, Communication Media and the Arts, and Education have been approved and registered by the New York State Education Department.

The School of Education at SUNY Oswego is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE); this accreditation covers initial teacher preparation programs and advanced educator preparation programs.

All School of Business undergraduate and graduate programs are accredited by AACSB International, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The Human Resource Management program is endorsed by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).

The Department of Chemistry is accredited by the American Chemical Society (ACS) in both the chemistry and biochemistry tracks.

The Department of Art is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The Department of Music is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music Curriculum (NASM). The Department of Theatre is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST).

The Department of Technology is accredited by the International Technology Education Association/Council for Technical Teacher Education (ITEA/CTTE).

Originally founded in 1861 as the Oswego Normal School, the institution became the Oswego State Teachers College and entered into the State University system in 1948.While maintaining its high standards as a center for teacher education, Oswego began to broaden its academic perspective in 1962 when it became one of the colleges of arts and science. Collectively, these institutions became the University Colleges of the State University of New York. Oswego abounds with tradition. Theodore Roosevelt unveiled the statue of Edward Austin Sheldon, the college’s founder. Franklin Delano Roosevelt laid the cornerstone for Park Hall. The Iroquois Confederacy and the lore of James Fenimore Cooper are recalled in names of some other campus landmarks.

SUNY Oswego continues to rate among the best colleges in the country for excellence and educational value. Our college consists of diverse, accomplished and caring faculty and staff; over 60 baccalaureate degree programs; an effective career planning and placement center; and a stimulating residential community. We’re proud to have you as a student and future graduate of our college. The Oswego Guarantee is our partnership with you on your journey through college. We want you to earn your bachelor’s degree at Oswego and are committed to working together with you toward achieving this goal. Therefore, we make the following promise to you:

WE GUARANTEE that the necessary classes will be available to complete a baccalaureate degree in four consecutive academic years of full-time study. If you meet the academic expectations described below and cannot graduate after four years because of course unavailability, the college will enroll you in the remaining course or courses necessary to meet graduation requirements tuition-free.

WE GUARANTEE continued availability of small classes because we believe that small classes offer the greatest opportunity for discussion and interaction between faculty and students. More than 94 percent of all classes offered at Oswego enroll fewer than 50 students. In fact, approximately 56 percent of the classes offered at Oswego enroll fewer than 20 students.

WE GUARANTEE no increase in the cost of room or meal plans for four consecutive academic years. For you and your family, this means the major portion of the cost of a residential education will remain constant for four years.

The Oswego Graduation Return on Investment (ROI)

We guarantee that SUNY Oswego will provide a $300 Graduation Return on Investment (ROI) if, you enter Oswego in the fall semester as a freshman and earn your baccalaureate degree in four consecutive years or less.

The Oswego graduation ROI is our commitment to your future, and it is recognition of your hard work and determination; it’s our way of helping you begin the next leg of your journey. The Graduation ROI is intended to help propel you forward – whether it is traveling to a job interview, offsetting the cost of graduate school or even contributing to a down payment on a first car or apartment.

To qualify for the Oswego Guarantee and Graduation ROI, you must enroll in the fall term as a full-time freshman, declare a major no later than your fourth semester, meet with an academic advisor at least once a semester to verify you are still on course to graduate within four years, fulfill the major and college requirements as described in the college catalog and graduate with a baccalaureate degree in four consecutive years or less. 

For additional information visit: www.oswego.edu/guarantee

Catalog Disclaimer: Notwithstanding anything contained in this Catalog, SUNY Oswego expressly reserves the right, whenever it deems advisable (1) to change or modify its schedule of tuition and fees, (2) to withdraw, cancel, reschedule or modify any course, program of study, degree, or any requirement or policy in connection with the foregoing, and (3) to change or modify any academic or other policy. Please be advised that, due to printing deadlines, information contained in this Catalog may be outdated. Changes in information contained in this Catalog and new academic regulations, policies, or programs will be published on the College’s website. It is the responsibility of each student to ascertain current information that pertains to the individual’s program, particularly with regard to satisfaction of degree requirements, through frequent reference to the website and by consultation with the student’s advisor, the office of the student’s dean and other offices as appropriate (such as the Registrar or Financial Aid). In preparing this Catalog, efforts are made to provide pertinent and accurate information; however, Oswego assumes no liability for Catalog errors or omissions.

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies”, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and Internet usage.  Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.