Admission shall be without regard to sex, age, race and ethnicity, color, religion, disability, national origin, sexual orientation, military status or marital status. The two principal requirements for admission as an undergraduate are:

• Possession of a regionally accredited high school diploma or its equivalent.
• The ability of Empire State University to meet the applicant’s explicit and implicit educational needs and objectives.

Although the majority of applicants to the university are admitted, the university reserves the right to deny admission based on its inability to meet an applicant’s needs. An applicant wishing to secure certain professional licensures or certificates may be denied admission because the university does not offer such programs. Empire State University does not use standardized test scores as part of its application for admissions. You can apply online.

Undergraduate Admissions Procedures

Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. All application materials including all previous college transcripts must be received before the deadline to guarantee review of your application for your term of choice. Once your application is complete, if space is not available for that term, you will be eligible to enroll in the next available term.

The university has a three-term academic calendar with overlapping eight-week Express Terms each fall, spring and summer.  Application deadlines for each of the terms follows.

Undergraduate Admissions Application Deadlines

Term	Application Deadlines
Fall 2026	August 7
Fall 2026 Express Term Two	October 2
Spring 2027	December 4
Spring 2027 Express Term Two	January 29
Summer 2027	April 16
Summer 2027 Express Term Two	May 21

Application deadlines do change from term to term. Please visit the admissions web page for the most current deadlines.

Some programs may not be able to accommodate all students. Potential students are, therefore, urged to apply well in advance of their desired enrollment term date. Applicants who do not complete the application and orientation process in one year will need to reapply.

Orientation

After applicants have been admitted, they will be auto enrolled in orientation. Orientation is an important introduction to the university that prepares a newly admitted student for their first term. Orientation includes:

• Various ways to study at SUNY Empire;
• What a mentor is and how mentorship works;
• How to plan and pay for a university degree;
• Rights and responsibilities as a student; and
• Provides supports and resources available to students.

Readmission Procedures

Students in good academic and financial standing who have previously attended the university may re-enroll at their location up to three calendar years from the date on which their last enrollment ended. Students who wish to re-enroll more than three years after their last enrollment must reapply. Reapplication includes paying the nonrefundable $50 orientation fee, submitting proof of regionally accredited high school completion and resubmitting transcripts from previous institutions.

Nonmatriculated Undergraduate Students

Resources and space permitting, the university allows students to enroll in credit bearing studies or courses as nonmatriculated students. Financial aid is not available for nonmatriculated study. Also, students who ultimately wish to earn a degree from SUNY Empire are advised to limit nonmatriculated study, as the studies may not be appropriate to a future degree program.

To take courses as a nondegree or nonmatriculated student, please fill out the application for nondegree study.

State Authorization for the Provision of Online Education

Federal regulations require that colleges and universities that participate in Title IV funding and offer degree programming through distance or online education to students in other states, must seek approval from those states to offer such programs.

Empire State University is working to comply with each state’s regulations and to maintain the necessary authorizations to continue providing our online degree programs. As a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), SUNY Empire is authorized to offer its online degree programs to residents of all other NC-SARA participating states. A complete list of states that are participants of NC-SARA can be found on their website.

If a state or U.S. territory is not participating in NC-SARA, please visit our State Authorization for the Provision of Online Education web page to check on the status of Empire State University’s authorization in your state of residence. All states are considered “registration approved” unless listed otherwise. If your state is not currently approved, we cannot accept your application for admission to an online degree program at this time.

Complaint Resolution

Student Complaints Regarding Distance Learning

SUNY Empire, as a provider of distance or online education, is required by the United States Department of Education to provide all prospective and current out-of-state students with contact information for the appropriate agency in their home state that handles complaints against institutions offering distance learning within that state.

SUNY Empire is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and follows the complaint resolution policies and procedures outlined within the SARA Policy Manual and summarized here. SARA is a voluntary agreement among its member states that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. The purpose of SARA is to make it less challenging for students to take online courses and programs offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state.   Consumer protection complaints resulting from distance education courses, activities, and operations may be submitted to studentsuccess@sunyempire.edu for investigation and resolution. If a student is dissatisfied with the campus-based resolution, a concern may be submitted to System Administration of the State University of New York as outlined under Student Concerns. And, if still not satisfied, a complaint may be submitted within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the New York State Education Department as outlined in Filing a Complaint About a College or University.  Please note, this does not include complaints related to grades or student conduct violations, both of which are to be fully addressed via campus processes, not through the NC-SARA complaint resolution procedures.  

International Student Services

Students who wish to pursue studies in a classroom-based format, may be able to do so at one of our international locations.  

Students who wish to travel to the U.S. to study should see other State University of New York options on the SUNY Web site.

Students can earn a degree with Empire State University from wherever they live in the world, entirely online. To learn more, please visit SUNY Empire for more information. 

For international student questions, please contact the Center for International Education at international@sunyempire.edu or toll free at 800-847-3000.

For regular admissions requirements visit the Admissions Requirements web page. 

To Find Out More

You can obtain information about the university in a number of ways:

• Information about online information sessions and phone information sessions are available by calling 1Stop Student Services at 800-847-3000.
• Visit the university’s website.
• Request information by writing to:
  Admissions
  Empire State University
  113 West Ave.
  Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-6069
  or calling:
  800-847-3000
  or email us at:
  Admissions@sunyempire.edu

To Apply Online

To apply, visit the university’s admissions web page.