Empire State College was founded in 1971 and it is a part of the State University of New York. It is one of its 13 colleges of arts and sciences. The College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The main goal of this educational establishment is to serve adults pursuing associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Students can choose affordable, SUNY degrees onsite at 35 locations in New York state and abroad, as well as entirely online.

As a leader in distance education, it offers a flexible blend of study options, personal guidance from a faculty mentor, and the opportunity to tailor students' degree program. They can study online, on the road, or in person, but the College makes getting their degree possible.

The College allows a student to choose how, when and where he or she will study. When students take courses at Empire State College, they are among the 18,000 adult learners served annually by the college.

Empire State College offers affordable SUNY tuition, degrees that can be tailored to meet the education, career and personal goals; a clear process for assessing and awarding credit for college-level learning from the work and life experience; an independent study program, guided by outstanding SUNY faculty mentors, that allows an individual to study at his/her convenience; student online library and study resources.

The online degree programs are industry leaders with more than 300 courses available. And 57,000 graduates of the College are proud that their degrees are current, relevant and marketable, often leading to promotions, new employment or master’s degree studies.

The College offers many state and federal financial aid programs, as well as college scholarship and grant programs for students working towards a degree. It is important for students to make sure to submit their applications at least 12 weeks before their anticipated start date. This is because the financial aid process can take several months to complete. 

They also can apply for credit for prior college-level learning and experience. Most of the students have already earned college credit, so, it is easy to transfer and apply them toward a degree.

The tuition rates are among the lowest in the region and that’s why, students often pay hundreds less than private institutions and receive a highly respected SUNY degree.