Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Cost is resident tuition plus required fees, 2023-24.
Bachelor's Degrees in New York
8
Meet the Ranking Threshold
6
Median Resident Tuition and Fees
$8,848
General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in New York
Six general studies bachelor's degrees in New York meet the ranking threshold and 2 more sit below it, and five of the six ranked programs are SUNY campuses charging $8,379 to $8,881 a year in resident tuition and required fees for 2023-24. The sixth is Cornell University in Ithaca at $66,014, so price is nearly flat across the public options.
SUNY New Paltz's Bachelor of Arts in General Studies has the top score at 76.9, fifth in the national bachelor's ranking, on a 72% graduation rate, the highest among the SUNY programs, and 32 degrees a year at $8,524. SUNY Cortland's Bachelor of Science in Integrated Studies is second at 75.3 and ranks 11th nationally, graduating 68% on 41 degrees a year at $8,815. SUNY Plattsburgh scores 60.1 with a 59% graduation rate. SUNY Old Westbury scores 52.3 on a 45% graduation rate at $8,379, the lowest price on the list. Cornell scores 50.4: its 95% graduation rate is the highest on the list, but it awards 18 degrees a year at $66,014. SUNY Buffalo State awards the most degrees, 76 a year, at a 33% graduation rate and scores 46.2.
Graduation rates across the ranked programs run from 95% at Cornell and 72% at New Paltz down to 33% at Buffalo State, and tuition and fees from $8,379 at Old Westbury to $66,014 at Cornell. Below the threshold, Roberts Wesleyan University charges $37,380 and graduates 67%, and Mercy University charges $22,106 and graduates 46%.
The 6 Best General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in New York
The best general studies bachelor's degrees in New York are ranked below by their national score, from the national bachelor's degree ranking. The number on each card is the program's place in New York. Each needed at least 10 graduates in the latest year to be ranked.
1
State University of New York at New Paltz
Bachelor of Arts in General Studies
New York
76.9- Public
- College graduation rate
- 72%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $8,524 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 32
About the Program
Three focus areas, not a single major, make up the center of this degree. You choose three of seven focus areas and complete 15 credits in each, for 45 credits. The seven are Literature & Writing, Social Sciences, Global Studies, United States Studies, Fine & Performing Arts, Environmental Literacy and General Business. Be clear on the last of those, because the General Business focus area is not a business degree and shouldn't be confused with the BS General Business major.
The degree includes a portfolio of your own work. That portfolio is completed by a recorded presentation in the one-credit capstone, the Senior Portfolio Project. Grades count along the way, because a course needs a C- or better to count toward the General Studies major.
Admission is for people who have earned at least 60 college credits with a 2.5 GPA, so this is a degree-completion program and not a starting point. The Bachelor of Arts in General Studies was designed for those whose original path to a degree was interrupted or redirected. You can complete it through seated, hybrid or fully online coursework, and a General Studies Program Advisor works with you on advising and registration.
2
State University of New York at Cortland
Bachelor of Science in Integrated Studies
New York
75.3- Public
- College graduation rate
- 68%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $8,815 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 41
About the Program
Integrated Studies courses don't meet at a set hour. Integrated Studies courses run online and asynchronously, which means all classwork happens online with no regularly scheduled meeting times. The Bachelor of Science in Integrated Studies is designed for people who have already earned credits, up to an associate degree, or who want prior learning counted for credit, so you're finishing a degree and not starting from zero.
Career readiness is the organizing idea of the coursework, which is designed around the career readiness competencies of the National Association of Colleges and Employers. You see that in the 19 credit hours of Integrated Studies core, which includes a course on leadership, ethics and decision-making, and in the culminating senior seminar, where you analyze your academic and career development and then build and present a professional portfolio.
Expect to spend 9 credit hours on applied learning through an applied learning experience. Upper-division study is the other requirement to plan around. All degrees require 45 credit hours at the upper-division level, which means a large transfer of lower-level credits still leaves that upper-level work for you to complete.
Credit you already hold does much of the work. You can apply up to 64 credits from 2-year institutions and up to 90 from 4-year institutions, and prior learning and transfer together can cover as many as 90 of the 120 credits. Military service, work experience, and earned licenses and certifications can count. But thirty credits must be taken at SUNY Cortland, so no combination of outside credit finishes the degree.
3
State University of New York at Plattsburgh
New York
60.1- Public
- College graduation rate
- 59%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $8,881 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 19
About the Program
Based in Plattsburgh, New York, State University of New York at Plattsburgh is a public university with 4,540 students on its rolls. During the most recent year on record it awarded 19 bachelor's degrees, a count at the 25th percentile for size. Across the whole college, 59% of students finish, which is a higher rate than 75% of the institutions behind this list. Tuition and fees are $8,881 a year for residents and $18,791 for students from out of state, which makes it cheaper than 67% of programs at this level. About 78% of applicants are admitted, so an application is not a formality. Strongest of its measures is the graduation rate of its college, which lands at the 75th percentile.
4
SUNY Old Westbury
New York
52.3- Public
- College graduation rate
- 45%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $8,379 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 34
About the Program
Old Westbury, New York is home to SUNY Old Westbury, a public college of 4,709 students. Some 34 bachelor's degrees were conferred in the last year on record, a bigger output than 47% of the programs ranked alongside it. Across the whole college, 45% of students finish, which is a higher rate than 37% of the institutions behind this list. Tuition and fees run $8,379 a year in state against $18,289 out of state, so on price it sits at the 80th percentile. About 84% of applicants are admitted, so an application is not a formality. What lifts it most is price, where it reaches the 80th percentile.
5
Cornell University
New York
50.4- Private nonprofit
- College graduation rate
- 95%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $66,014 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 18
About the Program
Based in Ithaca, New York, Cornell University is a private nonprofit university with 26,793 students on its rolls. Some 18 bachelor's degrees were conferred in the last year on record, a bigger output than 22% of the programs ranked alongside it. Of the students who start at Cornell University, 95% graduate, and that beats 99 in every 100 institutions on this measure. Residents and nonresidents are both charged $66,014 a year in tuition and fees. About 9% of applicants are admitted, so an application is not a formality. Its strongest mark is the graduation rate of its college, at the 99th percentile.
6
SUNY Buffalo State University
New York
46.2- Public
- College graduation rate
- 33%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $8,486 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 76
About the Program
Some 6,188 students attend SUNY Buffalo State University, a public university in Buffalo, New York. It conferred 76 bachelor's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 71% of the bachelor's programs ranked at this level. Its college-wide graduation rate is 33%, the 12th percentile, because the federal record tracks completion by institution. Tuition and fees run $8,486 a year in state against $18,906 out of state, so on price it sits at the 77th percentile. Admission is selective enough to plan for, with 73% of applicants accepted. Strongest of its measures is price, which lands at the 77th percentile.
Other General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in New York
The other general studies bachelor's degrees in New York awarded fewer than 10 degrees in the latest year or did not report a figure the ranking uses, so they are listed here without a score. That says something about size and nothing on its own about quality.
| College | Degrees Awarded | Graduation Rate | Tuition and Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roberts Wesleyan University, Rochester | 4 | 67% | $37,380 |
| Mercy University, Dobbs Ferry | 2 | 46% | $22,106 |
Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Graduation rate is the college's, for first-time, full-time students.
How Much Does a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Cost in New York?
A general studies bachelor's degree in New York costs $8,848 a year in resident tuition and required fees at the median of the eight programs for 2023-24, and the five SUNY campuses all sit within a few hundred dollars of each other: SUNY Old Westbury at $8,379, Buffalo State at $8,486, New Paltz at $8,524, Cortland at $8,815 and Plattsburgh at $8,881. Nonresidents at those campuses pay $18,289 to $18,906. Cornell is $66,014 for everyone. The two programs below the ranking threshold are private as well, Mercy University in Dobbs Ferry at $22,106 and Roberts Wesleyan University in Rochester at $37,380.
State aid that fits a bachelor's student who transferred in and works is Part-Time TAP, which from 2025-26 covers students enrolled in at least 3 but fewer than 12 credits of degree-applicable coursework. SUNY Reconnect doesn't reach this level: the state pays free tuition, fees, books and supplies for eligible adults ages 25 to 55 to pursue an associate degree in a high-demand field, and a bachelor's isn't an associate. If you're an adult returning for the four-year degree, Part-Time TAP and the campus's own aid are where to start.
How Does Credit Transfer Into a General Studies Bachelor's Degree in New York?
Credit transfers into a general studies bachelor's degree in New York under SUNY's own transfer rules at the five SUNY campuses, and under each university's policy at Cornell, Roberts Wesleyan and Mercy. New York residents who earn the A.A. or A.S. at a SUNY two-year program or a CUNY two-year college are guaranteed an opportunity to continue their education on a full-time basis at a baccalaureate campus within SUNY. Your completed general education will meet the same requirement at another SUNY campus. And any course on an approved SUNY Transfer Path, completed with the grade of C or better, is guaranteed to transfer as a course in the major or required cognates, not just as an elective.
That last clause matters most here, because the major is broad. The question to settle is how many of your transferred courses count toward New Paltz's Bachelor of Arts in General Studies or Cortland's Bachelor of Science in Integrated Studies rather than toward the elective pool, since that decides how many semesters remain.
If your associate is from a CUNY college, Pathways' 30-credit general education Common Core carries over within CUNY, where bachelor's students then owe another 6 to 12 credits of general education through the College Option, while SUNY's guarantee covers your seat at a SUNY campus.
What Do Jobs With a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Pay in New York?
Jobs open to a general studies bachelor's degree in New York pay the state medians below, from the May 2025 federal wage survey, with the national median beside each for comparison. Each row links to the salary guide for that job.
How to Choose a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Program in New York
Choosing a general studies bachelor's degree program in New York means choosing among SUNY campuses first, because five of the six ranked programs cost between $8,379 and $8,881 and differ mainly on completion and location. New Paltz graduates 72% and Cortland 68%, Plattsburgh 59%, Old Westbury 45% and Buffalo State 33%. The trade-off the data shows is at Buffalo State, which awards the most general studies bachelor's degrees in the state at 76 a year but finishes the smallest share of its students. Cornell's 95% graduation rate is real, and so is its $66,014 price.
None of the eight programs offers a fully online option, so plan on a campus. If you're arriving with an associate degree, bring transcripts that show which courses sat on an approved SUNY Transfer Path and what grade you earned, because a C or better on those is what turns them into major credit. Then ask New Paltz or Cortland for a written count of the credits applied to the general studies or integrated studies major, and put the same question to Buffalo State, which awards the most degrees at this level.
If you're starting with an associate degree, the general studies associate degrees in New York have their own page.
Common Questions About General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in New York
Which Ranked General Studies Bachelor's Degree in New York Costs the Least?
Which New York General Studies Bachelor's Degree Has the Highest Graduation Rate?
Is Any General Studies Bachelor's Degree in New York Offered Online?
Do SUNY Transfer Path Courses Count Toward a General Studies Bachelor's Major in New York?
Which SUNY Campuses Offer a General Studies Bachelor's Degree?
Where Do the Figures on This New York Page Come From?
- Transfer Basics (Seamless Transfer)
- Pathways
- Part-Time TAP Eligibility and Certification
- Governor Hochul Announces Major Expansion of SUNY Reconnect and CUNY Reconnect Programs (June 15, 2026)
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates