Academics
As one of the central institutions in one of the country’s strongest public university systems, Binghamton University upholds rigorous academic, cultural, and engagement standards. The research university’s six schools are spread across 930 acres of the beautiful upstate Susquehanna Valley. The nursing, business, and engineering schools are three standouts, but no matter what course a student chooses to study, you’re sure to get the “best bang for your buck.” Binghamton’s multi-disciplinary education “prepares you not only for your career, but for the rest of your life,” by instilling students with leadership, academic and social skills, and “employers rave about the school, especially if you are applying to jobs in New York City or on Long Island.” “Binghamton is all about giving students many options to do what they want,” and the career services office is an excellent complement to that; fellow students and alums are also “very willing to give out information that will benefit others, such as an internship or winter program.”
Faculty members here are “dedicated and willing to invest in the university,” and hold regular office hours, though students “have so many places to go if they are not available.” As students get into their major-specific courses, “there is more discussion and less lecturing.” Professors are “supportive, reasonable, accessible, clear and fair,” and “as long as you are genuinely interested in the subject and willing to put in the work, you will succeed.” High-quality research endeavors are available to all (especially those in the sciences), through programs like Freshman Research Immersion, which provides first-year students with a three semester-long research experience in sciences, engineering, and public health.
Student Body
A high proportion of students are from Long Island or Westchester, but they do report “a surprising amount of diversity” on campus, and students are “happy to step outside of their comfort zones and learn about different cultures.” The majority of students “worked hard to afford school and to get into a school as intense as Binghamton” and there is “a very friendly and homey atmosphere at the school.” This “extremely loving and generous” group is “multi-disciplined” and “involved in many organizations, leadership roles, jobs, internships, or research.’
Campus Life
The “excellent student board” organizes tons of events throughout the week and is “keen on getting the students…involved and [making] a difference.” The university’s 450+ organizations carry various roles “from community service to professionalism,” and it has “almost any kind of club out there,” from club sports to the hula hoop club to L.O.C.K.S. (Ladies Owning their Curls Kinks and Straights). The school’s residential college system is modeled after the one at Oxford University, with students living in six different communities, each with its own personality. The living communities “really help break it up and make it feel smaller,” and “there are a lot of study spaces and a lot of places to spend time.” Though academics take priority, when students do leave their books, “Binghamton offers so many activities to do on campus that it is hard to ever be bored.”
The town of Vestal is small and quiet, and there is a 190-acre nature preserve on campus that is frequently hiked by students. The nearby city and communities of Binghamton are constantly improving: “Change happens all of the time and the students are getting ready for it.” People here do like to party on the weekends, and “going out into downtown Binghamton on Friday and Saturday nights to hit up the bars is popular.” For those who prefer to keep it more low-key, the University Union always has “games, arts and crafts, free bowling (with free shoe rentals), ping pong (you do have to rent the paddles if you don’t bring your own), billiards, and movie rentals,” and there are often performances or movies shown on campus.
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