Binghamton University ranks 3rd on College Magazine’s “Top 10 Best College Campuses On The East Coast” list (College Magazine, 2021) and its reputation as a stellar academic institution is strong. Binghamton claims their academic culture rivals that of any private university. 

Offering 130 interdisciplinary academic programmes, students can study bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, double degrees, and more. There is more than one way to learn at this university, with classroom-based learning and experiential study being mixed together to give students a range of skills to take forward into further study or employment. 

Areas of expertise for the university include geological sciences, ranking #68 for best graduate programme in geological sciences (US News, 2021), #51 in graduate political science (US News, 2021), and accounting, ranking second in the top 40 accounting schools (Discover Accounting, 2020). 

The campus at Binghamton University is located in the green hills of upstate New York and is 930 acres in size. It’s nicknamed “The Brain” due to the shape of the campus on a map and has six schools located on campus:

• Harpur College
• Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science
• Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences
• School of Management
• College of Community and Public Affairs
• School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

In addition to these schools, other facilities include The Fleishman Centre for Career and Professional Development, where students can receive dedicated career support, and the Glenn G. Bartle Library featuring special collections, study spaces, multimedia studios and more. 

Binghamton University has two startup incubator facilities for students to take advantage of, the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator  and the Startup Suite at the Innovative Technologies Complex. 

Koffman Southern Tier Incubator is a state-of-the-art facility located in Binghamton, NY, where startup companies are offered office space, mentorship and more in order to develop and grow their ideas. Since its establishment in 2017, Koffman has overseen over 65 member startups, 38 of which are clean energy startups, and $123 million raised by members. 

Some of Binghamton’s startup businesses include CT Studio, an advertising and marketing agency; Whipped Lash, providing premium silk magnetic eyelashes that focus primarily on vegan beauty; and IDCrawl, a search engine that organises people’s social media information into one easy place. 

The research reputation of Binghamton goes from strength to strength with the university now having 23 organised research centres, four of which are federally designated. There are over 1,000 faculty members engaging in research at the university on a day to day basis, and $46 million in research expenditures. 

Students are highly encouraged to take part in some of the 700+ student research opportunities on offer at Binghamton, and the Freshman Research Immersion Programme allows first-year students the chance to gain authentic research experience in sciences and engineering. Commitment towards first-year research opportunities is not absolute across all universities, making Binghamton unique in that respect. 

There are a multitude of ways for students at Binghamton to develop their career path, including internships, practical clinical experiences, volunteering schemes, and student club activities that will all reflect well on a student going into professionalism. 

The previously mentioned Fleishman Centre is recognised by the National Career Development Association as “an exemplary career centre” due to its dedication to helping students towards their goals and career pathways. Students can seek out help with resumé writing, interview skills, finding internships, and seminars with employers.  

The average salary of a Binghamton graduate for the Class of 2020 was $61,635, as opposed to the national average of $55,260, with 77% of that year’s graduates in full-time employment 6 months after graduation.

Life at Binghamton is multicultural and friendly, with the university hosting students from over 100 countries, with the staff having nearly 100 international scholars too. 

There are over 300 clubs and organisations at the university with a host of events occurring on campus, such as the annual ‘Spring Fling’ festival where students come together and celebrate. The Anderson Centre for Performing Arts also provides entertainment throughout the year and features an art museum and even a nature reserve. 

The city of Binghamton is a short drive away with transport links that features cafes, restaurants, bars, clubs, live music venues, cinemas, museums and more. The city’s location is between many other great American cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Washington.

Binghamton is an incredibly impressive university in relation to the average price of tuition; it’s no wonder to see that it ranked #57 for best value university in America (US News, 2021) as for the relatively low price students can enjoy well-taught academia, numerous and varied research opportunities, excellent incubators/startup support, and even award-winning career services. 

The university’s placement in leafy upstate New York is also a gloriously laidback setting for students to really focus on studying and escape into the country in their downtime, yet still be on the cusp of some of America’s greatest cities. Binghamton is perfect for a student trying to get the most out of their tuition fees.