Empire State College Moving to Nearby Selden

and Suffolk County Community College will soon have another neighbor among local institutions of higher education.

Empire State College, a State University of New York campus geared towards adult students, will move its Long Island headquarters to nearby Selden. Suffolk County executive Steve Levy last week announced the sale of 6.6 acres of a 61-acre county-owned parcel, adjacent to Suffolk CC, to the SUNY system to facilitate the college's move.

According to a county statement, Empire State College will build a two-story, 33,000-square-foot facility on the property, which SUNY acquired for $660,000.

"We are thrilled to attract Empire State College to Suffolk County, and the proximity that it will have to our Community College Selden campus will provide exciting collaborative opportunities for students,” Levy said.

According to its website, Empire State College, which was previously headquartered at the campus of SUNY Old Westbury, educates about 18,000 adult students a year between the ages of 25 and 55. It offers Associates, Bachelors and Masters degrees both online and in traditional classroom formats.

When asked if Empire's move will affect the number of students Stony Brook attracts each year, university spokeswoman Lauren Sheprow said less than 10 percent of the university's undergraduate student population is over the age of 25.

Editor's note: This story has been updated from an earlier version to clarify previously stated information.