<p>I don’t think the cost differential is worth it unless you can easily afford it. The computer sciences dept is excellent at UB and the school offers just about everything you can think of.</p>
<p>The cost differential is just the residential experience. The college costs are identical.</p>
<p>modestmelody, I think the issue of commuter students and “weekend flight” at Stony Brook is extremely overblown. There’s no shortage of things to do or people to hang out with on weekends. There are always parties going on, student groups having events, school sponsored activities, and performances at the Staller Center–far more to do than anyone ever has time for! The vast majority (over 90%, I think) of first year students live on campus, and most people opt to stay there for at least a couple of years. The “commuter” figures also include those of us who live in off-campus apartments close to the university. Technically I’m commuting this year, but my social life is still very much focused on SBU… if anything, I’d say my “commuter” status contributes positively to campus life, since off-campus parties are always better 
Sure, some people whose families live nearby visit them on weekends, but the only people I’ve known who left frequently were homesick freshmen who weren’t giving college life a fair shot and people who had family obligations (e.g. a disabled parent they needed to do grocery shopping for) pulling them home. It’s also not uncommon for people to go into the city for the night, which hardly seems like a bad thing–they’re not doing it because there’s nothing to do on campus, they’re doing it because the city is easily accessible and has things you can’t get or do anywhere else.</p>