The New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University was established April 11, 1900 as The New York State School of Clay-working and Ceramics at Alfred University. When legislation was enacted creating the State University of New York (1948), the College became one of what are now five statutory units of the SUNY enterprise, with the Ceramics College continuing to be operated by Alfred University on behalf of the SUNY Board of Trustees. As a state-supported unit of Alfred University, students, faculty and staff gain the benefits of both a high quality, small university environment and a high quality, public higher education system. Students benefit from a state-supported tuition rate.