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More New Yorkers than ever are attending college, and data show that New York's public higher education institutions are doing more than their fair share.

The State University of New York is serving more than 417,000 students, a 7 percent increase since 2001.

SUNY campuses such as Maritime College and Empire State College have experienced remarkable enrollment increases of 65 percent and 43 percent, respectively, since 2001.

Similar trends have been noted at the state's community colleges, which are now educating more than 200,000 students. Enrollment at public community colleges has grown more than 10 percent since 2001, with campuses such as Cayuga Community College and Genesee Community College leading the way, with respective increases of more than 40 percent and 35 percent.

Students at SUNY Stony Brook have access to faculty such as semiconductor laser pioneer Gregory Belenky, a member of United University Professions.

In Binghamton, students investigate computer science with Rachel Hinton, former president of the American Production & Inventory Control Society and a member of Broome Community College Faculty Association. There are similar examples of faculty excellence at all SUNY campuses.

The 23 campuses of the City University of New York — the nation's largest urban public university — serve 226,000 degree-credit students and 230,000 adult, continuing and professional ed students in more than 1,400 academic programs.

Some of the state's top academic talent is teaching at public colleges. CUNY students attending York College can study with assistant professor of astronomy Timothy Paglione, co-director of the NASA Science, Engineering, Mathematics & Aerospace Academy, and a member of the Professional Staff Congress.

Academic quality has been maintained despite cuts to funding and full-time faculty lines that became an annual ritual under the Pataki administration.

For the 2007-08 state fiscal year, Gov. Spitzer and the Legislature passed a budget that provides public colleges more than $273 million over last year's allocations, with an additional $645 million in capital aid.

Some of that funding will be used to add full-time faculty.

"For years, we've seen what New York's public colleges can do with less," said NYSUT Executive Vice President Alan Lubin. "We're all looking forward to seeing what these schools can do as they receive funding increases critical to their missions."