Regional university
SUNY Buffalo State University
Buffalo, NY · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $11,346 a year
Median debt at graduation: $21,028 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.33%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.58%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,070
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.14 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$15,967
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $24,279 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 5,572 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 44% · Women 56% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 34% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 3% |
| Total students | 6,470 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $11,346 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $24,279 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,028 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 33% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 49% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 48% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 57% |
| First-year retention | 58% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $52,334 |
| Admission rate | 73% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $50 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,139 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 56% |
| Average SAT | 1070 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 490–630 |
| SAT math | 490–610 |
| ACT composite | — |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Excellent · Top 18% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Industrial technology | |
| Electrical engineering technology | |
| Mechanical engineering technology | |
| Information science | |
| Educational leadership | |
| Chemistry | |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | |
| General studies | |
| Economics | |
| Political science | |
| Business administration | |
| Special education | |
| Criminal justice | |
| History | |
| Social work | |
| Psychology | |
| Communication studies | |
| Teacher education | |
| Secondary education | |
| Sociology | |
| Other communication, journalism, and related programs | |
| Biology | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Broadcasting | |
| Fine arts | |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Apparel and Textiles, Applied mathematics, Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry, Curriculum and instruction, Design, Ecology and evolutionary biology, Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians, English, Ethnic and gender studies, Film and video, Geography, Geography and Environmental Studies, Geology and earth science, Graphic communications, Health sciences, Human resources, Instructional design, Interdisciplinary studies, International relations, Journalism, Linguistics, Mathematics, Museology/Museum Studies, Music, Other education, Other foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics, Other public administration and social service professions, Philosophy, Physics, Public health, Public relations, Romance languages, Security science, Social sciences, Speech-language pathology, Teaching English as a second language, Urban Studies/Affairs, Woodworking, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Education | |
| Business | |
| Liberal arts and general studies | |
| Criminal justice and security | |
| Visual and performing arts |
Campus life
| Setting | City |
|---|---|
| Part-time undergraduates | 8% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 13% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $15,986 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · State University of New York Athletic Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 14 to 1 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 52%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $14,432IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 50% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF)About 8 miles away · about 20 minutes by car |
| Town population | 276,854Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | BuffaloAbout 3 miles away · about 10 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 26°F in January · 72°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Buffalo, NY, about 7 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 1.29 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.32 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.65 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.81 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.81 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is SUNY Buffalo State University’s Compass Score?
- Solid (grade C+). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does SUNY Buffalo State University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $11,346 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into SUNY Buffalo State University?
- SUNY Buffalo State University admitted 73% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do SUNY Buffalo State University’s graduates do?
- 33% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $52,334; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,028.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 196130
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (larger programs)
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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