Canisius University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Buffalo, New York. It enrolls 1,685 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
74/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes59
Value72
Affordability55
Selectivity68
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Canisius University admits 72.4% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
72.4%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Canisius University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
0.9 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $17,940 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$34,500
Room & Board (on-campus)
$13,560
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,000
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,570
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,570
Total Cost of Attendance
$44,322
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$12,781
$30,001 – $48,000
$12,404
$48,001 – $75,000
$16,151
$75,001 – $110,000
$21,341
Over $110,000
$24,170
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$4,41510%percentile
$9,55025%percentile
$24,250Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$30,50090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $19,500
↓ $4,750
No Pell $18,438
↓ $5,812
Dependent students $19,000
↓ $5,250
Independent students $22,000
↓ $2,250
Female students $19,500
↓ $4,750
Male students $18,500
↓ $5,750
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,500, less than completers ($24,250), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
71% of students who start here finish within six years, and 77% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
71%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
77%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $60,681 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$60,681
Earning > $25K
87%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$47,500
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$55,900
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$45,700
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$47,800
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$54,300
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $8,400, about 15% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
13.7 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 87% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,685 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
1,685
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
23%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 63.6%1,071
Black 13.8%233
International 6.2%105
Hispanic 5.7%96
Other 4.1%69
Asian 3.5%59
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Canisius University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Canisius University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
60 distinct programs across
22 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 11 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$210M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$77,735
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
126 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
44
35%
$87,135
Associate Professors
47
37%
$71,901
Assistant Professors
29
23%
$78,257
Instructors
6
5%
$51,985
Pros & Cons of Canisius University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Canisius University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions about Canisius University
The questions families ask most about Canisius University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Canisius University hard to get into?
Admissions at Canisius University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 72.4%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Canisius University?
72.4% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Canisius University cost?
Budget around $17,940 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Canisius University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $60,681 a year against a net price of $17,940, about 3.4 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Canisius University known for?
Mostly Kinesiology, Finance, Kinesiology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Canisius University graduates earn?
About $60,681 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Canisius University accredited?
Yes. Canisius University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Canisius University?
1,685 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Canisius University?
71% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Canisius University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Canisius University located?
Canisius University is located in Buffalo, New York.
What programs does Canisius University offer?
60 different programs, most commonly Kinesiology, Finance, Kinesiology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Canisius University?
11 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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