Public Graduate Good 67/100

SUNY Buffalo State University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Buffalo, New York

About SUNY Buffalo State University

Thinking about SUNY Buffalo State University, a college in New York where more students graduate in Education than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

SUNY Buffalo State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Buffalo, New York. It enrolls 5,097 students (a large 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.

Acceptance
73%
Graduation
49.8%
Net Price
$11,346
Median Earnings (10yr)
$52,334
Enrollment
5,097
Student : Faculty
13:1

Accreditor Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic Calendar Semester

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.

Good
67/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 7
Value 89
Affordability 89
Selectivity 39

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

SUNY Buffalo State University admits 73% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
73%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
980 – 1240
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Not Considered Standardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether SUNY Buffalo State University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 8.9 pts since 2019
67%201980.1%202084.5%202186%202275.9%2023

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 $11,346 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$11,346
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
56%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
50%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$8,533
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$19,653
Room & Board (on-campus)
$15,986
Room & Board (off-campus)
$17,158
Books & Supplies
$1,052
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,876
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,396
Total Cost of Attendance
$24,279

Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)


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
    $7,405
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $9,393
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $14,706
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $17,155
  • Over $110,000
    $19,332

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.

$3,500
10% percentile
$5,500
25% percentile
$21,028
Median percentile
$24,840
75% percentile
$32,500
90% 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 $13,084 ↓ $7,944
No Pell $12,000 ↓ $9,028
Dependent students $12,000 ↓ $9,028
Independent students $18,750 ↓ $2,278
Female students $13,103 ↓ $7,925
Male students $12,000 ↓ $9,028
Pell recipients: 16.2% (3,399 students)No Pell: 14.8% (3,118 students)Dependent students: 14.8% (3,118 students)Independent students: 23.2% (4,871 students)Female students: 16.2% (3,404 students)Male students: 14.8% (3,118 students)Overall Median$21,028
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,923, less than completers ($21,028), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

50% of students who start here finish within six years, and 56% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. 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
50%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
56%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $52,334 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$52,334
Earning > $25K
78%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$39,000$43,000$47,000$50,000$54,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

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
$37,600

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$48,900

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$39,200

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$42,800

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$44,400

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $11,300, about 23% 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 ↑ 19.1 pts across 6 years
58.3%1yr67.4%3yr73.9%5yr77.3%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 77% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 5,097 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 34% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
5,097
Part-Time
8%
First-Generation
34%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 45.4% 2,316
Black 28.7% 1,462
Hispanic 13.0% 664
Asian 6.6% 337
Other 5.2% 267
International 1.0% 49
White: 45.4% (2,316 students)Black: 28.7% (1,462 students)Hispanic: 13.0% (664 students)Asian: 6.6% (337 students)Other: 5.2% (267 students)International: 1.0% (49 students)Total5,097

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at SUNY Buffalo State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Large City Buffalo, New York
Housing
Mostly residential 2,782 beds on campus
Adult Learners
13% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Interdisciplinary Studies graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

SUNY Buffalo State University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 81 distinct programs across 24 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.

4 Programs
7 Programs
4 Programs
1 Program
5 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$17,034
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$82M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$78,656
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

311 instructional faculty across 5 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 90 29% $95,451
Associate Professors 125 40% $80,192
Assistant Professors 54 17% $66,821
Instructors 1 0% $52,005
Lecturers 41 13% $53,345

Pros & Cons of SUNY Buffalo State University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where SUNY Buffalo State University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
CONS
  • Below-average completion rate
  • First-year retention is below typical

Frequently Asked Questions about SUNY Buffalo State University

The questions families ask most about SUNY Buffalo State University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is SUNY Buffalo State University hard to get into?
Admissions at SUNY Buffalo State University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 73%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at SUNY Buffalo State University?
73% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for SUNY Buffalo State University?
Aim for 1240 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 980 and 1240 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does SUNY Buffalo State University cost?
Budget around $11,346 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 SUNY Buffalo State University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $52,334 a year against a net price of $11,346, about 4.6 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 SUNY Buffalo State University known for?
Mostly Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Business Administration, Teaching Specific Subjects. 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 SUNY Buffalo State University graduates earn?
About $52,334 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 SUNY Buffalo State University accredited?
Yes. SUNY Buffalo State University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend SUNY Buffalo State University?
5,097 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at SUNY Buffalo State University?
50% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is SUNY Buffalo State University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is SUNY Buffalo State University located?
SUNY Buffalo State University is located in Buffalo, New York.
What programs does SUNY Buffalo State University offer?
81 different programs, most commonly Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Business Administration, Teaching Specific Subjects. 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 SUNY Buffalo State University?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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