SUNY Buffalo State University
SUNY Buffalo State University is a public university in Buffalo, NY, with about 6,170 students on campus.
The short version on SUNY Buffalo State University
A low price for what graduates go on to earn
After aid, SUNY Buffalo State University costs $11,346 a year, less than 87% of 4-year colleges. Ten years after starting, former students earn a median $52,334, more than at 75% of colleges. Outcomes ↓
Fewer first-year students return than at most colleges
Only 58% of full-time first-year students return for a second year, fewer than at 89% of 4-year colleges. Outcomes ↓
Rent in Buffalo is below the state median
Median rent in Buffalo is $1,046 a month, 35% below the state median. Living in Buffalo ↓
Long, cold winters
January nights in Buffalo average 19°F, with about 95 inches of snow a year. Living in Buffalo ↓
This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
Do students finish, and does it pay off?
Debt vs. the paycheck
The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting
$223 a month against about $3,406 a month in pay.
Paying back loans
Federal student loans, this college
of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 71% of U.S. colleges.
Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).
Earnings by family background
Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment
How hard is it to get into SUNY Buffalo State University?
of applicants admitted
About 15 of every 20 applicants get in.
Test scores of admitted students
The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1070.
The sticker price, and what families really pay
Sticker price: $24,279 a year
Before any grants · out-of-state tuition $19,653
After grants, the average family on aid pays $11,346.
Your family’s price
Average net price after grants, by family income
About $58,824 over 4 years · 39% off the sticker price
What students study, and what it pays
Share of degrees by field
Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates
And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).
The students
5,097 degree-seeking undergraduates.
By race and ethnicity
Women and men
Living in Buffalo
9% of Buffalo’s 274,613 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Buffalo pages.
Other colleges within 30 miles
Straight-line distances from SUNY Buffalo State University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.
Ask around
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.