10-yr median earnings
$52,334
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Buffalo, New York
SUNY Buffalo State University
SUNY Buffalo State University is a public institution in Buffalo, New York. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.
- $11,346
- Avg net price / yr
- $52,334
- 10-yr median earnings
- 34.7%
- 150%-time completion
- 73.0%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
SUNY Buffalo State University pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 25%
- former-student earnings, US
- 73.0%
- acceptance rate
- 34.7%
- 150%-time completion
- +28%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Large
Carnegie: Master's (L)
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this SUNY Buffalo State University profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
D
College Value Score
49/100
SUNY Buffalo State University
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings B
$52,334
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price B
$11,346
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
34.7%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$21,028
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B-
67.4%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
57.7%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$11,346
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
34.7%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 34.7%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - SUNY Buffalo State University vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How SUNY Buffalo State University ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
SUNY Buffalo State University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$52,334 Top 25% higher than 75% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | SUNY Buffalo State University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $52,334 | #1292 of 5103 | 75th |
| Average net price | $11,346 | #1373 of 5020 | 73rd (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 34.7% | #3987 of 4858 | 18th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,097 | #733 of 5462 | 87th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
5,097
Undergraduate enrollment
73.0%
Acceptance rate
1,070
SAT average
34.7%
150%-time completion
$52,334
10-yr median earnings
57.7%
First-year retention
How SUNY Buffalo State University ranks in New York
State rank among 299 reporting New York colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | SUNY Buffalo State University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $52,334 | #127 of 299 | 58th |
| Average net price | $11,346 | #88 of 328 | 73rd (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 34.7% | #249 of 322 | 23rd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,097 | #51 of 367 | 86th |
Highest former-student earnings in New York
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | $131,426 | $29,882 |
| 2 | Helene Fuld College of Nursing | $111,027 | $47,181 |
| 3 | SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University | $109,601 | - |
| 4 | Center for Allied Health Education | $107,249 | $48,150 |
| 5 | Miami Ad School-New York | $106,192 | - |
| 6 | St Paul's School of Nursing-Queens | $104,403 | $26,315 |
| 7 | Cornell University | $104,043 | $28,690 |
| 8 | Weill Medical College of Cornell University | $104,043 | - |
| 9 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $102,491 | $21,590 |
| 10 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | $102,051 | $36,228 |
| 11 | Cochran School of Nursing | $99,503 | - |
| 12 | Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing | $96,980 | - |
| 127 | SUNY Buffalo State UniversityThis school | $52,334 | $11,346 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 73.0% |
| SAT Average | 1,070 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 490 – 610 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 490 – 630 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at SUNY Buffalo State University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k $7,405
$0 – $30k
$7,405 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$9,393 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$14,706 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$19,332 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at SUNY Buffalo State University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $8,533 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $19,653 |
| Average Net Price | $11,346 |
55.6%
Pell Grant Rate
50.1%
Federal Loan Rate
$21,028
Median Debt
$223/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at SUNY Buffalo State University swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $9,945 to $14,229 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +17.8%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$9,945
Highest year
$14,229
Most recent (2023)
$14,229
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $12,0792023 · $14,229
Over the same years, enrollment went -41.7% (9,190 → 5,358 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
57.7%
Female
34.0%
First Generation
Outcomes
57.7%
Retention Rate
$40,877
Median Earnings (6yr)
63.9%
Earning Over $25K
67.4%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 34.7% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 57.7% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $40,877 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $52,334 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 63.9% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 67.4% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $21,028 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $223/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 36 | 1,223 | $56,210 | $98,018 | $21,152 |
| Master's | 9 | 301 | $58,368 | $67,787 | $28,480 |
Top programs at SUNY Buffalo State University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Industrial Production Tech…
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
$98,018 median earnings
- Electrical/Electronic Engi…
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
$82,242 median earnings
- Mechanical Engineering Rel…
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
$73,327 median earnings
- Educational Administration…
Educational Administration and Supervision
$67,787 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$67,511 median earnings
- Information Science/Studies
Information Science/Studies
$64,628 median earnings
- Educational Administration…
Educational Administration and Supervision
$64,059 median earnings
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary S…
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General
$63,411 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Matches use Scorecard measures among reporting colleges — not state-system recommendations or geographic proximity.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Public institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at SUNY Buffalo State University? ▼
SUNY Buffalo State University is a public institution in Buffalo, New York. The acceptance rate is 73.0%. The average SAT score is 1,070. Undergraduate enrollment is 5,097 students.
How much do SUNY Buffalo State University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at SUNY Buffalo State University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $52,334 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $40,877.
How much does SUNY Buffalo State University cost? ▼
The average net price at SUNY Buffalo State University is $11,346. In-state tuition is $8,533 and out-of-state tuition is $19,653. Median student debt at graduation is $21,028.
What is the graduation rate at SUNY Buffalo State University? ▼
SUNY Buffalo State University has a 34.7% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 57.7%.
Is SUNY Buffalo State University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at SUNY Buffalo State University is $21,028, while former students earn a median of $52,334 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 40% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 67.4% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $223.
Sources & methodology
Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.
Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from SUNY Buffalo State University
- Compare SUNY Buffalo State University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in New York side by side.Browse New York
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.