SUNY Buffalo State University
Buffalo, New York · Public · 73.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 53/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
SUNY Buffalo State University earns a CampusROI score of 53 out of 100, placing it in the Below Average Value tier. The school's biggest drag is a 33.3% completion rate, which pulls the completion sub-score down to just 13. That is the dominant story here: roughly two out of three first-time students do not finish a credential within six years, and unfinished degrees are the single most expensive outcome in higher education. Cost itself is reasonable. In-state tuition is $8,533, and the average net price after aid is $11,346 per year, putting the four-year sticker around $45,384 before living costs. Average earnings six years after entry sit at $33,700 and rise to a median $52,334 by year ten, producing a payback period of about 10.7 years and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62 on $21,028 in median federal debt. The earnings-premium sub-score of 80 shows graduates do clear a meaningful bar over high-school-only workers, but the repayment rate of 67.4% and that modest completion number tell prospective students this is a school where finishing is the make-or-break variable.
How SUNY Buffalo State University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- 6-year graduation rate33.3% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
SUNY Buffalo State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $8,533/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $19,653/yr |
| Average net price | $11,346/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $45,384 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $52,334 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $33,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,028 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $223 |
| Estimated payback period | 10.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 33.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,097 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $8,533/year ($19,653/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $11,346/year, or roughly $45,384 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $7,405/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $19,332/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $21,028, which works out to about $223 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($33,700) and comes to 0.62, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $7,405 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $9,393 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $14,706 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $17,155 |
| $110,001+ | $19,332 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 face an average net price of $7,405 per year at Buffalo State. With Pell, TAP, and SUNY institutional aid stacking, the lowest-income bracket pays roughly $29,600 across four years. That is a workable number for engineering tech, information science, or social work tracks, but it only pays off if the student actually completes; with a 33.3% grad rate, low-income borrowers carry the highest risk of leaving with debt and no degree.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001 to $75,000 bracket pays $14,706 per year, and the $75,001 to $110,000 bracket pays $17,155. Four-year totals land near $58,800 to $68,600 before living costs.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $19,332 per year, which is essentially full out-of-state tuition with minimal institutional discount. Four-year cost approaches $77,000 before housing.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at SUNY Buffalo State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $57,114 | C |
| Teacher Education | $51,209 | D |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $46,705 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $56,034 | D |
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $49,853 | D |
| Information Science | $64,628 | C+ |
| Social Work | $53,130 | C |
| Psychology | $52,490 | D |
| Biology | $48,735 | D |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | $73,327 | B |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business is the largest program at Buffalo State with 123 graduates per cohort. Median earnings one year out land at $38,283 and rise to $57,114 by year four, with median debt of $25,000 producing a 0.65 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C ROI grade. That is a workable but unspectacular outcome: graduates clear their loan obligations on standard repayment.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education graduates 98 students annually with year-one earnings of $36,654 climbing to $51,209 by year four. Debt sits at $26,999 against earnings producing a 0.74 ratio and a D ROI grade. The gap reflects the structural reality of New York K-12 starting salaries. Graduates who land tenure-track public-school positions with Tier 6 pension benefits are still building durable careers, but the early-career cash math is genuinely tight.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice produces 85 graduates with year-one earnings of $34,042 and four-year earnings of $56,034. The 0.73 debt-to-earnings ratio against $25,000 in debt earns a D grade. Outcomes diverge sharply by post-graduation path: students who become NY State Troopers or local detectives see meaningful salary growth, while those who stop at entry-level corrections officer roles often stall near the year-one number for years.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal Arts graduates 87 students per cohort with one-year earnings of $32,082 and four-year earnings of $46,705. Median debt of $27,000 against those earnings produces a 0.84 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. This is the classic generalist-degree outcome: respectable wage premium over high school but limited by the absence of a specific career path. Students choosing this track should pair it with internships and a defined post-graduation plan.
Information Science
Information Science is one of Buffalo State's strongest programs, graduating 56 students with year-one earnings of $49,686 and four-year earnings of $64,628. With $25,651 in median debt, the 0.52 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a C+ ROI grade. This program is a clear pathway to a positive return at Buffalo State, particularly for students targeting Buffalo and western NY tech employers.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 58.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 67.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 63.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 67.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How SUNY Buffalo State University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 73.0% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 490-610 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 490-630 |
| Enrollment | 5,097 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 55.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,132 |
Buffalo State admits 73.0% of applicants, so the door is open to most prepared New York applicants. Reported SAT mid-ranges run 490 to 610 in math and 490 to 630 in evidence-based reading and writing; ACT composite is not reported. Those bands are roughly average for SUNY comprehensives, and a relatively open admissions posture combined with the 33.3% completion rate suggests many admitted students arrive without the academic momentum to finish on time.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUNY Buffalo State University (this school) | 53 | $11,346 | $52,334 |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | 92 | $3,033 | $75,971 |
| CUNY Brooklyn College | 81 | $3,103 | $60,752 |
| Purdue University Northwest | 55 | $6,079 | $48,318 |
| University of Massachusetts Global | 52 | $32,654 | $65,703 |
| Washburn University | 51 | $15,280 | $49,774 |
Who Thrives Here
Buffalo State serves about 5,097 students with a 55.6% Pell grant rate, marking it as a true working-class regional public university in western New York. The fit is strongest for in-state students who know what credential they want and can commit to finishing on a four- or five-year timeline. Career-aligned programs in engineering technology, information science, and dietetics outperform the school's overall average, and students targeting those fields can extract real value at the in-state price. Students who are still exploring or who would rely heavily on borrowing should weigh the 33.3% completion rate carefully before enrolling.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for SUNY Buffalo State University is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $11,346 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $52,334 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 10.7 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates. What to keep an eye on: its 33.3% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 67.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%).
Median debt of $21,028 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $33,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
SUNY Buffalo State University: Common Questions
Is SUNY Buffalo State University worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. SUNY Buffalo State University scores 53/100 on our ROI scale. At $11,346 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $52,334 ten years after entry, so it takes about 10.7 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does SUNY Buffalo State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $11,346 a year, or roughly $45,384 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do SUNY Buffalo State University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $52,334 ten years after enrolling, roughly $10,534 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off SUNY Buffalo State University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 10.7 years for SUNY Buffalo State University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do SUNY Buffalo State University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $21,028, against average earnings of $33,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at SUNY Buffalo State University?
The six-year graduation rate is 33.3%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.