Let’s go through those answers together, using the official data the United States government collects from every university in the country. I am not going to sell you on this school or tear it down. I am going to explain it to you.
Who This University Is and Where It Is Located
Buffalo State University is a public, four-year institution located in the city of Buffalo, in Erie County, New York. It is within the Buffalo-Cheektowaga metropolitan area, in what the census classifies as a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more. That does not mean the campus is right in the urban center: the classification describes the area, not the exact address of the building where your child would take classes. If you live nearby and your child is thinking about living at home, do them a favor: drive the route on a weekday at the actual time of their classes. The travel time shown on a map is almost never the time you experience in real life.
Carnegie, the system that classifies United States universities according to what they do, places it among master’s universities with large graduate programs and describes it as a medium-sized, primarily residential four-year school. In the most recent data from that classification, between 25 and 49 out of every 100 degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in housing owned, controlled, or affiliated with the institution, and at least half studied full time.
There is one Carnegie data point worth emphasizing now because it will come up again later: this school is among the institutions that receive many transfer students from other universities. If your child plans to come here after starting somewhere else, this is a real signal, but it does not tell you how many credits would transfer or which ones might be lost along the way. Ask for that information in writing before enrolling.
Carnegie also places it in its “inclusive” category, which groups together schools that did not report admissions scores and schools whose scores indicated broad access. The label does not clarify which of those two branches applies to Buffalo State; later, using the actual admissions data, you will be able to judge for yourself.
And one note that can quickly clear up questions: Buffalo State is not listed as a historically Black college or university (HBCU), a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this national directory, 138 have at least one of those three designations. Buffalo State’s not having one says nothing about which communities it serves today or how your child would feel there. Ask directly: what cultural centers exist, what student organizations are available, and better yet, talk with someone who already studies there.
The Size of the Community and Who Makes It Up
In the most recent official count, Buffalo State had 6,470 enrolled students: 5,572 undergraduates and 898 graduate students. It is neither a small school nor an enormous one. It falls within the range of 5,000 to 9,999 students, and compared with the other 519 selective-admission, four-year public universities, its size is among the most common: right at the midpoint.
An honest clarification is useful here: being large does not mean more options for your child, and being small does not mean more attention. What truly matters should be asked about by major, not inferred from the institution’s overall size.
Who makes up that community? Out of every 100 undergraduate students, 57 are women. Students ages 25 to 64 are a clear minority: 12 out of every 100. And among first-time students, 94 out of every 100 reported a permanent address in New York when they applied—that is, this is a mostly local community, almost entirely from within the state.
Regarding the Latino community, I want to tell you as clearly as the data presents it: 12 out of every 100 undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority. Compared with similar schools, Buffalo State ranks slightly above the midpoint of the group but does not reach the highest quartile. That does not remove Buffalo State from your list, but it does give you something specific to ask during a visit: what Latino student group exists, whether there is a cultural center, and whether anyone in the admissions or student support office speaks Spanish.
How Academic Life Is Structured
The academic calendar follows semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each, with consistent dates for everyone.
Buffalo State reported accepting two forms of prior credit: credit from AP exams and what IPEDS calls “credit for life experience”—learning acquired through independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, previous licenses or certifications, as well as credit for military training. Reporting that it accepts these forms of credit does not mean your child will automatically receive them. Request a written transfer-credit evaluation before enrolling, and do not include any savings in your budget until you have it in hand. The institution also responded that it does not enroll high school students in college courses for credit, so that specific option is not available here.
As for bachelor’s degree offerings: between July 2022 and June 2023, Buffalo State awarded 1,210 degrees across 24 fields of study (CIP). No single field dominates its offerings: the largest, education and teaching, accounted for only 15 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. Compared with similar schools, Buffalo State falls within the quartile with the most fields represented in its bachelor’s degree detail. Its offerings are broad and distributed, with no single dominant field. But 24 fields appearing in the report do not mean 24 guaranteed majors for your child—a field includes multiple programs, and a row may show zero degrees awarded that year. Verify the exact program that interests them.
Regarding instructional staff: the official ratio is 13 full-time students for every full-time-equivalent member of the instructional staff. It is a low ratio, and compared with similar schools, Buffalo State falls within the bottom quartile—that is, its ratio is lower than that of three out of every four schools in the group. Be careful: this does not tell you the actual size of your child’s classes. It is an institutional average, not a promise of small classes.
The institution also reports structured academic opportunities: study abroad, undergraduate research, and preparation and certification programs for students who want to become teachers, including state approval for initial teacher certification.
Getting Into Buffalo State: What They Require and What Actually Happens
Precision matters here because this is where families experience the most confusion.
Buffalo State reported that it does not have open admissions. It reviews requirements before deciding whether to admit an applicant. Of the nine considerations evaluated in the federal report, five are marked as required: the high school record, the high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory coursework required by the university, a formal demonstration of what your child can do (a portfolio or competency exam), and an English proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now whether that exam applies and what would exempt them—it is the kind of requirement families discover too late if they do not ask in time.
Other components are not required but are considered if submitted: the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and work experience. The undergraduate application fee is $50.
Now, here are the numbers showing what actually happened in the most recently reported admissions cycle:
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| First-time applicants | 15,943 |
| Received an offer of admission | 12,096 (76 out of every 100) |
| Did not receive an offer | 3,847 |
| Of those admitted, enrolled | 12 out of every 100 |
This deserves a careful explanation because it has two sides. The first: 76 out of every 100 applicants were admitted. It is an accessible admission rate, slightly below the midpoint of the comparison group of similar schools. Buffalo State receives thousands of applications and admits most applicants. Your child has a real reason to apply and a real reason to prepare a complete application and submit it on time.
The second side is different: out of every 100 admitted applicants, only 12 enrolled. Put another way, out of every 8 students who received an acceptance letter, only one decided to attend. The other seven had a place here and chose something else. And I want to be clear with you: this is not a stain on the school. The federal record does not say why each person made their decision. What it does tell you is something useful: what other people chose does not predict what your family will be offered. Wait for your own letter showing the net price—what the year would actually cost you—before deciding whether this school stays on or comes off your list.
Regarding standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are optional. If submitted, they are considered; if not, the application proceeds just the same. Of the students who enrolled, only 13 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, and among those students, the middle half scored between 480 and 600 in reading and writing and between 480 and 590 in mathematics. These ranges describe students who had already enrolled, not all applicants, and they are neither a minimum nor a guarantee.
When Someone Transfers, Enrolls, or Leaves
There is constant student movement at Buffalo State that is worth understanding clearly. In the most recent fall, 517 students came to Buffalo State for the first time after studying at another institution. At the same time, among the bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, 39 out of every 100—695 people—transferred to another school without completing their degree here within the expected time. Compared with similar schools, Buffalo State is among those where the highest proportion of students leave.
This does not tell you why they left. The reason differs from family to family. But there is something important to keep in mind when we get to graduation rates: a student who transfers and finishes their degree at another school does not count as a Buffalo State graduate. That outcome disappears from this institution’s calculation even if the student successfully completed their degree somewhere else.
The Price, Using the Complete Numbers
At SUNY Buffalo State University, among 387 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district tuition rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $10,684. Among 208 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $17,379; among 92 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $21,201. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (387 students) and the average for the highest-income band (92 students) is $10,517. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $13,735.
$10,684 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district tuition rate. The overall average for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that tuition rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
How It Is Paid For: Grants, Pell, and Loans
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students at Buffalo State, 77 received some grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid, with an annual average of $8,716 among recipients. The federal Pell Grant—for students with demonstrated financial need—went to 54 out of every 100 students. It is not rare aid or reserved for only a few: half the group or more receives it.
Now for the other side of the coin. In the most recent academic year, 53 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan, averaging $6,298 per student that year. Compared with similar schools, Buffalo State is on the high side: seven out of every ten schools in the comparison group had a lower proportion of students with loans.
Financing with debt is common here, not the exception. If your child borrowed a similar amount each year throughout the four years of the degree, the total would be around $25,192, excluding interest and any separate loans their parents might sign for. That number is decided before the first signature, not at the end. And remember: this percentage describes other families. What your child would need to borrow depends on their own financial aid letter. Wait for it before committing.
The institution also reports offering a tuition installment payment plan as an option for managing the cost.
Campus Life, Support, and a Few Separate Details That Do Matter
Buffalo State has institution-owned housing, with a reported maximum capacity of 2,782 students, on or off campus. It is not required for all first-time, full-time students, although that does not rule out a requirement for a particular program. It also offers meal plans, with the number of meals varying by plan. Ask in writing for the current year’s rate, the housing application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a space or placed on a waiting list.
Regarding ROTC: the institution indicated that an opportunity is available, with the Army branch confirmed in writing. Navy and Air Force are not marked—which does not mean they are impossible, only that they are not confirmed in this report. And the indication of availability does not say whether the program is conducted on this specific campus; ask about it by name.
In sports, Buffalo State competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with national athletic associations, including the NCAA, with reported membership in football, basketball, and cross-country or track and field. If your child wants to compete, contact the coach for the specific sport directly: ask whether there is a place available, which division they compete in, and whether that sport awards scholarships. Ask for written confirmation.
Regarding course delivery: Buffalo State offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, but it is the exception, not the rule. Only 2 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes at a distance; the other 98 took at least one class in person. The institution reports having at least one complete program that can be taken entirely at a distance, but confirm the exact credential level and program before assuming it applies to what your child wants to study.
The library operates with paid staff, and its annual expenditure exceeds the $100,000 threshold recorded by the federal government. It has physical and digital materials and participates in interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee that it has the specific databases needed for your child’s major—ask about that by the name of the major.
Finally, the institution reports several support services: combined academic and career counseling, student employment services, on-campus child care for students’ children, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, a veterans’ student organization, and a published webpage for disability services.
What Happens After They Enroll: Retention and Graduation
This is perhaps the most important part of the article and also the hardest to hear. I am going to give it to you in full, without softening or dramatizing it.
Retention. Of the cohort that entered in the most recent fall counted—1,241 first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students—679 met the official retention criterion the following year: they were still enrolled there or had already completed the degree. That is 55 out of every 100. The other 562 fell outside that count. The data does not say what happened to them—it does not say whether they transferred, paused their studies, or started working. Compared with similar schools, Buffalo State is among those that retain the smallest proportion of their first-year cohort: nine out of every ten comparable schools retained a larger share.
Graduation within six years. Of the 1,801 full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students with no prior college experience who entered in 2017, 649 had earned their bachelor’s degree there six years later. That is 36 out of every 100. Within the four-year period, the figure falls to 25 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, Buffalo State falls within the bottom quartile of the group.
It is worth looking at the full breakdown of that same cohort of 1,801 because it tells a more complete story than the 36% alone:
| Outcome after six years | People |
|---|---|
| Completed the bachelor’s degree there | 649 |
| Transferred without completing there | 695 |
| Still enrolled without completing | 27 |
| No longer enrolled (federal category) | 430 |
Notice something: 695 people transferred—nearly as many as graduated there. As we already saw, someone who transfers and graduates from another school does not appear as a Buffalo State graduate, even if they successfully completed their degree. And “no longer enrolled” does not report the reason; it may include people who completed their degree after the measured period. This number, moreover, is for the entire school—IPEDS does not report graduation by major. If your child is pursuing a specific program, request that information directly from the department.
After eight years. A different and broader cohort—3,100 undergraduate students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, full time or part time, first-time students or students with prior experience—shows that, as of August 2023, 49 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this institution. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 46 out of every 100, seven points below the figure for those who did not receive one. Compared with similar schools, Buffalo State ranks below the midpoint of the group on this measure.
This eight-year measure is a snapshot at one point in time, not a final bill. It does not measure eight continuous years of study or tell you how much each person paid or gave up in earnings. What it does suggest, in all honesty, is this: before signing anything, ask in writing how long it takes to complete the specific program that interests your child, how required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if the path takes longer.
What You Can Do With All of This
You now understand, in considerable depth, one of the three pieces you need to make a decision: what Buffalo State is, what it really costs, how people get in, and what happens to them after they enroll.
The other two pieces are not in this article because they do not belong to any federal report: what your child wants to study, what they have built so far, and what your family is able and willing to pay. You build that part together; a government file does not.
Your child’s job is to investigate the exact program, write the essay, request the letters, speak with the coach if interested in a sport, and ask about AP credits. Your job is the calendar, the documents, the deadlines, and obtaining the financial aid letter before committing to anything. Neither of you does the other’s work.
Buffalo State’s numbers are neither a sentence nor a promise. They are the real ground on which your family can stand to decide with open eyes. The rest—what your child wants, what you can afford, and where this decision is leaning—you build together, with this piece already in hand.
Note on sources: The information in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and reports from the United States Department of Education, using data from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, depending on the indicator. Best College Aid does not represent Buffalo State University or any government agency; this piece is informational and does not constitute individualized admissions advice.