University At Buffalo

University At Buffalo's program mix is anchored in Business, with substantial depth in engineering, health, and social science fields. Business accounts for 17% of graduates, Engineering represents 15%, and Social Sciences makes up 12% — a broad applied-professional portfolio shaped by the university's research identity and Western New York's regional labor market.

Across 60 programs serving roughly 5,670 students annually, 40 meet Azimuth's [program-ranking threshold](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-evaluate-programs/). The strongest earnings come from quantitative and applied fields.

Azimuth ranks Computer Science #68 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, with graduates earning $105,160 from a cohort of 269. Azimuth ranks Nursing #93 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, with graduates earning $93,507, and Azimuth ranks Civil Engineering #38 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, with graduates earning $84,868.

Business Administration combines the largest cohort — 794 graduates — with median earnings of $69,903, making it the program with the highest aggregate economic footprint at University At Buffalo. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #61 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment.

Several of University At Buffalo's largest programs feed directly into high-mobility career pathways. The Psychology, General program graduates 632 students annually with median earnings of $52,303, and Biology, General graduates 349 with median earnings of $57,298 — both fields where four-year earnings reflect direct workforce entry.

Programs like Communication and Media Studies and Computer Science are more likely grad-school-dependent pathways, where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory because a meaningful share of graduates continue to professional or graduate school. The [supply-demand map](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these program families align with national labor-market demand.

University at Buffalo's published cost of attendance is $30,785, but need-based aid reshapes what families actually pay. Low-income families see a net price of approximately $14,668, middle-income families pay around $21,262, and higher-income families pay approximately $28,079.

Azimuth ranks University At Buffalo #527 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

For more on how published costs compare with what students actually pay, see the [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/). As a public research university, University At Buffalo draws on federal, state, and institutional aid programs to reduce costs for qualifying students.

New York State's Excelsior Scholarship and other state grant programs can meaningfully reduce net price for in-state families, particularly at lower income levels. Families apply for need-based aid using the FAFSA, and aid packages typically combine grants, work-study, and loans in proportions that vary by household income and demonstrated need.

Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $19,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $20,734; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $71,430, median federal debt of $19,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $215 under standard ten-year repayment.

For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of University At Buffalo earn median earnings of $71,430 four years after enrollment, placing University At Buffalo in the 73.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn about $4,577 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the university in the 74.8 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University At Buffalo #504 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings pattern reflects a Business-leaning program mix — Business accounts for 17% of degrees, followed by Engineering at 15% and Social Sciences at 12%. Business Administration combines large cohort scale with strong pay, making it a key driver of the university's overall return profile.

Azimuth ranks Business Administration #61 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with 794 graduates earning median earnings of $69,903. The Psychology, General program graduates 632 students with median earnings of $52,303, and Azimuth ranks Biology, General #105 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, with 349 graduates earning median earnings of $57,298.

Communication and Media Studies and Computer Science round out the top programs, with Azimuth ranking them #28 and #68 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, respectively.