Suny Buffalo State University

Suny Buffalo State University's program mix is anchored in Education — the dominant program family — alongside applied professional fields in business, criminal justice, and the social sciences. Across 41 programs, the institution serves roughly 1,396 students annually, with a portfolio oriented toward careers in teaching, public service, and community-facing roles.

Business Administration stands out as the program combining meaningful cohort scale with the strongest aggregate earnings contribution, making it the economic anchor of the degree portfolio. The most popular programs reflect Suny Buffalo State University's applied, workforce-oriented identity.

Business Administration is the largest program with 147 graduates, and Azimuth ranks it #243 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions; graduates earn $57,114. Teacher Education follows with 128 graduates earning $51,209, and Azimuth ranks it #27 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Criminal Justice, with 117 graduates, rounds out the high-enrollment tier with median earnings of $56,034, and Azimuth ranks it #38 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The highest-earning programs at Suny Buffalo State University cluster in applied technical and professional fields.

Information Science/Studies leads with median earnings of $64,628 four years after enrollment and 64 graduates, with Azimuth ranking it #46 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Economics and Business Administration also deliver competitive early-career pay — $58,497 and $57,114 respectively — representing the institution's strongest direct-to-workforce pathways.

Many Education-track graduates enter grad-school-dependent or licensure-required roles where four-year earnings reflect early teaching salaries rather than long-run trajectory.

SUNY Buffalo State University's published cost of attendance is $24,279. Net price by income band shows meaningful variation: low-income families pay approximately $7,405, middle-income families pay around $14,706, and higher-income families pay approximately $19,332.

Azimuth ranks Suny Buffalo State University #187 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.

SUNY Buffalo State participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs. Families apply for need-based aid using the FAFSA, and the university works to close the gap between sticker price and what families actually pay through a combination of grants and scholarships.

As a public SUNY institution, Buffalo State offers the tuition advantage of the state system while maintaining need-based aid support for eligible students. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $21,028, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $12,951; 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 typical four-year earnings of $53,203, median federal debt of $21,028 projects to a monthly payment of about $238 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 SUNY Buffalo State University earn median 4-year earnings of $53,203, placing the institution in the 12.9th percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,625 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing SUNY Buffalo State University in the 34.0th percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks SUNY Buffalo State University #1175 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 20.6th percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to New York's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,204.

The earnings pattern reflects SUNY Buffalo State University's focus on Education, which represents 14% of graduates. Business Administration and Management, General is the largest program with 147 graduates earning median earnings of $57,114 four years after enrollment. Azimuth ranks Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching #27 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with graduates earning $51,209 — 1.1× the national benchmark for the field. Corrections Administration and General Studies also deliver solid outcomes, with earnings above typical regional levels for their fields.