1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [SUNY Buffalo State University](/school/suny-buffalo-state-university/) 4. / 5. Admissions & selectivity Admissions & selectivity Copy linkPrint brief # SUNY Buffalo State University Acceptance Rate & Admissions Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/suny-buffalo-state-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/suny-buffalo-state-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/suny-buffalo-state-university/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/suny-buffalo-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/suny-buffalo-state-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## What is the acceptance rate at SUNY Buffalo State University? SUNY Buffalo State University’s reported acceptance rate is 73.0%. **Acceptance rate · Fall 2024** 73.0% Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle. How to interpret the acceptance rate At SUNY Buffalo State University, the admission rate was 73.0%, meaning that share of applicants to the reported entering class received offers of admission. The rate sits below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). ## What SAT and ACT scores do SUNY Buffalo State University students report? SAT submissions show a broad academic range among recent enrollees at SUNY Buffalo State University. Applicants should use the school’s 980 to 1,240 SAT range as a reference point when comparing their own score with those of enrolled students who submitted results. The span describes the middle half of submitted SAT scores, from the lower quarter point to the upper quarter point; it is not a minimum score for admission. Because the figures cover only score submitters, they do not describe every enrolled student. Used as context rather than a cutoff, the range offers a concrete picture of the academic profile represented in the submitted scores. The ranges below describe enrolled students who submitted test scores at SUNY Buffalo State University. Use them as academic context, then check the university’s current testing policy for your application cycle. SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Approximate lower endpoint** 980 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1240 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters. Figures cover fall 2024. ## Who enrolls at SUNY Buffalo State University? **Pell Grant recipients** 55.6% **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group** 27.1% **First-year retention** 57.7% Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention. About these student measures The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns. Access is a defining feature at SUNY Buffalo State University, where 55.6% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. The university enrolls 5,097 undergraduates, and an estimated 27.1% transfer in, indicating that many students arrive through routes other than direct first-year entry. Pell Grant receipt is a financial-access measure, not a description of every student’s background, but the share shows that grant-aided undergraduates are a large part of the campus. This composition suggests a university serving both students with grant aid and students continuing work begun elsewhere. Applicants who are Pell-eligible or plan to transfer should use these figures when comparing entry paths at the university. Student persistence and completion sit below the comparable-institution medians, though Pell recipients complete at a higher rate than the overall first-time full-time cohort. The first-year retention rate is 57.7%, below the peer median of 73.7% for comparable institutions. For the first-time full-time cohort, the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 33.3%, also below the peer median of 49.1%. Pell recipients in that cohort have a six-year completion rate of 48.7%, above the overall rate by 15.4 percentage points. Enrolled students can expect that returning after the first year and finishing within six years are outcomes worth tracking from the start. The lower peer comparisons and the higher Pell completion rate present a mixed picture of student progress. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).