More selective than 44% of New York colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $30,785. College Scorecard.
Higher than 78% of New York colleges we cover and 86% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 74% of New York colleges we cover and 86% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
UB acceptance rate & admissions
Of 38,210 applicants, University at Buffalo admitted 26,481 and 4,271 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1210–1380 on the SAT or 27–32 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
UB tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for New York residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: New York residents may qualify for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP): up to $5,665 a year toward tuition at eligible New York colleges, for dependent students with New York net taxable family income up to $125,000. At SUNY and CUNY, the Excelsior Scholarship can cover remaining in-state tuition for eligible families (income limits apply). Not included in the prices above. New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC)
What UB costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University at Buffalo took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in New York. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $14,668 | $62,192 | 1.7 years |
| $30–48k | $16,585 | $70,320 | 1.9 years |
| $48–75k | $21,262 | $90,151 | 2.5 years |
| $75–110k | $24,117 | $102,256 | 2.8 years |
| $110k+ | $28,079 | $119,055 | 3.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (59% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($70,814) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $36,181 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
UB majors, earnings & careers
University at Buffalo offers 80 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 16
- Engineering · 15
- Humanities & Languages · 15
- Health & Medicine · 9
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 9
- Arts & Design · 5
- Technology & Computing · 5
- Business & Finance · 4
- Communications & Media · 1
- Education · 1
Highest-earning majors at UB
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $109,221 | $22,500 |
| Computer Science | $105,160 | $20,500 |
| Chemical Engineering | $95,424 | $23,161 |
| Electrical Engineering | $95,209 | $23,500 |
| Nursing | $93,507 | $26,117 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering | $92,360 | $24,846 |
| Accounting | $92,314 | $19,680 |
| Medical Laboratory Science | $89,223 | $21,842 |
Quick list of all 80 majors
- Accounting$92,314
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$92,360
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology$44,274
- Applied Mathematics—
- Architecture$61,525
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$57,298
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology—
- Biomedical Engineering$84,920
- Biotechnology—
- Business Administration$69,903
- Chemical Engineering$95,424
- Chemistry$68,413
- Civil Engineering$84,868
- Classics—
- Cognitive Science—
- Communications$62,912
- Computational Science—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering$109,221
- Computer Science$105,160
- Criminology—
- Dance$39,576
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics$70,720
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering$95,209
- Engineering—
- Engineering Physics—
- English$51,385
- Environmental Design$49,920
- Environmental Engineering$75,263
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography$43,285
- Geography$68,176
- Geology / Earth Science$59,841
- German—
- History$50,518
- Industrial Engineering$86,118
- Information Science / Studies—
- Information Technology—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business$64,711
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics$44,841
- Materials Engineering—
- Mathematics$60,882
- Mechanical Engineering$84,602
- Medical Laboratory Science$89,223
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Nuclear Engineering—
- Nursing$93,507
- Nutrition Science—
- Pharmacology and Toxicology$64,445
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration—
- Philosophy—
- Philosophy, Politics, and Economics—
- Physics—
- Physiology$66,880
- Political Science$58,292
- Psychology$52,303
- Public Health—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Sciences$56,257
- Sociology$54,382
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$59,216
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$57,360
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$43,584
- Theatre$45,677
- Urban Studies / Affairs—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Buffalo
Overall prices in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,423. Housing costs 19% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 41 inches of rain a year, 95 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Erie County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Erie County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare UB with similar schools
Similar public colleges in New York by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University at Buffalo | 74% | $20,995 | 75% | $70,814 | This school |
| University at Albany | 69% | $17,167 | 61% | $67,979 | |
| Stony Brook University | 49% | $18,784 | 76% | $74,502 | |
| SUNY Oneonta | 70% | $19,158 | 69% | $60,386 | |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | 48% | $3,033 | 72% | $75,971 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University at Buffalo would cost you $3,828 more per year than University at Albany, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University at Buffalo, mostly from a higher estimate for personal & travel costs (+$2,552).
- University at Albany gives aided families $1,845 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, New York resident | UB | University at Albany | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $10,936 | $10,866 | +$70 |
| Books & supplies | $1,500 | $1,000 | +$500 |
| Housing & meals | $16,754 | $16,182 | +$572 |
| Personal & travel | $4,752 | $2,200 | +$2,552 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,157 | −$1,446 | −$1,711 |
| Sticker price | $30,785 | $28,802 | +$1,983 |
| Average grants | −$9,790 | −$11,635 | +$1,845 |
| You pay | $20,995 | $17,167 | +$3,828 |
“+” means UB costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about UB
What is the UB acceptance rate?
University at Buffalo accepts 74% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 26,481 of 38,210 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1210–1380 on the SAT or 27–32 on the ACT.
How much does University at Buffalo cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $30,785 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $20,995 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $14,668 and families earning $110k+ pay $28,079.
How much do UB graduates earn?
Former University at Buffalo students earn a median $70,814 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the UB graduation rate?
75% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 85% return for their second year.
How long does a UB degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University at Buffalo costs about $90,151 after grants ($21,262 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $70,814 ten years after starting, $36,181 more than high school graduates in New York ($34,633), so the cost is repaid in 2.5 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University at Buffalo: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-at-buffalo (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).