10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$171,694at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
SUNY Buffalo State University
⌖ Buffalo, NY · 38 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$171,694 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
42.0 yrsModeled economic break-even
−76%Modeled 10-year ROI
$50,369Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about SUNY Buffalo State University
What does SUNY Buffalo State University cost?
SUNY Buffalo State University reports an average annual net price of $11,346 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do SUNY Buffalo State University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $50,369 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do SUNY Buffalo State University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $21,028. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at SUNY Buffalo State University worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 38 field-and-credential outcomes at SUNY Buffalo State University; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$126,310
$8,000Annual price−$158,310
$11,000Current college-wide context−$170,310
$16,000Annual price−$190,310
$24,000Annual price−$222,310
$32,000Annual price−$254,310
$40,000Annual price−$286,310
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$11,346Average net price / year
$24,279Cost of attendance
$21,028Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$223/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$50,369Median earnings · year 5 after completion
33.3%Completion rate
73.0%Admission rate
5,097Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
44% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
865 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
53% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$48,564Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$53,719Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$54,716Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income46%
Middle income62%
Higher income68%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 15
$61,332Year 1
$85,489Year 5
$113,203Year 10
Computer Programming.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 11
$47,740Year 1
$68,521Year 5
$103,197Year 10
Astronomy and Astrophysics.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 40
$36,980Year 1
$55,464Year 5
$81,157Year 10
Applied Mathematics.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 27
$31,905Year 1
$62,393Year 5
$79,787Year 10
Accounting and Computer Science.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 30
$56,711Year 1
$63,474Year 5
$79,787Year 10
Criminal Justice and Corrections.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 43
$37,867Year 1
$59,187Year 5
$77,055Year 10
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 10
$33,449Year 1
$50,381Year 5
$76,015Year 10
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 13
$52,492Year 1
$61,099Year 5
$71,035Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$35,096Year 1
$53,203Year 4
$50,369Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's Degree$98,0182Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's Degree$82,2423Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's Degree$73,3274Educational Administration and Supervision · Master's Degree$67,7875Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$67,5116Information Science/Studies · Bachelor's Degree$64,6287Educational Administration and Supervision · Bachelor's Degree$64,0598Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General · Master's Degree$63,411Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Educational Administration and SupervisionBachelor's Degree · $64,059 reported+35%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's Degree · $98,018 reported+21%vs same-degree national median$29,500federal debt3Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $59,096 reported+17%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Special Education and TeachingBachelor's Degree · $57,096 reported+13%vs same-degree national median$22,610federal debt5Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's Degree · $45,222 reported+9%vs same-degree national median$23,000federal debt6Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition ServicesBachelor's Degree · $60,937 reported+9%vs same-degree national median$34,940federal debt
Comparable colleges in NY
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Suffern, NY
Rockland Community College
- Annual net price
- $11,282
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $49,094
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -82%
SUNY College at Potsdam
- Annual net price
- $13,624
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $48,847
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -84%
Eastern Suffolk BOCES
- Annual net price
- $11,330
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $54,488
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -58%
Nassau Community College
- Annual net price
- $7,095
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $50,850
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -72%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's Degree | $98,018 | $29,500 | Not reported |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's Degree | $82,242 | $28,000 | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's Degree | $73,327 | $24,436 | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $67,787 | Not available | 6 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $67,511 | Not available | Not reported |
| Information Science/Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $64,628 | $25,651 | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Bachelor's Degree | $64,059 | Not available | 0 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | Master's Degree | $63,411 | Not available | Not reported |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | $61,262 | $24,373 | Not reported |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | Bachelor's Degree | $60,937 | $34,940 | Not reported |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | Bachelor's Degree | $59,096 | Not available | Not reported |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $58,497 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Master's Degree | $58,389 | Not available | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $58,041 | $26,875 | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's Degree | $57,652 | Not available | 0 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $57,114 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Bachelor's Degree | $57,096 | $22,610 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $56,034 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $54,561 | $25,394 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Master's Degree | $54,034 | Not available | 0 |
| Social Work | Bachelor's Degree | $53,130 | $23,312 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $52,490 | $26,528 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $51,379 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $51,209 | $26,999 | Not reported |
| Curriculum and Instruction | Master's Degree | $51,175 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's Degree | $49,853 | $25,000 | 0 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $49,595 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $49,500 | $23,405 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $48,735 | $25,500 | Not reported |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Bachelor's Degree | $48,267 | $19,500 | Not reported |
| Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $47,880 | $25,375 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $46,986 | Not available | 0 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $46,705 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | Bachelor's Degree | $46,224 | Not available | Not reported |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $45,222 | $23,000 | Not reported |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's Degree | $45,120 | $25,469 | Not reported |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's Degree | $39,863 | $21,810 | Not reported |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $20,250 | Not reported |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.