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SUNY Buffalo State University
Buffalo, NY 5,358 Undergrads 48.9% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$23,171
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$14,229
After Aid
Median Earnings
$52,334
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$14,229
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$52,334
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate48.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients54.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time90.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS66.3%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
75.9%
SAT Avg
1,080
SAT Reading
25th: 48051575th: 600
SAT Math
25th: 48053075th: 590
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$456k
+$60k
-$28k
Median Cost$14k/yr
+$405k
+$8k
-$79k
Full Cost$23k/yr
+$373k
-$24k
-$112k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$14k/yr
Never
-155%
Full Cost$23k/yr
Never
-134%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return-137%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return-82%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$246k
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1002
Median Debt
$18,375
Earnings (5yr)
$37,576
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$17,250
Earnings (5yr)
$47,430
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$20,407
Earnings (5yr)
$56,380
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$21,748
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$168k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$21,031
Earnings (5yr)
$45,478
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
BachCIP: 0999
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (5yr)
$48,271
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$56,366
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,191
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
BachCIP: 5131
Median Debt
$26,450
Earnings (5yr)
$52,622
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$20,152
Earnings (5yr)
$30,530
Lifetime Value Added
-$254k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (5yr)
$62,835
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1503
Median Debt
$24,870
Earnings (5yr)
$89,829
Lifetime Value Added
+$216k
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies
BachCIP: 1904
Median Debt
$21,691
Earnings (5yr)
$40,460
Lifetime Value Added
-$170k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$43,608
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,453
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$20,160
Earnings (5yr)
$39,929
Lifetime Value Added
-$174k
Hospitality Administration/Management
BachCIP: 5209
Median Debt
$15,625
Earnings (5yr)
$43,844
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1506
Median Debt
$25,324
Earnings (5yr)
$74,319
Lifetime Value Added
+$100k
Information Science/Studies
BachCIP: 1104
Median Debt
$19,250
Earnings (5yr)
$63,973
Lifetime Value Added
+$22k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$41,463
Lifetime Value Added
-$161k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,305
Lifetime Value Added
-$231k
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1508
Median Debt
$22,400
Earnings (5yr)
$86,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$194k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,427
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$19,700
Earnings (5yr)
$49,581
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$24,857
Earnings (5yr)
$46,260
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
BachCIP: 0907
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,781
Lifetime Value Added
-$319k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,409
Lifetime Value Added
-$240k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$49,513
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$20,370
Earnings (5yr)
$47,196
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$19,450
Earnings (5yr)
$53,972
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$47,493
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$47,811
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$34,771
Earnings (2yr)
$46,478
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Curriculum and Instruction
MastCIP: 1303
Median Debt
$19,870
Earnings (5yr)
$51,631
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$29,545
Earnings (5yr)
$63,053
Lifetime Value Added
+$94k
Educational/Instructional Media Design
MastCIP: 1305
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$45,696
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
MastCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General
MastCIP: 3000
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,856
Lifetime Value Added
+$84k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$33,000
Earnings (5yr)
$57,261
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$20,944
Earnings (5yr)
$51,866
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.