University at Buffalo: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Stony Brook, New York · Public · Selective · CDS 2024-2025
University at Buffalo is a public university in Stony Brook, New York that admits about 49% of applicants, making it a selective school. The average family pays about $18,430 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Psychology, General, Biology, General and Business Administration, Management and Operations, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 76% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 2.4 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
University at Buffalo is a public institution located in Stony Brook, New York with a selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, University at Buffalo admits between a quarter and half of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 49%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1410 and an ACT composite around 31. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $18,430 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether University at Buffalo is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for University at Buffalo?
Admitted students at University at Buffalo typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does University at Buffalo weight in admissions?
University at Buffalo reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Standardized test scores
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Class rank
- • Interview
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores University at Buffalo typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 680–770, with an EBRW midpoint near 670. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 28–33. A score at or above this school's 75th percentile materially improves your child's odds, particularly when paired with a rigorous course load.
| 25th percentile | 1340 |
| 50th percentile | 1410 |
| 75th percentile | 1480 |
| % submitting SAT | 34% |
| 25th percentile | 29 |
| 50th percentile | 31 |
| 75th percentile | 33 |
| % submitting ACT | 3% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 48% |
| Top 25% of class | 81% |
| Top 50% of class | 97% |
| % submitting class rank | 25% |
How much does University at Buffalo actually cost?
Published tuition is $10,560 for in-state students and $30,350 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $17,662 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $18,430 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 38% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $7,070 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $28,880 |
| Room and board | $18,196 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $18,430 |
| Application fee | — (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for University at Buffalo
| Regular deadline | January 15 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
Will my child graduate from University at Buffalo?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at University at Buffalo
The most popular undergraduate programs at University at Buffalo, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Psychology, General, Biology, General and Business Administration, Management and Operations. Across all programs, University at Buffalo confers roughly 3,222 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Psychology, General program report a median income of about $60,999 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology, General | 591 | $60,999 |
| Biology, General | 549 | $68,096 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 464 | $74,434 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | 446 | $77,240 |
| Applied Mathematics | 399 | $89,923 |
| Economics | 296 | $80,632 |
| Computer Science | 258 | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 219 | $106,785 |
Is University at Buffalo safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), University at Buffalo disclosed 43 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 2.4 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 10 violent offenses and 21 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at University at Buffalo?
About 52% of undergraduates at University at Buffalo live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. In Greek life, 2% of men join a fraternity and 3% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in New York parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like University at Buffalo
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like University at Buffalo recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about University at Buffalo
What GPA do I need for University at Buffalo?
Admitted students at University at Buffalo typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses.
What SAT or ACT score does University at Buffalo typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 680–770, with an EBRW midpoint near 670. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 28–33.
How much does University at Buffalo actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University at Buffalo after grants and scholarships is $18,430 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is University at Buffalo realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, University at Buffalo is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at University at Buffalo?
University at Buffalo accepts about 49% of applicants out of roughly 55,880 who apply each year. That makes it a selective school.
Is University at Buffalo test-optional?
Yes. University at Buffalo is test-optional, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at University at Buffalo?
About 76% of students at University at Buffalo graduate within six years, and 65% finish in four years. 90% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does University at Buffalo look for in applicants?
University at Buffalo rates course rigor, GPA, test scores and the application essay as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is University at Buffalo a public or private school, and where is it located?
University at Buffalo is a public institution located in Stony Brook, New York.
What are the most popular majors at University at Buffalo?
The largest undergraduate majors at University at Buffalo by annual graduates are Psychology, General, Biology, General and Business Administration, Management and Operations. The school awards about 3,222 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is University at Buffalo safe? What is its campus crime rate?
University at Buffalo reported 43 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 2.4 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at University at Buffalo?
At University at Buffalo, 52% of undergraduates live on campus, 2% of men are in fraternities, 3% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by University at Buffalo, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.