SUNY Poly vs. Buffalo State College

Should I go to SUNY Polytechnic Institute or SUNY College at Buffalo? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SUNY Poly or Buffalo State College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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SUNY Polytechnic Institute vs. SUNY College at Buffalo comparison
SUNY Polytechnic Institute SUNY College at Buffalo College 3 College 4
SUNY Polytechnic Institute SUNY College at Buffalo
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Overview

 SUNY Poly Buffalo State College
Location Utica, NY Buffalo, NY
Setting Rural Fringe Large City
Enrollment 2,704 6,470
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #307 #609
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sunyit.edu buffalostate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SUNY Poly Buffalo State College
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $7,070
Tuition (Out of State) $18,720 $17,490
Room & Board $14,750 $16,716
Avg Net Price $14,646 $13,735
Avg Grant Aid $8,137 $8,921
% Receiving Grant Aid 90% 88%

Admission

 SUNY Poly Buffalo State College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,936 15,943
Admitted 3,872 12,096
Acceptance Rate 78.4% 75.9%
Enrolled % 10% 12%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 2.84
Typical High School Grades A- B-
Admissions Standards Challenging Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/27
SAT Range 1150/1330 960/1190
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2026

Academics

 SUNY Poly Buffalo State College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Engineering Technology (20%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Education (26%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)

Outcomes

 SUNY Poly Buffalo State College
Graduation Rate 47% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,200 $40,700
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,585 $21,409
Median Loan Payment $171 $221

Diversity

 SUNY Poly Buffalo State College
% Men 11% 4%
% Women 19% 10%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 79% 51%
% Black 6% 28%
% Hispanic 7% 12%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 0%

Students

 SUNY Poly Buffalo State College
% In-State 95% 94%
% Out-of-State 3% 3%

Campus

 SUNY Poly Buffalo State College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • SUNY College at Buffalo is larger than than SUNY Poly based on total student enrollment (6,470 students vs. 2,704 students)

SUNY Poly vs. Buffalo State College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SUNY Poly or Buffalo State College?

  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute and Buffalo State College cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($7,070.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7% higher at SUNY Poly than SUNY College at Buffalo ($18,720.00 vs. $17,490.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY College at Buffalo than SUNY Poly ($13,735 vs. $14,646)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY Polytechnic Institute are 13.3% lower than costs at SUNY College at Buffalo ($14,750 vs. $16,716)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY Polytechnic Institute than SUNY College at Buffalo (90% vs. 88%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by SUNY College at Buffalo students is 9.6% larger than aid received SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($8,921 vs. $8,137)

SUNY Poly vs. Buffalo State College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SUNY Poly or Buffalo State College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Buffalo State College or SUNY Poly .

  • The average SAT score at SUNY Polytechnic Institute (1141) is 240 points higher than at Buffalo State College (901)
  • Incoming SUNY Poly students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Buffalo State College (19)
  • Accepted freshman SUNY Poly students have a 0.86 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at Buffalo State College (2.84)
  • SUNY Poly has a higher acceptance rate (78.4%) than Buffalo State College (75.9%)

SUNY Poly vs. Buffalo State College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY Poly or Buffalo State College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Buffalo State College and SUNY Poly.

  • The graduation rate at SUNY Poly is the same as at SUNY College at Buffalo (47% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from SUNY Polytechnic Institute earn on average $12,500 more per year than Buffalo State College graduates after ten years. ($53,200 vs. $40,700)
  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute students graduate with a $4,824 lower median federal student loan debt than Buffalo State College graduates. ($16,585 vs. $21,409)
  • SUNY Poly graduates are paying $50 less per month on federal student loans than Buffalo State College graduates. ($171 vs. $221)
  • More SUNY Poly graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Buffalo State College students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 59%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/