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About Buffalo State

Key Facts and People


Academics | Tuition | Class Size | Student Body | Faculty | Housing | Athletics | Location | Campus

Academics

Buffalo State offers 136 undergraduate programs with 11 honors options and 63 opportunities for graduate study, including 18 postbaccalaureate teacher certification programs (PTCP).

Buffalo State was established in 1871 and joined the State University of New York (SUNY) system in 1948.

Advanced scholastic opportunities are available through our All College Honors Program and several departmental honors programs.

More than 60 countries participate in Buffalo State and SUNY's international education programs.

Many internships and applied research opportunities are available; for example, Buffalo State's Great Lakes Center has its own fleet of research ships and an on-shore lab.

Buffalo State offers several programs not available at any other SUNY institution, including:

Buffalo State is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104; (215) 662-5606. The Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. secretary of education and the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation. Buffalo State also is accredited by the Board of Regents, University of the State of New York. In addition, the following professional organizations have determined that Buffalo State programs meet their accreditation requirements:

  • Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (Weigel Health Center)
  • Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)*
  • Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration
  • American Association of Museums (Burchfield-Penney Art Center)
  • American Chemical Society
  • American Dietetic Association**
  • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
  • Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly Foundation for Interior Design Education Research—FIDER)
  • Council on Social Work Education
  • International Association of Counseling Services (Counseling Center)
  • National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT)
  • National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) 
  • National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST)
  • National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)***

*Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202, (410) 347-7700.

**The didactic program in dietetics at Buffalo State is currently granted initial accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education of the American Dietetic Association, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, (312) 899-5400.

**The coordinated program in dietetics at Buffalo State is currently granted continuing accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education of the American Dietetic Association, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, (312) 899-5400.

***The professional education programs at Buffalo State are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2010 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 466-7496. The accreditation includes the initial teacher preparation and advanced levels of professional education offered at the college.

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Tuition

As a part of the SUNY system, Buffalo State is an extraordinary value. Three out of four students receive financial aid, whether it's awarded based on achievement, need, or a special scholarship for their major; numerous scholarships, grants, and loan programs are also available. Resources for tuition and fees for both undergraduate and graduate students are available from the Student Accounts Office.

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Class Size

Classes for undergraduate majors usually have between 12 and 15 students, while 86 percent of all classes have fewer than 40 students in them.

Some introductory undergraduate classes have approximately 100 students, but most students only take a few of these classes during their college tenure.

Most graduate courses have less than 15 students.

Student Body

Total number of students, fall 2006: 11,220

- 9,314 undergraduates
- 1,906 graduates

Buffalo State has the largest enrollment of SUNY's comprehensive colleges.

There are more than 100 student organizations and 25+ fraternities and sororities on campus. Student-run activities include WBNY  91.3 FM (student-run radio), the student newspaper, and a student film society. Also on campus for students: dance, theater, jazz and concert bands, and a literary magazine.

Ninety-eight percent of Buffalo State students are from New York State.

Around 59 percent of undergraduates and 70 percent of graduate students are female. Three out of every four undergraduate students are under age 25.

Most undergraduates attend full-time; most graduate students attend part-time.

The most recent alumni survey showed that 73 percent of graduates were employed full time and 79 percent found a job within six months of graduating.

The college has more than 79,000 living alumni.

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Faculty

Nationally renowned scholars who bring the latest research to the classroom. Teaching is their first priority.

Faculty are easily available after class or during office hours; class sizes are small and students find their professors very approachable.

Total number of faculty and staff members (full- and part-time), fall 2007: 2212.

Eighty percent of full-time Buffalo State faculty members hold the highest degree in their field; graduating institutions include Carnegie Mellon, George Washington, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, Stanford, and Yale.

Twenty-six percent of Buffalo State faculty members have graduate faculty status, allowing them to teach graduate-level courses.

Forty-five faculty members have been awarded the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, and six have been honored as SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professors.

The faculty at Buffalo State has been commended as a "major source of excellence" by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

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Housing

More than 2,000 students live on campus in 10 corridor, suite, and apartment-style campus residence halls.

Graduate and upperclass students may opt to live on campus, or live off campus in Buffalo's attractive Elmwood neighborhood.

High-speed Internet access is available for all on-campus students.

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Athletics

Buffalo State is a NCAA Division III school.

There are eight men's and 11 women's varsity sports as well as intramural and club sports.

The Sports Complex includes football and soccer fields, tracks (indoor and outdoor), a 3,500-seat sports arena, ice arena, gym, and pool, and brand new fitness center.

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Location

Buffalo State College is located in Buffalo's vibrant museum district, adjacent to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and Delaware Park.

Buffalo is approximately 450 miles from New York City, 250 miles from Cleveland, 90 miles from Toronto, and 15 miles from Niagara Falls. Buffalo is adjacent to Lake Erie.

The campus is surrounded by trendy cafes, restaurants, shops, and Victorian-styled housing.

Easily accessible by car or bus, the campus is approximately 20 minutes from the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

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Campus

Buffalo State's single campus, with historic brick buildings blended with newer ones, is walkable in less than 15 minutes.

The campus has several "quads" linked by walkways. Academic buildings are clustered in the center of campus.

Campus is very safe. The safety and well-being of students, faculty, staff, and visitors is the University Police Department's highest priority. Review our campus safety report.

Most residence halls are within a five-minute walk from classrooms.

The Burchfield-Penney Art Center is located in Rockwell Hall.

There are three performance spaces on campus, including the Warren Enters Theatre.

The college has a dedicated Career Development Center, which provides students with career advisement and access to loads of job-related resources, including the ORCA system—a job listings database.

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Declare yourself.

Buffalo State is the largest four-year college in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, with more than 130 undergraduate and more than 60 graduate programs in the arts, sciences, and education.

Small, diverse classes are taught by dedicated faculty members.