by our College Data Analytics TeamHere is what you can expect to pay at University at Buffalo, spanning what it costs to attend, projected costs over a degree, net price, debt outcomes, and aid equity.
Use the section links below to navigate this overview:
The full cost of attending University at Buffalo varied between $29,043.00 to $49,643.00 depending on whether you qualify for in-state rates.
In-state students paid the lower published figure, while out-of-state students faced the higher one: roughly $29,043.00 in-state, rising to $49,643.00 out of state.
The blocks below show what you would pay with no aid, with average aid, and as a low-income student.
| Tuition and fees | $10,936.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $18,107.00 |
| Total cost | $29,043.00 |
| That is 51% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $29,043.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$9,790.00 |
| Net price | $19,253.00 |
| That is roughly at the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $29,043.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$16,117.00 |
| Net price | $12,926.00 |
| That is 33% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $31,536.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $18,107.00 |
| Total cost | $49,643.00 |
| That is 158% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $49,643.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$9,790.00 |
| Net price | $39,853.00 |
| That is 107% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $49,643.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$16,117.00 |
| Net price | $33,526.00 |
| That is 74% above the national average net price. | |
| Want the line-by-line detail? Dig into tuition and fees plus room and board. |
Cost of attendance here has been rising at a recent average of 3.2% annually, so the projections below total more than one year of attendance. Below, the cost is projected across a degree for three students at once — low-income with aid, average aid, and no aid. Loan math assumes ten-year repayment at 6.8% interest.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% |
| Freshman year | $13,343.00 | $19,873.00 | $29,979.00 |
| Senior year | $14,675.00 | $21,858.00 | $32,972.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $56,006.00 | $83,420.00 | $125,839.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $21,336.00 | $31,780.00 | $47,940.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $645.00 | $960.00 | $1,448.00 |
| Total amount paid | $77,343.00 | $115,200.00 | $173,779.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% |
| Freshman year | $13,343.00 | $19,873.00 | $29,979.00 |
| Senior year | $13,773.00 | $20,514.00 | $30,945.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $27,115.00 | $40,387.00 | $60,924.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $10,330.00 | $15,386.00 | $23,210.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $312.00 | $465.00 | $701.00 |
| Total amount paid | $37,445.00 | $55,774.00 | $84,134.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% |
| Freshman year | $34,606.00 | $41,137.00 | $51,243.00 |
| Senior year | $38,061.00 | $45,244.00 | $56,359.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $145,263.00 | $172,677.00 | $215,095.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $55,340.00 | $65,784.00 | $81,943.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,672.00 | $1,987.00 | $2,475.00 |
| Total amount paid | $200,603.00 | $238,460.00 | $297,038.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% |
| Freshman year | $34,606.00 | $41,137.00 | $51,243.00 |
| Senior year | $35,722.00 | $42,463.00 | $52,894.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $70,328.00 | $83,601.00 | $104,137.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $26,793.00 | $31,849.00 | $39,673.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $809.00 | $962.00 | $1,198.00 |
| Total amount paid | $97,121.00 | $115,449.00 | $143,810.00 |
See the full net-price breakdown in the Net Price section.
Net price strips out grant and scholarship aid to show what families really pay. It is usually a better planning number than the sticker cost above.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $20,995.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $20,470.00 |
The real cost varies by income because need-based aid scales with financial need. The table below shows the average net price by family-income bracket:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $14,240.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $16,624.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $21,261.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $23,286.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $26,546.00 |
Run your own numbers with the University at Buffalo Net Price Calculator, or contact the financial aid office.
Curious how grants and scholarships are distributed? Explore the grants & scholarships detail.
Median graduate debt at University at Buffalo stands at $14,250.00, categorized as a Low ($10-20k) debt-burden bucket.
The percentile breakdown reveals the full debt landscape:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,500.00 |
| 25th | $6,600.00 |
| Median (50th) | $14,250.00 |
| 75th | $24,403.00 |
| 90th | $29,400.00 |
The 10th-to-90th-percentile spread is one signal of how variable debt outcomes are across the student body.
For the full borrowing and repayment picture, see the student-loan-debt breakdown.
Median debt at graduation differs meaningfully across income brackets. Below the data splits borrowers across three income groups:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $13,000.00 |
| Middle income | $14,000.00 |
| High income | $15,000.00 |
First-generation students frequently graduate with different debt than continuing-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,000.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,000.00 |
Pell Grants are the largest source of federal need-based aid for undergrads. The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap reveals how borrowing differs by need.
The median debt gap between Pell and non-Pell graduates of University at Buffalo works out to $808.00. This institution is flagged by federal data for Pell-debt inequity.
The federal default-rate classification for University at Buffalo is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 4.0% |
For a sense of scale, Stafford disbursements at University at Buffalo total $2,241,226,390.00 covering 81,829 disbursements.
Veteran and active-military students often access dedicated federal aid programs including the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Department of Defense Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 174 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $9,390.00 |
For the full rundown of veteran and military benefits, see the veterans benefits detail.
Numbers only tell part of the story. As you weigh University at Buffalo, the questions below are worth your time:
For a closer look at any of these topics, follow the links below:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.