Just weeks ago, SUNY Buffalo State climbed CollegeNET’s Social Mobility Index rankings, making among the site’s top 100 colleges for economically disadvantaged students.

Buffalo State ranks 82^nd nationally out of approximately 1,400 benchmarked schools on the SMI. The index ranks various colleges and universities on their ability to enroll students who struggle financially and graduate them into jobs that pay well and enable them to become more economically stable.

Buffalo State has been widely recognizable as an affordable SUNY school for many students from New York state and beyond. There are various aspects of Buffalo State that make it more affordable than some other SUNY schools.

Buffalo State has a tuition and fees rate of $4,150 a semester. Compared to tuition rates of other SUNY colleges in the area, such as SUNY Fredonia and SUNY Brockport, Buffalo State is the least expensive.

Another aspect that contributes to Buffalo State’s affordability is the bookstore’s price match system. The bookstore will price match Amazon, bn.com and other online retailers and local competitors. The price match applies to new and used textbooks, as well as used copies of the exact same textbook: same edition, format and rental term.

The financial flexibility of Buffalo State goes beyond just education and books. A wide variety of meal plans are offered that have their various benefits. All readily available meal plans to students are less than $3,000 per semester. Buffalo State also allows students to create their own meal plan to accommodate their budgets and preferences. Many of the readily available meal plans include Bengal Bucks which can be used in the bookstore, at vending machines and at certain off-campus locations.

Aside from the economic status of students, Buffalo State has also been noted for enrolling a very diverse group of students. The Chronicle of Higher Education last fall that showed Buffalo State at the top of a national list (all public master’s institutions) of campuses that experienced the largest percentage increase in the enrollment of underrepresented minorities between 2010 and 2016.

Buffalo State has also received various other accolades, such as being a “Best Bang for Your Buck” college four years in a row according to Washington Monthly. In addition, Insight Into Diversity magazine has awarded the college the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award six consecutive years.

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