Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for SUNY Buffalo State University, CUNY York College, College of Staten Island CUNY. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | SUNY BuffaloBuffalo, NY | CUNY YorkJamaica, NY | College ofStaten Island, NY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 73.0% | 64.1% | 92.3% |
| SAT middle 50% | 980–1240 | 790–960 | 890–1250 |
| Average net price | $11,34655.6% on Pell grants | $4,45640.1% on Pell grants | $5,57949.6% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $8,533 in-state · $19,653 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $7,358 in-state · $15,308 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $7,490 in-state · $15,440 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 33.3% | 32.3% | 33.9% |
| First-year retention | 57.7% | 57.4% | 75.7% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 55.6% | 40.1% | 49.6% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $52,334 | $56,945 | $53,501 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,028 | $11,000 | $14,350 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 13:1 | 13:1 | 16:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,097 | 4,345 | 9,657 |
| Consensus percentile | 54Lower is better | 55Lower is better | 55Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 32 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 41 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 68 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | SUNY Buffalo | CUNY York | College of |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #120 of 170Regional univ. (North)Regional Universities (North) · 2026 | #139 of 170Regional univ. (North)Regional Universities (North) · 2026 | #101 of 170Regional univ. (North)Regional Universities (North) · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #451 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | #610 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #338 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Niche | #1000 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #1082 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #1267 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing SUNY Buffalo State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing CUNY York College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing College of Staten Island CUNY on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profile