With 55 schools to choose from, western New York state abounds with options for your higher education goals. Use the National Center for Education Statistics' data on net prices, proximity to cities, student populations, and graduation rates to get the most complete picture of each school.
Western New York Schools Near Large Cities
Being able to live within a big city while attending school is appealing to many students. In the western half of New York state, however, your options are fairly limited. The only city the NCES classifies as 'large' in the region is Buffalo. Even so, there are several school options from which you can choose, including:
- SUNY Buffalo State
- Bryant & Stratton College - Buffalo
- Erie Community College
- Canisius College
- Medaille College
Largest Schools in Western New York
Large student populations can be advantageous, given the increased number of activities and services on campus that come with it. The NCES lists area schools along with their 2021 student enrollment. According to this data, these are the largest five school in western New York state:
- University at Buffalo (32,332)
- University of Rochester (12,039)
- Monroe Community College (8,721)
- Erie Community College (8,140)
- SUNY Buffalo State (7,173)
Lowest Net Price
A school's net price is determined by subtracting the average amount of financial aid students receive from the total cost of attendance. According to the NCES' calculations, these are the schools in the region with the lowest net prices for full-time undergraduates who attended school during the 2020-2021 year:
- Erie Community College ($5,271)
- Niagara County Community College ($6,151)
- Monroe Community College ($7,150)
- Genesee Community College ($7,412)
- Villa Maria College ($15,270)
Highest Graduation Rate
The NCES defines a school's graduation rate as the percentage of new students who graduate within 150% of the 'normal time' for their programs (for example, completing a 4-year bachelor's degree program within six years). According to the data, the following postsecondary schools have the highest undergraduate graduation rates in western New York state for those who began college by 2015.
- University of Rochester (86%)
- SUNY College at Geneseo (76%)
- University at Buffalo (74%)
- Canisius College (71%)
- Houghton College (65%)
To thoroughly review all your options, make sure to consider graduation rate, location, student population, and net price for every school you research in western New York state.
