How much debt do University at Buffalo economics graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $20,225, which ranks 14th lowest of 32 economics bachelor's programs in New York. That works out to about $214 a month over 10 years.

Is a economics degree from University at Buffalo worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 50% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 43%. Compare the cost with other New York programs before deciding.

University at Buffalo Economics (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do University at Buffalo economics graduates stay in New York?

Most do. 87% (96 of 110) were working in New York one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Economics
Public university
Buffalo, NY
About 117 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

University at Buffalo economics graduates earn less than graduates of most economics programs nationally, $40,078 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $20,225 in federal loans, close to the national median of $22,717. Several New York programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$40,07811th percentile of 338 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$68,44771% more than year one

Median federal debt$20,22514th lowest of 32 New York programs

Debt-to-earnings50%New York median 43%, national 43%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The New York and national columns are the medians across all economics bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	University at Buffalo	New York	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$40,078	$50,059	$51,725
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$68,447	$82,469	$77,760
Median federal debt at graduation	$20,225	$21,550	$22,717
Debt as share of first-year pay	50%	43%	43%
Programs compared		36	338

Five years out, University at Buffalo graduates earn less than the national figure and about $14,022 less than the New York median. Several New York programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

Debt and first-year pay at every New York economics program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the New York medians.

University at BuffaloOther New York programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 71% between the first and fifth year.

University at Buffalo grads, year 1$40,078

University at Buffalo grads, year 5$68,447

All New York economics grads, year 5$82,469

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Does family income change the outcome?

Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned more in their first year than other graduates, but borrowed more: a median of $20,999 against $18,500.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$42,665Median debt $20,999

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$37,561Median debt $18,500

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $214 a month, or 6.4% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (99 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20–39%
Paused payments (forbearance)	20% or less
In default	20% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

87% of graduates (96 of 110) were working in New York one year after graduating. Prices in the Buffalo area are about 4% below the national average, so a $40,078 salary here buys what about $41,816 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to economics, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$97,070

Median pay in New York. 70,660 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $60,070Top 10%: $136,450

Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists

$98,580

Median pay in New York. 80,500 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 82,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $56,070Top 10%: $165,920

Data Scientists

$130,460

Median pay in New York. 23,970 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 35% from 2025 to 2035, with about 24,800 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $73,330Top 10%: $214,080

Social Science Research Assistants

$61,210

Median pay in New York. 3,040 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $35,520Top 10%: $103,080

About University at Buffalo

In-state tuition and fees	$10,936 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$31,536 / year
Average net price after aid	$20,995 / year
Admission rate	74%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	75%
Undergraduate students	20,112

Economics ranks 16th of 40 bachelor's programs at University at Buffalo by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($78,621), Computer Engineering ($74,753), and Electrical Engineering ($74,205).

Other economics bachelor's programs near Buffalo

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY · public		$40,078	$20,225
Canisius UniversityBuffalo, NY · private nonprofit	6 mi	$55,786	$25,500
Buffalo StateBuffalo, NY · public	7 mi	$41,547	$26,000
SUNY College at GeneseoGeneseo, NY · public	51 mi	$48,691	$20,824
University of RochesterRochester, NY · private nonprofit	59 mi	$63,475	$19,946

Common questions

The median graduate earns $40,078 one year after graduating and $68,447 five years after. The median across economics bachelor's programs in New York is $50,059.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of New York comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the economics program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Economics bachelor's programs in New York, ranked36 programs by pay and debt Economics bachelor's programs in the US, ranked338 programs by pay and debt All University at Buffalo programs, ranked40 programs by pay and debt