Studying In Buffalo

With eight Higher Education establishments studying in Buffalo has something to offer everyone, which for a city with a population of well over a quarter of a million is to be expected. There are four private colleges: Canisius, D’Youville, Medaille and Trociare; but it is the four publicly funded ones that are probably better known, three of which are part of the State University of New York (SUNY) organization. In any one year the total student population of Buffalo approaches 50,000, meaning that students make a significant contribution to the economy of Buffalo and, along with their studies, have an influence on the social and sporting life of the city.

The University of Buffalo

The senior academic establishment in Buffalo is undoubtedly the University of Buffalo (UB) itself, with its main campus in Buffalo city and a subsidiary campus to the north of the city at Amherst. The roots of the University of Buffalo date back to 1846 but it wasn’t until 1962 that it came into public ownership, indeed to give it its full title today we really should say - the State University of New York at Buffalo. UB has three campuses; a fairly modern looking north one located in Amherst, which caters for a variety of arts and sciences related courses; the south campus in Buffalo which is mainly given over to medical studies and the downtown campus, built as recently as 2002, which is the main study center for modern life sciences and high-tech research. Overall UB is probably best known as a sciences and engineering university that also has the facility to offer a broad range of research/post-graduate degrees. UB is also a popular university accounting for about half of the student population resident in Buffalo. Accommodation is offered in regular halls of residence on campus, but in recent years the university has also built apartment style residences off the main campus but nearby, so that those students wishing to can have a greater degree of independence whilst studying. Sports teams are known as, you guessed it, Buffalo Bulls and the Thunder of the East marching band is regularly on hand - especially to support the high achieving football team.

The SUNY Colleges

Best known for its liberal arts courses, students at the Buffalo State College also follow courses in sciences, technology and education. Founded in 1871 this college now boasts some 9,000 undergraduate and over 2000 post-graduate students; many of whom are from out of state and even overseas - making this college quite a cosmopolitan one. Sports wise Buff State, as it is affectionately known, cannot compete with its neighboring university. Whilst the university enjoys NCAA Division 1 status, Buff State is somewhat down the sports leagues in Division 3. However, possibly as a result of having a lot of overseas students, Buff State can compete with the best when it comes to playing the field sport of Rugby Union. Finally there is Erie College, originally an Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences opened in 1946, which despite being the fourth largest of all the SUNY colleges - Erie now only offers the two year community college courses. Nonetheless, it too has keen body of sports teams who play in the National Junior College Leagues.

Student life in Buffalo

Located well to the north of the USA Buffalo is often perceived as simply being a cold, remote and somewhat drab place to be. Whilst it is fair to say that if you really can only function in hot and permanently sunny climes then studying in Buffalo might not be the best idea. The truth is that Buffalo is simply one of the most ideal environments to study in. Modern Buffalo has all of the amenities you might want off-campus such as stores, coffee-shops and restaurants etc; whilst on the 125 acre campus you’ll find every possible type of entertainment imaginable and all within an area that is easily accessible. If water or winter sports are your thing, then being on the shores of Lake Erie and having mountains nearby suitable for skiing and snow-boarding will surely make you happy. Alternatively, if you just want to be inspired by nature just 20 miles away there’s one of the most iconic sights in the world - Niagara Falls.