Upstate NY university cuts 8 academic programs

SUNY Buffalo State University deactivates degrees, minors and certificates due to low enrollment

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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SUNY Buffalo State University has announced the elimination of 8 academic programs, including 1 undergraduate degree, 2 master's degrees, 2 minors, and 3 certificate programs. The affected programs have a total of 48 current students, less than 1% of the university's 6,095 total enrollment. The decision was based on low student demand and enrollment levels over the past 3 years, not academic quality.

Why it matters

The cuts reflect the financial pressures facing many public universities, which must balance budgets and invest resources in programs with the highest student demand. This is a difficult decision that impacts both students and faculty, as seen in the emotional reactions from professors who had to deliver the news.

The details

The eliminated programs are: Environmental Geography (B.S.), Conflict Analysis and Resolution (M.S.), Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration (M.S.), Geography (minor), Meteorology and Climatology (minor), Geographic Information Systems (undergraduate certificate), Assessment in Higher Education (graduate certificate) and Human Resource Development (graduate certificate). Current students in these programs will be able to complete their degrees with faculty support, but the university will not accept new students.

  • On February 8, 2026, SUNY Buffalo State University announced the program eliminations.
  • The university launched its Framework for Fiscal Stability plan in 2024, which led to the program review process.

The players

SUNY Buffalo State University

A public university in Buffalo, New York that is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system.

Dakota Richter

A graduate student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration M.S. Program at SUNY Buffalo State University.

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What they’re saying

“The Buffalo State professors, I've never seen them actually cry in front of me, so that raw emotion was just so conflicting, it put my stomach in a knot.”

— Dakota Richter, Graduate student (WIVB)

What’s next

The university said it will continue reviewing all programs using the same process established through shared governance when it launched its Framework for Fiscal Stability plan in 2024, but no additional decisions have been made yet.

The takeaway

This case highlights the difficult decisions facing public universities as they balance budgets and invest resources in programs with the highest student demand. While painful for affected students and faculty, the university is taking a data-driven approach to ensure it can continue providing high-quality education in the most in-demand areas.