
Buffalo State’s campus-wide student persistence rate from fall 2024 to spring 2025 is 83.4%, up 7 percentage points from the previous year and the strongest rate the campus has seen since 2017.
“This Buffalo State faculty and staff have done a tremendous job in pulling together to make sure students can persist and move from semester to semester onto graduation,” said Buffalo State Interim President Bonita R. Durand, Ph.D.
“Buffalo State is building undeniable momentum,” said David Loreto, interim Vvce president for Enrollment Management. “With four straight years of growth in fall-to-spring persistence and three consecutive years of increasing fall-to-fall retention, we are proving that our student-centered approach works. These gains reflect the collective impact of our faculty, staff, and support programs—and most importantly, the resilience and commitment of our students.”
The persistence rates of students enrolled in Buffalo State’s specialized support programs mirrored the campus-wide rise. The rates for the ACE initiative and the SAY Yes Program are both above 80%, while the rates for the Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program and Muriel A. Howard Honors Program are both above 90%. Roar 2 Success, which provides customized supports designed to help students remain on track with their studies in their first year on campus, had a persistence rate of 89.7%—up 22 percentage points from 2023-24.
“College is a transition no matter how you performed in high school,” said Shawnte Wilson, director of student success and retention. “For some, the transition is academic, others social, others financial—it could be a combination of all those things. Knowing you have support is important.”
These rate increases come at a time when the university is making significant investments in Roar 2 Success; it will be expanding into a two-year program to follow students until they reach their major.
"The Buffalo State Foundation is proud to empower students and support them in any way possible," Judy Elliott, '82, chair of the Buffalo State Foundation. "Roar 2 Success has been a great partner through its innovative approach to student support."
“Our recent gains in student persistence and retention are the result of deep collaboration across campus,” Loreto said. “Buffalo State is creating a comprehensive network of support that helps students stay on track and thrive. These outcomes reflect what’s possible when we unite around a shared commitment to student success.”
These updates and more were mentioned in Interim President Durand’s recent announcement on the university’s Framework for Financial Stability, which outlined strategies for enhancing and strengthening Buffalo State’s ability to fulfill its mission, provide quality academic programming, and serve the needs of the community.
Photo by Jesse Steffan-Colucci, Buffalo State photographer.

