State University of New York Chancellor Robert L. King today told a breakfast meeting sponsored by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership business association how the nine Western New York SUNY colleges contribute $1.14 billion a year to the New York economy.

“The combined budgets of the nine Western New York colleges total more than $1.14 billion of economic activity for this region,” King said at the breakfast, co-sponsored by Buffalo State College.

“These nine colleges have a combined enrollment of 70,211 students and 12,167 employees on campuses which granted 12,861 degrees in the last year,” said King. “Add to that the 488,223 alumni living in Western New York and one can see the huge human resource SUNY creates right in your own backyard.”

The University at Buffalo, Buffalo State College, the College of Ceramics, SUNY College at Fredonia, the SUNY College of Technology at Alfred, Erie Community College, Jamestown Community College, Niagara County Community College and Empire State College are the nine SUNY colleges in Western New York.

“These SUNY colleges have capital construction budgets of $256.5 million and they are attracting millions of dollars for research and thousands of dollars of workforce development training funds,” added King.

“The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States educating more than 410,000 students in 6,650 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses,” added King. “These nine colleges can draw on all the SUNY resources system-wide to enrich and advance the area’s economy and quality of life.”

To view the Chancellor's presentation, visit SUNY Means Business - PowerPoint (PPT, 276 KB). To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu.