How should I compare Tulane and the University at Buffalo for college affordability?

The biggest practical tradeoff is that the University at Buffalo is likely to have a much lower starting price, especially for New York residents, while Tulane may only become comparable if its institutional scholarship and need-based aid package substantially closes that gap. Your decision should be based on each school’s official net cost after grants and scholarships, not on sticker price or loans offered in the aid letter.

Put the two award letters side by side and calculate: tuition and required fees, housing and food, estimated books and personal expenses, travel home, and health insurance if it is not already covered. Subtract only grants and scholarships that do not need to be repaid. Keep federal work-study separate from gift aid because it is an opportunity to earn wages, not an upfront discount, and treat parent or private loans as borrowing rather than financial assistance.

New Orleans travel and living costs can be meaningfully different from Buffalo’s, so use your own likely travel schedule rather than a generic estimate.

For affordability, UB is the more sensible choice unless Tulane’s confirmed, renewable gift aid brings its four-year net cost very close to UB’s. A reasonable comparison is the total amount your family can pay over four years plus the federal student loans you are comfortable taking, not merely the first-year bill.