Getting To Know The College of New Jersey-Again
The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) cracked my ‘Public Ivy list for each of the five admissions cycles that I made the list. I had the opportunity to join a group of counselors for a campus tour and information session in August. A few things have changed at TCNJ. So, I wanted to provide an update that includes new admissions data to share. I also did an interview with Lisa Angeloni, Vice President for Enrollment Management that you must check outl Lisa is one of the best, and also one of the most candid, enrollment managers that I have met. There’s also a TCNJ Pinterest page to view.
Over several years TCNJ has also made major investments in renovations and new construction for academic and residential buildings. The outdoor athletic facilities are among the nicest that you will find at a D-3 public college. TCNJ has also, in my view, been a national model for accessibility for the physically disabled. The college has been at its current location since 1935. However, you could look at Green Hall, the administration building, Trenton Hall, where your tour begins, or the older residence halls, and believe that you’re visiting an older school.
TCNJ maintains strong retention and graduation rates.
This is one reason why the college constantly made my Public Ivy list. The high was 95 percent for the class that entered in 2014. TCNJ’s four-year graduation rates also have been excellent. Most recently, 76 percent of the Class of 2021 finished in four years as did 75 percent of the Class of 2020. Only six other public colleges and universities in the US have done better at graduating their students on time. Those schools, which include the College of William & Mary, are also more expensive and more selective than TCNJ.
Yet TCNJ is not an “ultra-selective” institution.
Interesting to me: the college has become less selective according to their Interactive Fact Book.
- In 2013 there were 9,900 applications for 1,300 seats and 40 percent were accepted.
- Applications reached a high of over 12,000 in 2019. That year 47 percent were accepted.
- By 2022 the number dropped to just over 9,000 as the acceptance rate rose to 64 percent.
- More recently, applications jumped back closer to the 2019 level. There were 11,700 applications for the Class of 2027. Sixty-two percent were accepted.
It’s also important to note that the size of TCNJ’s freshman class has grown from 1,300 to nearly 1,600 students.
TCNJ is also one of the few public institutions that uses Early Decision. In 2023 TCNJ accepted 76 percent of these who chose this opportunity. However, they made up only a fifth of the freshman class.
Some programs will have more competitive admissions.
These include Biological Sciences, Business, Engineering, Health and Exercise Science, Nursing Special Education, and Education for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The nursing program is now test mandatory as are applications to the BS/MD program. A nursing class at TCNJ will have around 90 students; the BS/MD will usually have a cohort of 20. TCNJ is still test optional for most majors. However, I recommend that applicants who scored 600+ on each section of the SAT or 28 or better on each section of the ACT submit scores. Those who apply for the 7-Year Medical/Optometry Program, and are accepted, typically score over 1500 on the SAT or over 33 on the ACT.
TNCJ is on the costlier side for New Jersey residents, but an impressive value for non-residents.
The resident cost of attendance is approximately $42,000 and the non-resident estimate is $48,000. However, it’s necessary to add an explanation. You cannot look at the College of New Jersey and flat-out compare it against other large state schools such as Rutgers-New Brunswick. It’s an undergraduate focused public college, which means:
- Over 90 percent of the students are pursuing a bachelors degree.
- TCNJ is closer in student body size to schools like Elon University, Lehigh University and Villanova University as well as the College of William & Mary.
- But unlike Lehigh or Villanova, TCNJ students take a four-course load, unless they’re in engineering. Then they take five classes.
- No large-lecture classes. Eighty-one percent of all classes taught at TCNJ in 2023-24 had 30 or fewer students. Only three had more than 50.
So, If you’re a New Jersey resident who’s scared off by the Big State U experience, but you want a public college price, TCNJ might be your school. it’s an even better value for resident students who qualify for the Presidential Scholarship, now set at $12,000/year. Over 90 students, resident and non resident, also receive Bonner Scholars Awards, within a program than emphasizes community service.
At present, only five percent of TCNJ students come from other US states.
However, the out-of-state tuition and fees, just below $26,000, are quite reasonable before scholarships. New for this year, TCNJ launched the Lions Legacy Award, targeted to children of alumni who live in any state outside New Jersey. Recipients of this award pay in-state tuition for four years. However, the college caps the maximum mount of combined need-based and merit awards for non-residents at $12,000. Still, TCNJ is a better value if you’re shopping harder for a mid-boxed school versus a mega-sized one.
TCNJ has followed through on academic ambitions that include:
- Launching 4+1 bachelors-masters programs in education, public health and public policy.
- The seven-year Bachelors-MD program with Rutgers Medical School is unique in that students may choose from several undergraduate majors, including Computer Science, Economics and three engineering programs as well as Biology and Chemistry. Those who are serious about this program should apply Early Decision. Several other New Jersey schools have partners with Rutgers Medical School. TCNJ’s cohort is the second-largest in the state, after Rutgers’ main campus.
- A law school partnership with Villanova University offers accepted TCNJ juniors an opportunity to begin law school a year early, receiving a full-tuition scholarship.. Seniors are also invited to apply for half-tuition awards.
The College of New Jersey takes different twists to help undeclared students.
Incoming freshmen can choose to enter six of the seven undergraduate schools, except the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, undeclared. They may also begin their education outside of those six schools, working with a student success advisor as an Undeclared-General major. This is among the more popular choices for incoming freshmen. TCNJ also makes it much easier to get a minor in the business subjects as well as the engineering fields than larger schools. This is a great way to add complementary skills to a degree.
The college engaged in an ambitious public-private partnership called Campus Town.
This is a mix of “downtown college town” stores and student apartments. I have been to only one other school, the University of Connecticut, that partnered on a similarly ambitious venture. The major difference: TCNJ relocated the campus book store and fitness center to Campus Town to build student traffic. Students can use their dining dollars at the Panera in Campus Town, and they do. Campus Town has had three sports bars since it opened. The third is drawing the poorest. Aside from the bookstore and the Panera, Jersey Mike’s does well.
Plan out your housing and transportation costs over four years.
The College of New Jersey houses 45 percent of its student body on campus. Freshmen live together in eight halls. From viewing this online, I believe that college grad parents will find them to be similar from the halls that they lived in over two decades before. The newer halls, Hausdoerffer and Phelps are nice. So are the Townhomes East, South and West though ten people to a townhome is a lot.
Apartments in Campus Town are nice, but also quite pricy. So are apartments in The Point, a complex targeted to students from TCNJ and nearby Rider University. There are around 10,000 undergraduate college students in the area, which helps to drive up rents. Most TCNJ students move off campus to share houses across from the entrances to the school. About 30 percent of TCNJ students are involved in Greek social life. However, none of the Greek organizations own their own houses.
The College of New Jersey is within ten minutes from the train to Philadelphia and 15 from the train to New York City. The campus is also about 20 minutes from downtown Princeton. There’s a shuttle bus that helps on the weekends. But access to a car is really helpful. However, freshman can only apply for a two-week pass to bring one to campus unless they’re commuters, have accessibility concerns, or need to get to an off-campus job,.
Conclusions
I grew up in New Jersey and have lived near Rutgers-New Brunswick and The College of New Jersey for most of my adult working life. If I was graduating high school in 2025 I would be applying to both schools. Most likely, I would borrow my mother’s car to visit both schools more than once, because I would have a very tough decision to make. TCNJ is a really good school that offers students more attention than they would get from a larger public university. But you’re not going to be in a spirit and sports culture that you would find at Rutgers or Villanova.
Listen to my interview with Lisa Angeloni now!
Report Card: The College of New Jersey
- Four-Year/Six-Year Graduation Rates: A
- Freshman Retention: A
- Costs: B (residents)/A (non-residents)
- Curriculum: A
- Community: B+
- Comforts: B+
- Connections: A (NYC and Philadelphia)/C (elsewhere)
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