Update: Rider University (NJ)
A little more than two years ago, I attended an Open House at Rider University, which is about 10 minutes from where I live. A popular option for many students in Central and Southern New Jersey, Rider attracted over 1,500 prospective students and their families to a fall Saturday open house.
However, the most recent news about Rider University has not been good.
The university was placed on probation by its accrediting agency, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, on Oct. 30Rider’s trustees adopted a March to Sustainability Plan while the university remains accredited in order to stabilize the university’s financial situation. Elements of this plan are drastic, including:
- Salary reductions of 14%
- The university will not be contributing to faculty retirement places
- Elimination of 35 to 40 teaching positions, about a quarter of the faculty.
- Increased teaching loads for faculty who remain
- Elimination of some senior-level jobs, adjunct faculty benefits, professional development opportunities and tuition aid benefits for children of faculty.
Rider University has just under over 3,100 undergrads; the university had approximately 3,300 students, when I attended their open house. .
Monmouth University, located near the Jersey Shore has been a common cross-shop, offering similar academic programs as well as generous scholarships. But Rider is closer to Philadelphia as well as the major business centers in Central New Jersey. Rider is also considered against New Jersey public colleges. Rowan University in Southern New Jersey and Montclair State University in Northern New Jersey attract similar students.
Rider University is not exceptionally selective.
Seventy-nine percent of applicants for the Class of 2028 were accepted. The middle 50 percent had SAT scores between 1100 and 1320 or ACT Composite scores between 27 and 31. The average GPAwas a 3.5.
One concern: the university was still losing just over a fifth (21 percent) of that incoming class, according to the latest data I could find on US News College Compass. The most recent four-year graduation rate was 54 percent. That’s not great for a private university, though it’s been easy for students to shift from full-time to part-time status so they could work while going to school.
Choosing Rider might depend on aid for too many students.
Today, the largest merit award mentioned on the university’s website is for $28,000/year. The good news: students need to maintain only a 2.7 GPA to maintain the award. There’s also a Tuition Guarantee Program. Beginning next spring, students whose families qualify for Federal Pell and New Jersey Tuition Aid Grants and come from families with an adjusted gross income of less than $50,000 may attend tuition free.
However, given that Rider estimates direct charges–tuition, fees, room & board–of $61,000 for students living on campus and estimates charges of just over $41,000 for a commuter without considering transportation, typically auto ownership and insurance, this doesn’t seem like a great value for the money. The university reported to US News that it could meet, on average, only 33 percent of need. Average student loan debt among 2024 graduates who borrowed was just over $40,000.
Rider still promotes the Cranberry Investment on its website. .
The Cranberry Investment is an assurance than a student should be in a position to become employed full-time or admitted to graduate school within six months after earning a degree. Otherwise, the university will provide career coaching and/or recommend either nine additional credits of undergraduate major coursework. he Cranberry Investment requires the recent graduate to have a plan in place, stick to it and earn a 3.0 or better average in the courses. However, a graduate must have earned a 2.75+ overall GPA at graduation to qualify.
I’ve learned of programs like these at other schools. They’re a good idea when someone needs the nine credits to pick up additional skill sets. For example, a business student in marketing could pick up more skills in financial analysis or data science. However, given the news about the university’s probation and March to Sustainability Plan, I believe that is fair for parents to wonder if the university can stand by the commitment when there will be fewer faculty and staff to support it.
Founded in 1865, Rider University has been at its current location since 1959.
You will not find ivy-covered buildings as you might see at a school with a longer history such as Rutgers-New Brunswick. Campus buildings (dining hall and a residence hall shown below) can best be described as functional. Rider’s campus can be navigated in a manner of minutes. It is also an easy campus to secure. Fraternity and sorority houses, apartments, parking lots and athletic fields are at the edges of campus.
The university recently renamed its business school after Norman Brodsky, a serial entrepreneur and a columnist and senior contributing editor to Inc. magazine.
This was a major coup. A Rider alum, Brodsky not only raised the university’s profile three years ago; he also endowed a four-year full-tuition scholarship to the winner of an annual high school business competition. No other school in New Jersey, New York or Philadelphia offers an opportunity to win a similar award. To me, the business school has been the signature building because of the number of business programs offered at the university. I dropped two photos of the lobby below.
Rider has offered 14 undergraduate business programs as well as nine business minors.
That’s more than you will find at some larger schools, including Rutgers-New Brunswick. Rider students can receive up to nine credits for paid internship experience, as long as they pay for the credits. However, the university also offers a tuition discount if those credits are earned during a summer session or a January Term. I have never seen a college do that. Those who have some inkling to study business, should check off Brodsky when you apply, so they can take the Introduction to Business class. It’s open only to freshmen.
Aside from the business programs, Rider has offered an interesting mix of liberal arts, education, communications and STEM majors.
Rider has more majors outside of business than one might expect for a school with fewer than 4,000 undergrads. If you are shopping Rider against a much larger school like Rutgers, you might want to search all programs. I was amazed how many options were available in communications as well as the selection of music programs. Rider also has had one of the largest undergraduate and graduate teacher education programs in New Jersey as well as a Post Bacc. program for those who did not study education in college.
Rider University’s location has been a strength.
Lawrenceville and it’s neighboring township, Ewing, are home to more than 10,000 college undergrads at Rider as well as The College of New Jersey. .But Rider is not within easy walking distance to shopping or eating places off campus. Downtown Lawrenceville has some nice places to grab lunch or dessert, but they are pricy for college students.. The university has helped by providing shuttle bus services to Princeton Market Fair Mall as well as to train service to New York City. But if you do not bring a car to Rider, it is a good idea to befriend someone who has one.
Access to internships and student teaching has been easy-if you have a car.
Rider University is right off Interstate 295 which is a direct connection to businesses on State Highway One as well as into nearby Bucks County, Philadelphia and Trenton, the New Jersey’s capital city. Students can also get to trains serving New York and Philadelphia in 10 to 15 minutes. . Rider is one of the most auto-friendly campuses that I have visited.
Conclusions
In the past Rider has been a good school for a B/B+ student interested in business, communications, education or the performing arts who wants to work in New Jersey, New York City or Philadelphia. However, it has really helped to enter knowing what you want to study so you can keep the GPA respectable to maintain a scholarship or gain an internship experience.
However, given the news about the university’s accreditation status and the arch to Sustainability Plan it is fair to wonder how the university will sustain its academic programs, student services and athletics as well as facilities. Faculty and staff bear the brunt of the proposed cuts in the recent news announcements. But if many leave as a result of cuts, how or will they be replaced? It’s tough to recommend a school when considering such uncertainty. I won’t even post a report card. Past performance might not be a good indication for future performance.
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