Profile of the College

About TCNJ

The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is a highly selective institution that has earned national recognition for its commitment to excellence. Founded in 1855 as the New Jersey State Normal School, the College was the state’s first, and the nation’s ninth, teacher training school. During the years since its inception, The College of New Jersey has become an exemplar of the best in public higher education and is consistently acknowledged as one of the top comprehensive colleges in the nation. TCNJ currently is ranked as one of the 75 “Most Competitive” schools in the nation by Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges, is rated the No. 1 public institution in the northern region of the country by U.S. News & World Report, and is considered a "bet buy" in higher education by both Barron's and Kiplinger's Personal Finance. TCNJ was also awarded, in 2006, a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, an honor shared by less than 10 percent of colleges and universities nationally.

Academics

A strong liberal arts core forms the foundation for a wealth of degree programs offered through TCNJ’s seven schools—Arts & Communication; Business; Culture and Society; Education; Science; Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science; and Engineering. The College is enriched by an honors program and extensive opportunities to study abroad, and its award-winning First-Year Experience and freshman orientation programs have helped make its retention and graduation rates among the highest in the country.

Location

The College of New Jersey is located on 289 tree-lined acres in suburban, Ewing, New Jersey. Ewing is approximately 5 miles from Trenton, the state capital, and 60 minutes from Philadelphia and New York City.

Tuition & Fees

Every June, the College's Board of Trustees sets the tuition and fees for the following academic year.

2007-2008 Tuition & Fees

Student Enrollment

The College seeks to enroll a freshman class of approximately 1,200 full-time students each fall.

Current Undergraduate Enrollment: About 6,000 full-time students and 210 part-time students

Current Graduate Enrollment: Roughly 760 students

Percent of Students from New Jersey: 97

Retention Rate

95 percent of freshmen returned for their sophomore year

Since 1991, over 90 percent of freshmen have returned each year for their sophomore year

6-year graduation rate: 83 percent

Housing

Ninety-five percent of freshmen live on campus. Two years of housing are guaranteed for all new, full-time first year students. Fourteen residence halls provide a variety of living experiences for all students, with a total of 3,600 beds on campus. The College also owns one off-campus apartment complex which houses about 65 students.

Number of Faculty

335 Full time faculty

13:1 Student to Faculty Ratio

Freshman Profile

The College seeks to enroll 1,200 entering, full-time freshmen each fall. For the fall 2006, the College received almost 8,200 applications, about 43 percent which were accepted.

The average combined SAT score and high school class rank for all regularly admitted entering freshmen for the 2006-2007 academic year were 1307 and top seven percent, respectively.

Facilities

The College has 39 major buildings, including a state-of-the-art library; 14 residence halls that accommodate 3,600 students; an award-winning student center; more than 20 academic computer laboratories; a full range of laboratories for nursing, microscopy, science, and technology; a music building with a 300-seat concert hall; and a collegiate recreation and athletic facilities complex.

Athletics

TCNJ offers 20 varsity intercollegiate sports, and high achievement in the classroom has been mirrored by the success of The College of New Jersey’s varsity student-athletes. Since the 1978–79 Lion wrestling team captured the College’s first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) team championship, TCNJ has established itself as one of the nation’s most successful Division III (non-athletic scholarship) programs. Since 1979, The College of New Jersey has amassed a total of 36 Division III crowns in seven different sports. In addition, the Lions have posted 30 runner-up awards, giving the College an aggregate of 66 first and second-place finishes. That figure is tops among the nation’s 424 Division III colleges and universities during the past 25 years.

Extracurricular Activities

The College of New Jersey encourages students to expand their talents and skills through more than 150 organizations that are open to students. These groups range from performing ensembles and professional and honor societies to student publications, Greek organizations, as well as intramural and club sports. The College also offers numerous leadership opportunities through the Student Finance Board, Student Government Association, and Residence Hall Government to name a few.