William Paterson University empowers students to transform their will to succeed into academic achievement, career advancement, and community impact. Through innovative programming, we ensure students have the skills and community support for a transformative college experience.

A leading public university comprised of a diverse community of nearly 10,000 students, William Paterson offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs through its four academic colleges: Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Cotsakos College of Business; Education; and Science and Health.

Its 407-acre wooded campus is located in suburban Wayne, New Jersey, just 20 miles from New York City, adjacent to 1,200 acres of wetlands and woodlands, and only three miles from the historic Paterson Great Falls.

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William Paterson University of New Jersey Rankings

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

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Admissions

Application Deadline

Rolling Admissions

Acceptance Rate

83%

SAT Range

890-1090

ACT Range

16-23

Application Fee

$50

SAT/ACT

Neither required nor recommended

High School GPA

Required

Accepts Common App

Yes

Cost

Net Price

$15,762 / year

National

$15,523

Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.

Average Total Aid Awarded

$10,710 / year

National

$7,535

Students Receiving Financial Aid

86%

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Academics

Professors

A minus

Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.

Student Faculty Ratio

12:1

Evening Degree Programs

74%

of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes. 53 responses

49%

of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want. 61 responses

60%

of students agree that the workload is easy to manage. 60 responses

Majors

Will. Power. 101

Will. Power. 101: is the only program of its kind in New Jersey, offering structured support services that guide new students as they build the skills to balance their University coursework with other activities and responsibilities. Peer Leaders connect with students to offer advice and utilize their own knowledge to help students get involved and maximize their William Paterson experience.

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Online

Programs Offered Entirely Online

Offers Online Courses

Yes

Online Certificate Programs

Online Associates Programs

Online Bachelor's Programs

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Mix of Online and on Campus
41%
On Campus
45%
Online
14%

Students

Full-Time Enrollment

5,708 Undergrads

Part-Time Undergrads

1,511

Undergrads Over 25

24%

Pell Grant

55%

Varsity Athletes

Poll

What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?

Based on 35 responses

Ambitous
37%
Determined
23%
Extroverted
17%
Druggie
11%
Outgoing
6%
prejudice
3%
Stressed
3%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus

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Poll

56%

of students say that Greek life is average, and no one will treat you differently if you don't join. 77 responses

Poll

46%

of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life. 87 responses

Poll

What one word or phrase best describes your school?

Based on 47 responses

Diverse
53%
Family, Resourceful, High Education
15%
Pride and Dedication
13%
Multi-ethnic chicken noodle soup with opinions
6%
Garbage
4%
Home away from home
4%
Underrated
2%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation

$46,600 / year

National

$33,028

Graduation Rate

56%

National

49%

Employed 2 Years After Graduation

93%

National

83%

of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation. 48 responses

William Paterson University of New Jersey Reviews

957 reviews

Overall, I felt that William Paterson University was an exceptional institution for my undergraduate career. For a student who feels more comfortable in smaller, community-based institutions, like myself, WPU is a great choice. There are many opportunities for students to get involved in including Greek Life; D3, club, and intramural sports; musical ensembles; and a plethora of clubs. The location is about 35 minutes away from NYC and is located within the trees, making it available for many types of terrains based on what you prefer. I personally really enjoyed my time within the Psychology Department at WPU. All professors were extremely helpful and were very passionate within their fields. What I would like to see change within WPU is a more integrated and promoted campus social life. Living on campus, there was never much to do around unless you left campus. I would like to see an influx in opportunities on campus to get students of all years more involved.

Review William Paterson University of New Jersey

WPU is a great university! WPU has made me feel welcomed in many ways! There are a lot of clubs and organizations you can join. They also offer many majors and minors that you could choose from. In fact, if you haven't decided what program you want to take, you could be an undeclared student where you will be able to explore classes that suits you! WPU has great professors that are very understanding and helpful to their students. WPU is a huge campus that has a diverse community. You will be able to meet a lot of great people! As a freshman during this pandemic, WPU has made campus feel safe by implementing covid protocols during the whole semester!

William Paterson Uni. I would say definitely has a lot to offer, if you make the decision to take up those offers. Becoming active on campus and communicating with a lot of different people will really open doors for you, however staying to yourself is a sure way of missing out on opportunities. As a junior I know for certain that I haven't fully explored William Paterson for all it has to offer, and I can say that it is my fault. However, it is something I need to work on going into this semester. There is a lot to like about this school, however, certain professors and advisors make others experience incredibly difficult. I would have to say probably training for advisors/professors might be needed.

William Paterson University of New Jersey

William Paterson University of New Jersey Rankings

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