College of New Jersey: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes

Garden City, New Jersey · Private nonprofit · Open access · CDS 2018-2019

Acceptance rate
78%
13,006 applicants
Avg SAT
1224
Mid 50: 1080–1270
In-state tuition
$47,290
per year, before aid
Net price (avg)
$28,348
after aid, what families pay
Quick answer

College of New Jersey is a private nonprofit university in Garden City, New Jersey that admits about 78% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $28,348 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Psychology, General and Biology, General, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 70% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 3.4 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.

College of New Jersey is a private institution located in Garden City, New Jersey. For the most recent reporting cycle, College of New Jersey admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 78%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1224 and an ACT composite around 26. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $28,348 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether College of New Jersey is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.

What GPA does my child need for College of New Jersey?

College of New Jersey has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.

Actual GPA distribution of admitted students
3.50–3.74
27.0%
3.25–3.49
14.4%
3.00–3.24
11.9%
2.50–2.99
11.9%
Below 2.50
3.0%
From the 2018-2019 Common Data Set submitted by College of New Jersey.

What does College of New Jersey weight in admissions?

College of New Jersey reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2018-2019). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.

Very Important1 factor
  • Rigor of secondary school record
Important9 factors
  • Class rank
  • Academic GPA
  • Standardized test scores
  • Application essay
  • Recommendations
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Talent/ability
  • Character/personal qualities
  • Volunteer work
Considered5 factors
  • Interview
  • First generation status
  • Alumni/ae relation
  • Work experience
  • Level of applicant's interest
Not Considered3 factors
  • Geographical residence
  • State residency
  • Religious affiliation/commitment

SAT and ACT scores College of New Jersey typically admits

The middle-50 SAT Math range is 560–660, with an EBRW midpoint near 595. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 24–30. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.

SAT Composite
25th percentile1080
50th percentile1224
75th percentile1270
% submitting SAT74%
ACT Composite
25th percentile22
50th percentile26
75th percentile27
% submitting ACT20%
Current testing policy
  • Tests required: Standardized test scores are part of the standard application package.
  • • Policy detail: Required for Some

Where admitted students ranked in their high school class

Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.

Top 10% of class26%
Top 25% of class59%
Top 50% of class89%
% submitting class rank22%

How much does College of New Jersey actually cost?

Published tuition is $47,290 for in-state students and $47,290 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $20,028 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $28,348 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 29% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.

In-state tuition$36,920
Room and board$16,030
Average net price (after aid)$28,348
Application fee$40 (waivers available)

Application deadlines and early decision data for College of New Jersey

Regular admission
Reply deadline5/1
Rolling admissionsYes

Will my child graduate from College of New Jersey?

Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.

Freshman retention
80.5%
returned for sophomore year
4-year graduation
null%
finished on time
6-year graduation
70.1%
finished within 6 years

Most popular majors at College of New Jersey

The most popular undergraduate programs at College of New Jersey, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Psychology, General and Biology, General. Across all programs, College of New Jersey confers roughly 832 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing program report a median income of about $114,243 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.

MajorGraduates / yearMedian earnings (5 yrs out)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing430$114,243
Psychology, General94$58,689
Biology, General89$78,064
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness63$66,684
Business Administration, Management and Operations45$75,102
Social Work43$62,708
Computer and Information Sciences, General35
Accounting and Related Services33$83,321
Bachelor's-degree completions from federal IPEDS data; earnings from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Is College of New Jersey safe? Campus crime & safety

In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), College of New Jersey disclosed 18 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 3.4 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 3 violent offenses and 10 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.

Total offenses
18
3.4 per 1,000 students
Violent crime
3
0.57 per 1,000
Sexual assault / VAWA
10
1.90 per 1,000
Burglary
4
reported incidents
Clery Act disclosures (2024) cover on-campus, noncampus, and adjacent public-property incidents; rates use an enrollment of 5,276 students.

What is campus life like at College of New Jersey?

About 22% of undergraduates at College of New Jersey live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 10% of men join a fraternity and 13% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.

Live on campus
22%
of undergraduates
In fraternities
10%
of men
In sororities
13%
of women
From the 2018-2019 Common Data Set submitted by College of New Jersey.

Other colleges in New Jersey parents ask about

How parents track GPA toward selective schools like College of New Jersey

Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like College of New Jersey recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.

Common questions parents ask about College of New Jersey

What GPA do I need for College of New Jersey?

College of New Jersey has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.

What SAT or ACT score does College of New Jersey typically admit?

The middle-50 SAT Math range is 560–660, with an EBRW midpoint near 595. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 24–30.

How much does College of New Jersey actually cost after financial aid?

The average net price at College of New Jersey after grants and scholarships is $28,348 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.

Is College of New Jersey realistic for my child?

Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, College of New Jersey is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.

What is the acceptance rate at College of New Jersey?

College of New Jersey accepts about 78% of applicants out of roughly 13,006 who apply each year. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.

Is College of New Jersey test-optional?

No. College of New Jersey requires SAT or ACT scores as part of a standard application.

What is the graduation rate at College of New Jersey?

About 70% of students at College of New Jersey graduate within six years. 81% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.

What does College of New Jersey look for in applicants?

College of New Jersey rates course rigor as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.

Is College of New Jersey a public or private school, and where is it located?

College of New Jersey is a private nonprofit institution located in Garden City, New Jersey.

What are the most popular majors at College of New Jersey?

The largest undergraduate majors at College of New Jersey by annual graduates are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Psychology, General and Biology, General. The school awards about 832 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.

Is College of New Jersey safe? What is its campus crime rate?

College of New Jersey reported 18 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 3.4 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.

What is campus life like at College of New Jersey?

At College of New Jersey, 22% of undergraduates live on campus, 10% of men are in fraternities, 13% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.

Data sourced from the 2018-2019 Common Data Set submitted by College of New Jersey, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.