More selective than 21% of New Jersey colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $28,476. College Scorecard.
Higher than 23% of New Jersey colleges we cover and 32% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 42% of New Jersey colleges we cover and 64% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
William Paterson University of New Jersey acceptance rate & admissions
Of 7,754 applicants, William Paterson University of New Jersey admitted 7,174 and 883 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
William Paterson University of New Jersey tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for New Jersey residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What William Paterson University of New Jersey costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of William Paterson University of New Jersey took 4.5 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in New Jersey. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $16,171 | $72,284 | 3.4 years |
| $30–48k | $18,287 | $81,743 | 3.9 years |
| $48–75k | $18,505 | $82,717 | 3.9 years |
| $75–110k | $22,862 | $102,193 | 4.8 years |
| $110k+ | $24,917 | $111,379 | 5.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (29% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($57,780) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NJ (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $21,119 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
William Paterson University of New Jersey majors, earnings & careers
William Paterson University of New Jersey offers 45 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 9
- Business & Finance · 8
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Health & Medicine · 7
- Science & Math · 7
- Arts & Design · 2
- Education · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at William Paterson University of New Jersey
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $101,328 | $24,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $76,282 | $26,750 |
| Accounting | $71,745 | $24,500 |
| Mathematics | $71,340 | $24,010 |
| Biology | $71,026 | $25,860 |
| Economics | $70,705 | $28,281 |
| Finance | $70,356 | $22,234 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $66,745 | $24,347 |
Quick list of all 45 majors
- Accounting$71,745
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$71,026
- Biotechnology—
- Business Administration—
- Chemistry—
- Communications$53,589
- Community Organization and Advocacy—
- Computer and Information Sciences$76,282
- Criminal Justice$58,108
- Economics$70,705
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)$63,203
- English$42,632
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance$70,356
- General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations—
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Health Sciences$46,711
- History—
- International Business$49,470
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$55,592
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$54,607
- Management Science / Analytics$66,745
- Marketing$61,156
- Mathematics$71,340
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions$51,502
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music$39,553
- Nursing$101,328
- Philosophy—
- Political Science$48,101
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$48,985
- Sociology$53,253
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$63,108
- Studio Art$44,298
- Urban Studies / Affairs—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in New York
Overall prices in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,282. Housing costs 49% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 49 inches of rain a year, 28 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Passaic County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Passaic County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare William Paterson University of New Jersey with similar schools
Similar public colleges in New Jersey by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Paterson University of New Jersey | 90% | $18,745 | 44% | $57,780 | This school |
| Stockton University | 89% | $20,670 | 69% | $57,602 | |
| New Jersey City University | 98% | $16,053 | 34% | $52,745 | |
| Rutgers University-Newark | 71% | $19,703 | 64% | $74,479 | |
| Kean University | 76% | $12,447 | 47% | $57,237 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
William Paterson University of New Jersey would cost you $1,925 less per year than Stockton University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at William Paterson University of New Jersey, mostly from a lower estimate for personal & travel costs (−$3,780).
- Stockton University gives aided families $4,738 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, New Jersey resident | William Paterson University of New Jersey | Stockton University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $15,704 | $16,266 | −$562 |
| Books & supplies | $1,600 | $1,250 | +$350 |
| Housing & meals | $15,990 | $15,332 | +$658 |
| Personal & travel | $3,140 | $6,920 | −$3,780 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$7,958 | −$4,629 | −$3,329 |
| Sticker price | $28,476 | $35,139 | −$6,663 |
| Average grants | −$9,731 | −$14,469 | +$4,738 |
| You pay | $18,745 | $20,670 | −$1,925 |
“+” means William Paterson University of New Jersey costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about William Paterson University of New Jersey
What is the William Paterson University of New Jersey acceptance rate?
William Paterson University of New Jersey accepts 90% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 7,174 of 7,754 applicants were admitted.
How much does William Paterson University of New Jersey cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $28,476 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $18,745 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $16,171 and families earning $110k+ pay $24,917.
How much do William Paterson University of New Jersey graduates earn?
Former William Paterson University of New Jersey students earn a median $57,780 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the William Paterson University of New Jersey graduation rate?
44% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 74% return for their second year.
How long does a William Paterson University of New Jersey degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at William Paterson University of New Jersey costs about $82,717 after grants ($18,505 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $57,780 ten years after starting, $21,119 more than high school graduates in New Jersey ($36,661), so the cost is repaid in 3.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “William Paterson University of New Jersey: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/william-paterson-university-of-new-jersey (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).