William Paterson University of New Jersey

Public · Moderately Selective · NJ

Photo: Mr. Matte (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationNJ · Northeast

SettingSuburban

Undergrads6,614

Student:faculty18:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate26.2%

6-yr grad rate44%

Drop-out rate26.1%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$16k

Out-of-state tuition$25k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity70.4%

Gender diversity61.3%

International2.6%

Identity—

Overview

William Paterson University is a public university in Wayne, New Jersey, serving a largely commuter, ethnically diverse student population drawn mostly from the northern part of the state.

Academics

Nursing, education, and business are the largest and most established programs, and the jazz studies program carries a genuinely serious reputation, with faculty and alumni connections into the professional jazz world well beyond what the university's general profile would suggest.

Campus & student life

The wooded suburban campus sits about twenty miles from Manhattan, close enough for city internships and cultural access but distinct enough to have its own commuter-heavy, day-student rhythm rather than a traditional residential college feel.

Getting in

Admissions is accessible, with the jazz studies program requiring a separate audition that draws serious music students specifically for that reputation.

Worth knowing

The jazz program's national standing is disproportionate to the university's general recognition — a serious jazz student should not overlook William Paterson because of its size or its largely commuter student body.

wpunj.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate90.1%

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying