Montclair State University defines what it means to be a university with a public purpose — one that not only creates transformational opportunities for students, but also partners with communities to make a difference in the lives of others. 

Montclair invites students to imagine the world they want to live in and empowers them to develop the skills and knowledge to create it. As a solutions engine, we ask: How can we harness the power of 21,000 students and 1,800 professors to be a force for good in the world?

This distinctive approach continues to attract students, propelling Montclair to become New Jersey’s second largest institution of higher learning, and one of its most diverse. Under President Jonathan Koppell, the University enrolled the largest entering class in the University’s history two years in a row.

Founded in 1908, Montclair has grown big enough to offer more than 300 programs across 13 colleges and schools at all degree levels – and yet, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 17 to 1, is still small enough for students to receive personalized attention from professors and staff who truly care. Students have numerous opportunities to conduct research with professors who are respected leaders in their fields.

More than 50% of Montclair’s students identify as underrepresented minorities. It is New Jersey’s largest Hispanic-Serving Institution, serving more Latinx students than any other university in the state.

Montclair’s highly diverse students thrive in the University’s supportive, welcoming environment. Their graduation rates outperform state and national benchmarks and predictions with U.S. News & World Report ranking Montclair as seventh among national universities in graduation rate performance in 2022. It is consistently recognized as one of the most inclusive and best value universities and ranked No. 21 in the country in social mobility.

Many of Montclair’s students are working and raising families, and the University offers flexible programs that give them the opportunity to learn in ways that work best for them, on campus or online, in real time or asynchronously.

Faculty include winners of a MacArthur fellowship, Fulbright grants and Emmy awards, and NSF, NEH and NIH grants, among many other distinctions. These highly respected researchers, scholars and creators are dedicated to student success, and they are always innovating to meet the needs of learners and of the state. Montclair has launched dozens of new degree and certificate programs, and offers more combined bachelor’s and master’s degree programs than any other university in New Jersey – empowering students to enter the workforce faster, with stronger skills and for less cost. 

Montclair’s mission is to elevate its students and partners, and in so doing, help make the world a better place. 

Here you’ll find:

• Opportunities to develop leadership skills and achieve professional goals through a wide range of extracurricular activities
• A vibrant, expansive campus community
• Cutting-edge technologies, such as online study opportunities, that match our students’ learning styles
• Exceptional value for both in-state and out-of-state students
• Over 300 majors, minors, concentrations and certificate programs
• State-of-the-art facilities including a new 2,000-bed student residence and dining complex
• Exceptional opportunities for motivated students, regardless of ethnicity or economic background: described by the U.S. Education Trust as a “Top Gap Closer” for increasing graduation rates for minority students

Yet students receive the individual attention you’d expect from a much smaller institution.

• Student-to-faculty ratio of 17 to 1
• Average class size is 23 students
• Courses taught by professors, not graduate assistants
• Affordable tuition: one of Forbes’ 25 Best Buy Colleges in the Northeast