College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

William Paterson University of New Jersey

NJMedium public institution · Overall rank #287 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth places William Paterson University of New Jersey in the 80th percentile overall.

Who it’s a good fit for

William Paterson University of New Jersey is a public university in Wayne, New Jersey, where Health Professions and Business lead the degree mix. Mobility is among the highest we track.

Graduates earn less than predicts for students like them. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts. Pell students complete at a rate above the cohort as a whole, and access is well above average.

The lowest income band pays well below the published cost, though the spread to the highest band is modest. The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions.

Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study, and the degree mix leans toward fields where earnings vary widely by program.

William Paterson University of New Jersey at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
90.1%
Six-year completion[2]
44.0%
Four-year earnings[3]
$59,272

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$18,505
Median student debt[4]
$22,334
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$20,000

William Paterson University of New Jersey rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

William Paterson University of New Jersey is a public university in Wayne, New Jersey, enrolling 6,614 undergraduates. The university sits toward the top among nonprofit four-year institutions (80th percentile), with mobility as the strongest and return as the weakest.

90.1% of those who apply receive an offer of admission, against a peer median of 85.9% for institutions of similar size and control. Among students who begin full time at William Paterson University of New Jersey, 73.9% continue for a second year, against a peer median of 73.7%.

The six-year rate for the first-time full-time cohort is 44.0%, against a peer median of 49.1%. An estimated 47.6% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate describes a minority of the people who study at the university.

The four pillars sit far apart. Mobility is the strongest (90th percentile) and return is the weakest (37th percentile).

Access (82nd percentile) and affordability (62nd percentile) fall between those two.

Mobility gives William Paterson University of New Jersey its clearest institutional strength, although return is the weakest part of its profile. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, mobility sits in the 90th percentile and access in the 82nd percentile.

Azimuth places affordability in the 62nd percentile and return in the 37th percentile.

At William Paterson University of New Jersey, 46.5% of all undergraduates receive Pell Grants, the share that serves as the financial-access measure for the undergraduate body. For access, the university sits at #272 among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Pell recipients finish at 57.8%, a rate 13.8 percentage points above the overall six-year figure (44.0%) for the first-time full-time cohort. For mobility, Azimuth ranks the university #143 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,527 less than the model expects for similar students.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

William Paterson University of New Jersey rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#287

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 90
Access & reach
National percentile: 82
Affordability
National percentile: 62
Return on investment
National percentile: 37

Top-ranked majors

  1. Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions#14
  2. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas#26
  3. Communication Disorders Sciences and Services#40

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / William Paterson University of New Jersey briefing

William Paterson University of New Jersey cost & financial aid[6][7]

At William Paterson University of New Jersey, aid lowers the published annual cost for recipients, but the resulting average remains higher than the comparable-school benchmark. The published cost of attendance is $28,476 (an average across living arrangements), and the average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $18,745.

Published in-state tuition and fees are $15,704, out-of-state tuition and fees are $25,344, and room and board are $16,240. Financial aid offsets $9,731 of the sticker cost on average.

At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $14,068; this university’s average is $4,677 above that figure. Azimuth places its affordability pillar in the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The aid reduction is substantial, yet the remains above the peer median.

The published cost of attendance at William Paterson University of New Jersey is $28,476 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #536 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $16,171, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $18,505, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $24,917. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,746.

Aid covers about 34% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a savings of $9,731 against the sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $18,745, which is $4,677 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $22,334 in federal student loans, $1,105 above the peer median of $21,229. 87.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.

Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $20,000 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $254 a month.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$18,505

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at William Paterson University of New Jersey

At William Paterson University of New Jersey, the debt picture combines widespread federal borrowing with a median above comparable schools. 87.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.

Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $22,334. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $21,229, placing the university $1,105 above it.

For the separate parent-borrower population, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $20,000.

For William Paterson University of New Jersey, mobility is the strongest pillar, yet the investment picture is mixed. Graduates earn a median of $59,272 four years after completion; Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 48th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

On earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, graduates earn about $2,527 less than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places this measure in the 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Program-mix earnings scenarios range from $46,636 in the downside scenario to $90,008 in the upside scenario, with $59,272 as the typical scenario. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $22,334, which is $1,105 above the $21,229 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $254 a month if repaid over ten years. The scenario range and above-peer debt sit alongside earnings that fall short of the model's expectation.

Median Parent PLUS borrowing is $20,000 for parent borrowers, a population separate from student federal borrowers. The median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $254 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$22,334
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$20,000

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$254/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$254/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / William Paterson University of New Jersey briefing

William Paterson University of New Jersey career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

Although mobility is the clearest pillar, the return picture at William Paterson University of New Jersey is uneven. Azimuth places its return pillar in the 37th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $2,527 less than the model expects for similar students. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sits in the 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,153. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $8,680.

Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $59,272 four years after completion; Azimuth places that figure in the 48th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301, making the university $1,971 above it. Earnings exceed the peer median but fall short of the model's expectation.

At William Paterson University of New Jersey, the median earnings for federally aided graduates four years after completion is $59,272. That figure sits $1,971 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), placing the university in the 48th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings cohort behind this measure includes 2,282 completers. Graduates earn about $2,527 less than the model expects for similar students.

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix put typical earnings at $59,272, with a downside scenario of $46,636 and an upside scenario of $90,008. An estimated 27.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $59,272, in the 48th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median is $1,971 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth ranks William Paterson University of New Jersey #921 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,527 less than the model expects for similar students.

That puts the earnings-beyond-expectations gap at the 46th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,153.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $8,680. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $228.

The program mix leans heavily toward health professions, business and the social sciences, with a comparatively small share in STEM. Estimated earnings scenarios for graduates, drawn from the mix of fields, run from $46,636 on the downside to $90,008 on the upside.

An estimated 27.7% of graduates continue on to graduate study, based on the current program mix.

Earnings at William Paterson University of New Jersey differ across earnings scenarios and across named programs. The downside earnings scenario is $46,636, and the upside scenario is $90,008; both are projections from the program mix rather than observed groups.

Among programs with published results, median earnings four years after completion are $101,328 in Nursing, $76,282 in Computer and Information Sciences, and $71,745 in Accounting. The scenario range and these program results show considerable variation by field.

William Paterson University of New Jersey presents a mixed financial picture: costs and borrowing exceed peer medians. For aid recipients, average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $18,745.

Aid covers about 34% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. That average net price is above the $14,068 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size), by $4,677.

Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $22,334, above the $21,229 peer median by $1,105. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $254 a month if repaid over ten years.

Parent borrowers using Parent PLUS have median borrowing of $20,000. Graduates earn about $2,527 less than the model expects for similar students.

Higher costs and debt, alongside below-expected earnings, point in the same direction.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$6,153
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$8,680
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
-$2,527

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / William Paterson University of New Jersey briefing

William Paterson University of New Jersey acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

William Paterson University of New Jersey admitted 90.1% of applicants in the reported entering class, indicating that admission was broadly available within that year’s pool. That rate sits above the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Applicants should weigh this rate alongside their own academic record when deciding where to apply.

Admissions
Admission rate
90.1%
Read the full admissions brief

04 / William Paterson University of New Jersey briefing

What are the largest majors at William Paterson University of New Jersey?[12]

The highest-earning program at William Paterson University of New Jersey is also the largest. Nursing graduates earn a median of $101,328 four years after completion, from 275 degrees awarded a year.

Several programs with strong national ranks sit in the middle of the earnings range. Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions reports $51,502 across 39 degrees awarded, and Azimuth ranks it #14 nationally within its field.

Criminal Justice follows at $58,108 from 124 degrees awarded, with a national rank of #61. At the more moderate end, Psychology is the second-largest program with 170 degrees awarded and median earnings of $48,985.

Azimuth ranks it #213 nationally within its field. The gap between the top-earning and the more moderate-earning programs is substantial.

National rankings put several fields in view, but their reported earnings are not uniform. Azimuth identifies 21 ranked bachelor's fields at William Paterson University of New Jersey.

Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth ranks Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions #14 nationally in its field. Communication Disorders Sciences and Services ranks #40 nationally in Azimuth among nonprofit four-year institutions.

William Paterson University of New Jersey awards bachelor's degrees across 21 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 24 with published four-year earnings data. Health Professions is the largest program family, accounting for 21.4% of degrees awarded, followed by Business at 15.7% and Psychology at 9.2%.

The largest single programs are Nursing at 275 degrees awarded, Psychology at 170, and Communication and Media Studies at 135. Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions is the highest-ranked program, awarding 39 degrees a year with median earnings of $51,502 four years after completion.

Azimuth ranks it #1 in New Jersey within its field. Nursing, the largest program, is also the highest-earning at $101,328.

Subject-Area Teacher Education ranks #26 nationally and #4 in New Jersey within its field, with 23 degrees awarded and median earnings of $63,203. Communication Disorders Sciences and Services ranks #40 nationally and #1 in New Jersey within its field, awarding 28 degrees a year.

The strongest earnings are concentrated in Nursing, which is both the largest program and the best-paid. Several smaller programs also hold strong ranks within their fields, including Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions and Subject-Area Teacher Education. Across all fields, 8.6% of degrees are in STEM.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 275 degrees awarded
$101,328
Psychology, General 170 degrees awarded
$48,985
Communication and Media Studies 135 degrees awarded
$53,589
Criminal Justice and Corrections 124 degrees awarded
$58,108
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 95 degrees awarded
$55,592
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods 83 degrees awarded
$66,745

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / William Paterson University of New Jersey briefing

How does William Paterson University of New Jersey serve students from different backgrounds?

Completion is the clearest strength in William Paterson University of New Jersey's mobility picture. Pell recipients in the first-time full-time cohort have a 57.8% six-year completion rate.

That is above the overall 44.0% six-year graduation rate by 13.8 percentage points. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, falls in the 46th percentile. Graduates earn about $2,527 less than the model expects for similar students. Stronger completion figures sit alongside modeled earnings below expectations.

Transfer entry is a prominent route into William Paterson University of New Jersey, where an estimated 47.6% of undergraduates arrive that way. The university admits 90.1% of applicants and enrolls 6,614 undergraduates; 46.5% receive Pell Grants.

In Azimuth’s assessment of nonprofit four-year institutions, the access pillar falls in the 82nd percentile. Broad admission, substantial Pell Grant participation, and a large estimated transfer presence describe several points of entry.

06 / William Paterson University of New Jersey briefing

What colleges are similar to William Paterson University of New Jersey?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with William Paterson University of New Jersey.

Admissions peerSouthern Connecticut State University91.5% admitted
Comparison with William Paterson University of New Jersey
MeasureWilliam Paterson University of New JerseySouthern Connecticut State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$59,272$59,787+$515 vs William Paterson University of New Jersey
Average annual net price$18,745$20,857+$2,112 vs William Paterson University of New Jersey · higher cost
Admission rate90.1%91.5%
Explore Southern Connecticut State University →
Nearby alternativeGeorgian Court UniversityNearby option · NJ
Comparison with William Paterson University of New Jersey
MeasureWilliam Paterson University of New JerseyGeorgian Court University
Peer earnings · 4 years$59,272$62,671+$3,399 vs William Paterson University of New Jersey
Average annual net price$18,745$19,285+$540 vs William Paterson University of New Jersey · higher cost
Admission rate90.1%78.8%
Higher-earnings alternativeCedar Crest College$67,546 earnings
Comparison with William Paterson University of New Jersey
MeasureWilliam Paterson University of New JerseyCedar Crest College
Peer earnings · 4 years$59,272$67,546+$8,274 vs William Paterson University of New Jersey
Average annual net price$18,745$18,659-$86 vs William Paterson University of New Jersey · lower cost
Admission rate90.1%84.1%
Lower-cost alternativeCUNY Lehman College$3,148 average net price
Comparison with William Paterson University of New Jersey
MeasureWilliam Paterson University of New JerseyCUNY Lehman College
Peer earnings · 4 years$59,272$63,353+$4,081 vs William Paterson University of New Jersey
Average annual net price$18,745$3,148-$15,597 vs William Paterson University of New Jersey · lower cost
Admission rate90.1%56.6%
Explore CUNY Lehman College →
Similar profileSouthern Connecticut State UniversityMatched across several measures
Comparison with William Paterson University of New Jersey
MeasureWilliam Paterson University of New JerseySouthern Connecticut State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$59,272$59,787+$515 vs William Paterson University of New Jersey
Average annual net price$18,745$20,857+$2,112 vs William Paterson University of New Jersey · higher cost
Admission rate90.1%91.5%
Explore Southern Connecticut State University →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings