10-yr median earnings
$57,780
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Wayne, New Jersey
William Paterson University of New Jersey
William Paterson University of New Jersey is a public institution in Wayne, New Jersey. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.
- $18,745
- Avg net price / yr
- $57,780
- 10-yr median earnings
- 45.6%
- 150%-time completion
- 90.1%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
William Paterson University of New Jersey pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with open admission.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 18%
- former-student earnings, US
- 90.1%
- acceptance rate
- 45.6%
- 150%-time completion
- +29%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
Suburb: Large
Carnegie: Master's (L)
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this William Paterson University of New Jersey profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
C-
College Value Score
51/100
William Paterson University of New Jersey
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A-
$57,780
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price D
$18,745
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
45.6%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$22,334
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B-
68.5%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention D
73.9%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$18,745
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
45.6%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 45.6%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - William Paterson University of New Jersey vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How William Paterson University of New Jersey ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
William Paterson University of New Jersey: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$57,780 Top 18% higher than 82% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | William Paterson University of New Jersey | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $57,780 | #920 of 5103 | 82nd |
| Average net price | $18,745 | #2836 of 5020 | 44th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 45.6% | #3277 of 4858 | 33rd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 6,614 | #568 of 5462 | 90th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
6,614
Undergraduate enrollment
90.1%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
45.6%
150%-time completion
$57,780
10-yr median earnings
73.9%
First-year retention
How William Paterson University of New Jersey ranks in New Jersey
State rank among 110 reporting New Jersey colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | William Paterson University of New Jersey | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $57,780 | #28 of 110 | 75th |
| Average net price | $18,745 | #68 of 129 | 47th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 45.6% | #84 of 126 | 33rd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 6,614 | #16 of 144 | 89th |
Highest former-student earnings in New Jersey
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Princeton University | $110,066 | $6,128 |
| 2 | Stevens Institute of Technology | $108,772 | $41,346 |
| 3 | Chamberlain University-New Jersey | $92,405 | $37,984 |
| 4 | Holy Name Medical Center-Sister Claire Tynan School of Nursing | $87,408 | - |
| 5 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | $84,276 | $16,504 |
| 6 | Yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok | $82,560 | $28,599 |
| 7 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | $74,479 | $24,406 |
| 8 | Rutgers University-Newark | $74,479 | $19,703 |
| 9 | Rutgers University-Camden | $74,479 | $18,745 |
| 10 | Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Teterboro | $73,971 | $24,800 |
| 11 | JFK Muhlenberg Harold B. and Dorothy A. Snyder Schools | $73,894 | $40,644 |
| 12 | The College of New Jersey | $73,323 | $27,646 |
| 28 | William Paterson University of New JerseyThis school | $57,780 | $18,745 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 90.1% |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at William Paterson University of New Jersey
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$16,171 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$18,287 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$18,505 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$24,917 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at William Paterson University of New Jersey - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $15,704 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $25,344 |
| Average Net Price | $18,745 |
46.5%
Pell Grant Rate
42.9%
Federal Loan Rate
$22,334
Median Debt
$237/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at William Paterson University of New Jersey swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $12,946 to $19,547 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +11.5%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$12,946
Highest year
$19,547
Most recent (2023)
$17,764
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $15,9272023 · $17,764
Over the same years, enrollment went -34.3% (9,930 → 6,523 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
56.3%
Female
43.9%
First Generation
Outcomes
73.9%
Retention Rate
$44,928
Median Earnings (6yr)
65.9%
Earning Over $25K
68.5%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 45.6% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 73.9% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $44,928 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $57,780 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 65.9% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 68.5% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $22,334 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $237/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 34 | 1,814 | $59,725 | $101,328 | $22,725 |
| Master's | 8 | 545 | $80,255 | $137,010 | $33,004 |
Top programs at William Paterson University of New Jersey by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$137,010 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$101,328 median earnings
- Computer and Information S…
Computer and Information Sciences, General
$76,282 median earnings
- Educational Administration…
Educational Administration and Supervision
$75,411 median earnings
- Teacher Education and Prof…
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
$74,359 median earnings
- Student Counseling and Per…
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
$74,275 median earnings
- Communication Disorders Sc…
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
$72,447 median earnings
- Accounting and Related Ser…
Accounting and Related Services
$71,745 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Nearby Schools
Berkeley College-Woodland Park
Woodland Park, NJ
1,778 students
Passaic County Community College
Paterson, NJ
4,260 students
Hohokus School of Trade and Technical Sciences
Paterson, NJ
146 students
Montclair State University
Montclair, NJ
18,376 students
Fortis Institute-Wayne
Wayne, NJ
502 students
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Matches use Scorecard measures among reporting colleges — not state-system recommendations or geographic proximity.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Public institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at William Paterson University of New Jersey? ▼
William Paterson University of New Jersey is a public institution in Wayne, New Jersey. The acceptance rate is 90.1%. Undergraduate enrollment is 6,614 students.
How much do William Paterson University of New Jersey former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at William Paterson University of New Jersey who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $57,780 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $44,928.
How much does William Paterson University of New Jersey cost? ▼
The average net price at William Paterson University of New Jersey is $18,745. In-state tuition is $15,704 and out-of-state tuition is $25,344. Median student debt at graduation is $22,334.
What is the graduation rate at William Paterson University of New Jersey? ▼
William Paterson University of New Jersey has a 45.6% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 73.9%.
Is William Paterson University of New Jersey worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at William Paterson University of New Jersey is $22,334, while former students earn a median of $57,780 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 39% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 68.5% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $237.
Sources & methodology
Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.
Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from William Paterson University of New Jersey
- Compare William Paterson University of New Jersey against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in New Jersey side by side.Browse New Jersey
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.