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William Paterson University saw continued enrollment gains in the spring 2025 semester, as spring enrollment topped 10,000 students for the first time since 2017.
Overall enrollment reached 10,052, an increase of 7.1 percent compared to spring 2024 enrollment of 9,387. Undergraduate enrollment is up 3.8 percent; graduate student enrollment grew 13.9 percent.
“Our continued enrollment growth shows that students and families are responding to William Paterson’s powerful mix of quality degree and alternate credential offerings informed by a rapidly changing job market, excellent faculty, flexible program formats, such as our WP Online platform, and a relentless focus on student support,” says President Richard J. Helldobler. “William Paterson’s success is New Jersey’s success and our growth is helping to sustain and strengthen critical fields where we are a statewide education leader, such as nursing and business administration.”
The University also continues to see growth in the number of students enrolled in WP Online, the University’s fully online degree platform, which launched in 2020. Currently, 4,309 students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate degree programs through WP Online, an increase of 13.6 percent over spring 2024. Based on recent enrollment data, William Paterson is second in New Jersey in both the number of MBA program graduates and MBA program enrollment.
William Paterson is a leader in New Jersey in enrolling and graduating adult learners, having more than doubled its campus percentage of adult learners and seeing the highest enrollment growth of this key population in the state over the past five years. In fact, the University is now in the top 11 percent nationally of all institutions in its Carnegie Class in terms of overall undergraduate adult learner enrollments. The University launched a new College of Adult and Professional Studies in July 2024 for adult learners seeking to build community with peers, gain support for credit for prior learning, and discover pathways from non-credit training into William Paterson’s for-credit degree programs.
Applications for overall enrollment at the University in fall 2025 are currently up 18 percent over last year at this time, including strong interest from international students on both the undergraduate and graduate levels. New programs such as a master of science in computer science and an MBA in applied business analytics are among the academic offerings driving international student interest.
"Our strategic recruitment efforts, enhanced campus visits, and expanded financial aid initiatives are making a real impact. By offering more personalized experiences and greater support, we are ensuring more students see our university as their best choice.” says George F. Kacenga, vice president for enrollment management. "With new academic programs, improved transfer pathways, and streamlined admissions, we are making it easier than ever for students to start their journey with WP. These efforts, combined with flexible learning options, are driving our enrollment growth."
William Paterson University was named one of New Jersey’s top regional public universities according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 edition of Best Colleges, as well as a Best Value School and a Top Performer on Social Mobility, which measures how well schools graduate students with exceptional financial need. Committed to accessibility and affordability, the University offers a four-year funding path for qualifying students to attend William Paterson tuition-free or at greatly reduced cost through its Pledge 4 Success program along with New Jersey’s Garden State Guarantee.
In addition, the University is committed to providing students with the support they need through its Will.Power.101 program of weekly student success workshops for first-year students, as well as by pairing each student with a Student Success Team that includes a professional advisor, a financial aid counselor, and a career coach. An innovative, expanded Career Experience Program, required for all new students as of the 2024-25 academic year, is designed to give every student the opportunity to obtain a significant hands-on experience that will prepare them for success in the job market following graduation.
William Paterson offers more than 150 academic programs, including a wide variety of accelerated degree programs, fully online degree programs, and certificate programs, offered in flexible formats.
02/24/25
