This article does not tell you whether Bloomfield College is “the right one” for your child. No government data can decide that. What this piece can do is put you, with the official figures in hand, face-to-face with what this school really is: its size, its people, its costs, and its admissions and graduation numbers. With that on the table, you decide how it fits—or does not fit—into your family’s plan.
Who Bloomfield College is
Let’s start with the basics. Bloomfield College is a private, nonprofit, four-year-or-more institution. The federal system that classifies colleges in the United States (Carnegie) describes it as a baccalaureate college focused on arts and sciences: small and primarily residential. According to its most recent classification based on data from 2019-20, between 25 and 49 out of every 100 degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in institution-provided housing, and at least half studied full time.
It is also classified as a school that receives many transfer students, and its highest reported degree level is a master’s degree, not a doctorate. That graduate-level information comes from degrees awarded several years ago; it does not guarantee what the school offers today. If your child plans to come here after studying somewhere else, that “high transfer-in” status does not tell you how many credits will transfer or how many will be lost in the move. Ask for that in writing before enrolling.
Carnegie also places it in its “inclusive” category, which groups schools that did not report admissions scores with schools whose scores showed broad access opportunities. The label does not distinguish which of the two applies here; later, you will see the actual admissions data, which does clarify it.
Where it is. Bloomfield College is based in Bloomfield, New Jersey, in Essex County, within the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area. That does not mean it is in the heart of that city: the census code places it in a suburb, within the urbanized area but outside the principal urban center. If your child plans to live at home, do not rely on the map: drive the route yourself on a weekday at the actual time of your child’s classes.
None of three labels. Bloomfield College is not registered as a historically Black college or university (HBCU), a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges in this national directory, 138 have at least one of those three designations; this one is not among them. That says nothing about which communities it serves today, how many Latino students attend, or how your child will feel on that campus. Ask directly which student organizations and cultural centers exist today.
A small school with a Latino community that is not the exception
Here is something worth taking in before you continue reading numbers: Bloomfield College reported that 32 out of every 100 of its undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino. That is almost one in three. And compared with the 941 selective-admission, private four-year schools in this census that report this data, it is among those reporting the highest share—nine out of ten in that group reported an equal or lower share.
Put simply: being Latino on this campus would not be the exception. But a high percentage of Latino students is not the same as real support for Latino students. The data counts how many there are, not whether counseling in Spanish or targeted tutoring is available, or whether those students actually complete their degrees. And it is the number for the entire school, not for the specific program that interests your child. It is worth noting, but it is not an excuse to avoid asking questions.
As for the rest of the student community: there are more women than men (60 out of every 100 undergraduates are women), 15 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old—so this is not only a campus of recent high school graduates—and 97 out of every 100 first-time students reported a permanent address in New Jersey when they applied. If your family lives out of state, your child would be joining a community where the overwhelming majority is local.
The actual size. Bloomfield College had 910 students enrolled in the official fall count: it is among the small schools, within the band below 1,000. Compared with its peers—the 941 selective private schools in this census—it falls on the small side: seven out of ten in that group have more students. Of that total, 904 are undergraduates and only 6 are graduate students: this is primarily a baccalaureate school.
Being small does not make it better or worse. But if your child will depend on certain courses being offered every semester, ask directly: how long it takes to graduate depends on that.
How the academic year works and what the school accepts from what your child already knows
The calendar uses semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. Nothing unusual there.
What is worth examining closely: Bloomfield College stated that it accepts credit for AP exams, as well as what IPEDS calls “credit for life experience”—learning acquired through independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, or prior licenses or certifications, including military opportunities. It also reports accepting credit for military training.
Here is the part that really matters: the school’s statement that it accepts AP does not mean it will give your child credit for every exam your child takes. The report does not say what score is required or how many credits are awarded, much less whether those credits will count toward the specific program your child chose. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling, and do not plan on saving time or money until you have it in hand.
One piece of data points in the opposite direction: in 2023, Bloomfield College reported that it does not enroll high school students in college courses for credit. If your child hoped to take college classes through this institution while still in high school, that pathway is not reported here.
What students study here
In a recent year, Bloomfield College awarded 262 bachelor’s degrees across 15 program families. The largest family was visual and performing arts, accounting for 21 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year—the largest, but far from a majority. No other area accounts for the bulk of the degrees awarded; the offerings are distributed rather than dominated by a single program.
This figure counts degrees awarded in one year, not people, teaching quality, or the job each person obtained afterward. Before deciding, ask about the exact program that interests your child: how many students graduated from it, how long they took, and how the curriculum is structured today.
The student-faculty ratio. Bloomfield College reports 13 full-time-equivalent students for every full-time-equivalent faculty member. That is a low ratio in absolute terms. But compared with its 941 peers in this census, it is above the median: half or more of that group report the same or a lower ratio. Both things are true at the same time, which is why I am giving them to you together. What this number does not tell you is the actual size of first-year classes; it is an institution-wide ratio, not a classroom count.
The academic pathways it reports offering
Bloomfield College reports offering study abroad, teacher-certification preparation below the undergraduate level, the ability to complete preparation here in certain teacher-specialization areas, and state approval of its program for initial teacher certification. If your child is interested in teaching, these are concrete elements worth asking admissions about in greater detail.
Getting into Bloomfield College: what they review and what actually happens
This is where many families become nervous unnecessarily, or relax unnecessarily. Let’s take it slowly.
It does not have open admissions. Bloomfield College reported that it reviews specific materials before making a decision. Of nine possible considerations, it marks four as required: the high school transcript, high school GPA, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. Other items are not required but are considered if you submit them: your child’s class rank, completion of the college-preparatory coursework the school requires, and a formal sample of your child’s work (a portfolio or competency exam).
Gather the four required items first. Nothing else replaces them. And because letters of recommendation are required, request them a month in advance and give the teacher a page describing what your child has done over the years. No one remembers everything without help.
The published application fee is $40.
How selective it is, in actual numbers. In the 2023 cycle, Bloomfield College received 3,491 first-time applications. Of those, 2,347 received an offer of admission: that is 67 out of every 100. Compared with its 942 peers in this census, that percentage falls in the middle of the pack, neither among the most selective nor among the most open.
Put simply: out of every 100 applicants, 67 receive a yes. Admission is not guaranteed, but it is not a lottery either. The application is reviewed. But being admitted is not the same as enrolling, and here comes the figure that really changes the conversation.
Of those admitted, how many attend classes? In 2023, out of every 100 students admitted by Bloomfield College, only 8 enrolled. Compared with its 942 peers, this is among the lowest percentages: nine out of ten in that group have a higher number. Put another way: out of every 13 young people who received a yes from this school, about one ultimately enrolled. The others had a place here and chose another path.
Do not read this as a mark against the school. The federal record does not say why each person made that decision, and what others decided does not tell you what the school will offer you. What you need to do is wait for your own letter showing the net price—what the year will actually cost your family—and decide with that number in hand whether this school stays on the list.
About the SAT and ACT. They are optional. If your child submits them, they are considered; if your child does not, the application is still complete. In practice, almost no one submits them: among enrolled students, only 2 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores. That does not tell you whether those scores helped anyone gain admission or obtain a scholarship; those are different questions that this data does not answer.
Transfers: more leave than arrive. Out of every 100 students who entered Bloomfield College in 2017 seeking a bachelor’s degree, 38 transferred to another school without completing here within the expected time. That was 155 people. Compared with its 542 peers, it is among the schools where the largest share leaves: at least nine out of ten peers have an equal or lower number.
Separately—this figure is not added to the previous one—in the fall of 2023, 49 students enrolled at Bloomfield College for the first time after having studied at another institution.
Here is something almost no one notices, and it matters when you reach the graduation section: a student who transfers to another school does not count as a Bloomfield College graduate, even if that student completes a degree elsewhere. And the fact that many leave does not mean they did poorly here; the report counts the movement, not the reason.
What it costs and what is actually paid
At Bloomfield College, among 95 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $17,664. Among 35 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $19,185; among 19 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $24,399. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (95 students) and the highest-income band (19 students) is $6,735. Among first-year students who received any scholarship or grant, the average was $18,522.
$17,664 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the aid letter.
None of these figures is a quote for your child. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students receiving scholarships or grants, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. The figure that matters is the aid letter sent to you. In the meantime, use the net price calculator on the school’s website.
How students pay here, in practice
Almost everyone receives something. At Bloomfield College, 97 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received a scholarship or grant that does not have to be repaid. Among those who received it, the average was $25,146 per year—although that average includes people who received much more and people who received much less.
The Pell Grant—federal aid for undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need—reached 69 out of every 100 students. That is a high share.
Now the other side: 90 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in the 2022-23 year. Here, leaving with a federal loan is not the exception; it is common, and this is among the highest shares across its 942 peers—at least nine out of ten in that group have a lower share of students with loans. The average amount among those who received one was $5,005 for the year. If your child borrowed a similar amount each year for the four years the degree takes, the total would be around $20,020, not counting interest. And that figure is decided before the first signature, not at the end.
That average covers only federal loans in the student’s name for one year. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, bank debt, or credit-card debt, and it is not the total debt someone has upon graduation—that would require adding the years together, and that figure is not in this report.
The fact that borrowing is common here does not determine whether your child will need a loan. That depends on your child’s own aid letter and what your family can contribute. If a loan appears in the offer, ask for the estimated monthly payment before accepting it.
The institution also reports offering an installment tuition-payment plan, in case your family prefers to divide the year’s cost rather than pay it all at once.
The campus: housing, sports, library, and support
Housing and meals. Bloomfield College does have its own housing, and it does not require all first-time students to live there—which does not mean that no program requires it; you need to ask about your child’s specific situation. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by the plan selected. IPEDS reports a maximum capacity of 679 housing spaces, on or off campus. The existence of housing does not guarantee an available bed: ask for this year’s exact rate, the application deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or your child will be put on a waiting list.
ROTC. In its most recent report, Bloomfield College did not mark any ROTC opportunity, neither the general box nor any of its three branches. Of the 1,786 four-year institutions in this guide, 926 did mark it; this one is not among them. That does not prove there is no nearby option—it says only that none was reported in this field. If it matters to your family, ask admissions directly.
Sports. Bloomfield College does compete in intercollegiate sports and is affiliated with the NCAA (not with other associations). It reports membership for basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. The membership belongs to the school, not to your child: write directly to the coach of the sport that interests your child, ask whether there is a place available, which division they compete in, and whether that sport awards scholarships. Ask for written confirmation.
Distance education. It does offer it at the undergraduate and graduate levels. But only 7 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes at a distance; the other 93 took at least one class in person. The institution also reported that it does not offer any undergraduate program that can be completed entirely at a distance. If your child is counting on studying online, confirm the exact level and program.
Library. It operates with paid staff, and its annual spending exceeded the $100,000 threshold recorded by the government. It has physical and digital collections and participates in interlibrary lending. The spending threshold is only a floor: it does not guarantee that the specific databases for your child’s program are available. Ask about that by program name.
Reported services and support. Combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, participation in Yellow Ribbon, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, and a web address for services for students with disabilities.
Do they stay? Do they graduate? The numbers that carry the most weight
We have reached the part where this school’s figures ask you to read them calmly, without dramatizing and without looking away.
First-year retention. Of the 231 first-time, full-time students who entered in the fall of 2022, 137 were still enrolled here or had already completed their bachelor’s degree one year later: 59 out of every 100. Compared with its 930 peers, it is among the schools that retain the smallest share of their entering class—nine out of ten peers retained a higher share. The data does not say what happened to the other 94: it does not distinguish among those who transferred, paused their studies, or took another path.
Graduation within six years. Of the 409 first-time, full-time students who entered bachelor’s-degree programs in 2017, 127 were listed as having graduated here six years later: 31 out of every 100. Within four years, the figure falls to 18 out of every 100. Compared with its 920 peers, it ranks at the very bottom of that table: nine out of ten report a higher share of graduates.
It is worth looking at the complete count of those 409 students, because it tells a fuller story than the 31% alone: 127 completed here, 0 completed a short program here, 155 transferred to another institution without completing here, 6 remained enrolled without completing, and 121 were classified as “no longer enrolled” as of the reporting date. Remember what we saw earlier: a student who transfers does not count as a Bloomfield College graduate, even if that student completes a degree elsewhere. And “no longer enrolled” does not state the reason.
This 31% is the number for the entire school. IPEDS does not report graduation program by program. If your child is pursuing a specific program, you need to request that information directly from the department.
At eight years, the count changes again. From a different cohort—719 full-time and part-time students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016—as of August 2023, 42 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate here. Among those who received a Pell Grant, the number was very similar: 43 out of every 100. Compared with its 935 peers, it falls in the bottom quarter of that table.
This eight-year measure is not a bill and does not measure the actual amount of time each person took. Before your child signs anything, ask in writing how long the program of interest takes to complete, how its required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if the path takes longer.
What this article cannot tell you
Nothing above addresses what happens after graduation: employment, salary, or debt upon completing a degree. Those data are not part of this report and cannot be invented here.
Putting the pieces together
Now you know one of the pieces you need in order to decide: what kind of school Bloomfield College is, how it admits students, how much it costs on paper, how much each person ends up paying, and how likely—according to the official numbers—a student is to stay and graduate here.
That piece alone does not decide anything. It is missing what your child wants to study and what your child has already built. It is missing what your family can afford, with the aid letter in hand and not before. And it is missing what you, as a parent, can do with calendars, documents, and timely questions, without leaving your child alone to carry a system that your child is only beginning to learn how to read.
Your child is responsible for the effort, curiosity, and decision. You are responsible for the money, deadlines, and guidance without taking away the steering wheel. With those three pieces together—the college, the student, and the family—a real plan can begin to take shape.
Note on sources: The data in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and the United States Department of Education and corresponds to different years and cohorts identified in the text (primarily 2022-23 and 2023-24). Best College Aid does not represent Bloomfield College or any government agency; this piece organizes and explains existing public information.