What kind of school it is and where it stands
New Jersey Institute of Technology is a public four-year-or-more institution located in Newark, New Jersey, within Essex County and the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area. That does not mean the campus is in the heart of that enormous city; the census code simply places it within a principal city of 250,000 residents or more. If your child plans to live at home and drive every day, do not rely on what the map says: drive the route yourself on a weekday, at the exact time of his classes. The actual travel time is almost never what Google Maps promises.
The Carnegie system, which classifies the nation’s colleges and universities by what they do, places it among doctoral institutions with the highest level of research activity in that system. It also describes it, using data from 2019-20, as a medium-sized and “primarily nonresidential” institution. That label applies when fewer than 25 out of every 100 undergraduate students live in institution-provided housing, or when fewer than half attend full time. The data do not clarify which of those two conditions applied here, and the label also does not mean that there are no residence halls. It simply means that if your child will commute every day, the budget needs to include the bus, gasoline, and hours spent traveling, not just tuition.
One more fact from this institutional profile: Carnegie places it among schools that receive many transfer students. If your child plans to come here after studying at another institution, this does not tell you how many credits will be accepted. Before enrolling, ask in writing which courses will count and which will not.
IPEDS—the federal data system used throughout this article—classifies it as a public degree-granting institution that primarily awards bachelor’s degrees or higher, and reports the doctoral degree as the highest level it offers. That is a general institutional fact; it does not tell you whether the specific major your child is interested in is available here or whether it connects to a graduate program. That must be verified program by program.
And one clarification worth making now: New Jersey Institute of Technology is not listed as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 institutions in this federal directory, 138 do have at least one of those three designations. The fact that this institution does not have them says nothing about which students it serves or how your child will feel there. You can learn that by seeing which cultural centers and student organizations exist today and by speaking with someone who already studies there.
How many students there are and who they are
New Jersey Institute of Technology reported 13,007 enrolled students in the official fall count. It is a large school, within the federal band of 10,000 to 19,999 students, and compared with similar schools, its size is among the most common: neither one of the giants nor one of the small schools.
But that large number includes graduate students. The total is divided into 9,523 undergraduate students and 3,484 graduate students. If your child is entering an undergraduate program, the number that matters to him is 9,523, not the total of 13,007.
Now, what you are probably most interested in knowing: 27 out of every 100 undergraduate students were reported as Hispanic or Latino. That is one in four, or more. Compared with 519 selective-admission public four-year institutions included in this census, that share places it in the top quarter. Being Latino on this campus would not be the exception.
But I want to be honest with you here, because it is easy for a figure like that to feel like a promise when it is not. A high percentage of Latino students is not the same as support for Latino students. This figure counts how many there are, not whether there is a Spanish-speaking counselor, whether tutoring is available, or whether those students finish their degrees. And it is the percentage for the entire school, not for your child’s specific major. Counting is not the same as serving.
Other outlines of this community: students ages 25 to 64 are a minority, only 12 out of every 100—this is a campus of young people who have recently finished high school. There are more men than women: out of every 100 students, only 30 are women. And out of every 100 first-time, degree-seeking students, 90 reported a permanent address in New Jersey when they applied. Above all, it is a school for students from within the state.
How academic life is organized
The year at New Jersey Institute of Technology is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The institution reported that it accepts credit for AP exams, but it did not indicate that it awards credit for life experience. Saying that it accepts AP does not mean that it awards credit for every exam: the data do not say what scores are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits will count toward your child’s major. Ask for a written equivalency evaluation before enrolling, and do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand. It also reports accepting credit for military training and enrolling high school students in college-credit courses, both within and outside a formal dual-enrollment program.
As for what the school actually awards, in a recent year it awarded 1,815 bachelor’s degrees across 17 academic program families. By far the largest family was engineering: 711 of those 1,815 degrees, or 39 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, it falls within the quarter with the least variety among the program families represented in its bachelor’s-degree detail. Put simply: this is a school with a strong orientation toward engineering. That says nothing about what your child will experience within his particular program—the figure counts degrees, not people—but it does give you a clear idea of the direction in which this institution leans.
For class size, the available measure is the ratio of students to instructional staff: 16 full-time-equivalent students for every full-time-equivalent member of the instructional staff. Compared with similar schools, it falls in the middle of the range, neither among the lowest nor among the highest. This figure does not tell you the actual size of a classroom; it is an institution-wide average that does not reveal the size of first-year classes.
The institution also reports offering structured academic opportunities: study abroad, undergraduate research outside the classroom, a complete program that can be taken only in the evenings or on weekends, credit-bearing developmental education, preparation for teacher certification below the postsecondary level, and the option to complete preparation here in certain teacher-specialization areas. This is what the institution says it offers; it does not describe capacity, quality, or whether it applies to the exact major your child is interested in.
Getting in: what the application requires and who receives a yes
New Jersey Institute of Technology does not have open admissions. It reviews several components before making a decision. Of nine possible considerations tracked by this federal count, it marked six as required: the high school record, high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory course sequence required by the institution, letters of recommendation, a formal demonstration of work or competency such as a portfolio or exam, and an English-proficiency exam when applicable. Beyond the required items, only one additional consideration is used if submitted: the student’s rank within the high school graduating class.
This is a long application. It cannot be put together in one night. Letters of recommendation are required, so request them a month in advance and give the teacher a sheet describing what your child has done over the years—no one remembers everything. The published undergraduate application fee is $75.
In the 2023 cycle, the school received 13,993 first-time applications and offered admission to 9,362. That is 67 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, this places it on the low-acceptance side of its group: seven out of ten similar schools, or more, admitted a larger percentage of their applicants. Put another way: 4,631 applicants did not receive an offer. Admission is not automatic, but it is not a lottery either. The application is reviewed.
But here is an important distinction that many families do not make: being admitted is not the same as enrolling. Out of every 100 admitted first-time students, only 19 ultimately enrolled in the fall of 2023. The other 81 had a place here and did not take it. And I want to be clear about something: that is not a mark against the school. The federal record does not say why each person made the choice they did, and what others decided does not tell you what the school will offer you. What matters is waiting for your own letter with the net price—the actual amount it will cost your family—before drawing any conclusion.
As for standardized tests, the SAT and ACT are not required here. If your child submits them, they are considered; if he does not, the application remains equally valid. Among those who enrolled and submitted SAT scores—43 out of every 100 enrolled students, a high share compared with similar schools—the middle half scored between 590 and 710 in reading and writing, and between 620 and 760 in mathematics. Be careful: those ranges describe students who had already enrolled, not everyone who applied, and they do not prove that the score was used to admit anyone. That 590 is not a minimum, and that 710 does not guarantee anything either.
As for transfers: in a cohort of full-time students who entered in 2017, only 9 out of every 100 were recorded as having transferred to another institution without completing here. That is a low share compared with similar schools. In the other direction, however, incoming transfer enrollment is high: 676 undergraduate students entered here for the first time in the fall of 2023 after studying at another institution. That number counts people who arrived, not how many courses were accepted. If your child arrives as a transfer student, request the written equivalency list before he moves.
The listed price and what is actually paid
At New Jersey Institute of Technology, among 264 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $11,534. Among 168 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $16,317; among 150 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $27,681. For dependent students, the band includes both their parents’ income and their own.
There is a difference of $16,147 between the average for the lowest-income band of 264 students and the average for the highest-income band of 150 students. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $16,736.
$11,534 was the average net price for families in the lowest-income band in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you decide whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
Because the price varies so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours is the first step. 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 with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The letter that matters is the financial aid letter sent to you.
How it is paid for: grants, loans, and options
Out of every 100 degree- or certificate-seeking students here, 76 received some form of grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. Among those who received it, the average for the year was $16,147—that average is not spread across everyone; it describes only those who received something. And out of every 100 students, 42 received a Pell Grant, the federal aid for families with demonstrated financial need.
When your own letter arrives, separate it by hand into three piles: what does not have to be repaid, what must be repaid with interest, and what must be earned through work. Many letters mix them together in a single column, and that confuses anyone.
As for loans: 33 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in the 2022-23 school year—more than two out of ten, but fewer than half. Among those who borrowed, each received an average of $6,654 that year. This average covers a single year and only federal loans in the student’s name; it does not include Parent PLUS loans, bank debt, or credit cards, and it is not the total debt with which someone graduates. That information is not in this report. Compared with similar schools, this share of students with loans is among the most common, neither one of the highest nor one of the lowest.
This percentage describes other families, not yours. The amount your child would have to borrow comes from his own financial aid letter. Wait for that letter before ruling out the school and before committing to it.
The institution also reports a formal mechanism for managing payment: an installment tuition payment plan.
Campus life, learning format, and support
New Jersey Institute of Technology does have its own housing. It does not require all first-time, full-time students to live there—that rules out a universal requirement; it does not mean that no program has one. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by the plan selected. The reported maximum housing capacity is 2,444 students, on or off campus. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available when your child needs one: ask in writing for the rate for the year, the housing application deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or your child will be placed on a waiting list.
As for ROTC, the institution indicated that an opportunity is available, and the only branch confirmed in writing is the Air Force. The Army and Navy are not marked. If your child is interested in another branch, this report does not confirm it—that does not mean it is impossible; it means you need to ask directly.
In sports, the institution competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. This affiliation belongs to the school, not to your child: if he is interested in a sport, write directly to the coach and ask about roster availability, division, and whether athletic scholarships are available.
As for distance education, the institution does offer courses in that format at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and reports having at least one complete program that can be taken remotely. But in the actual fall count, virtually no undergraduate students—0 out of every 100—were taking their entire course load remotely. It is among the schools with the lowest enrollment in this format among its peers. If your child is looking for a fully online degree, confirm it in writing for the exact level and program, because what the institution reports and what is observed in actual enrollment do not align.
The library operates with employed staff and annual spending above the $100,000 threshold recorded by the federal government. It has physical and digital materials and participates in interlibrary lending. That threshold is only the floor about which the government asks; it does not guarantee that specific databases exist for your child’s major. Ask about that using the name of the program.
Finally, the institution reports these support services: combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services upon program completion, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, a recognized student veterans’ organization, and a published webpage for disability services. The fact that these services are reported does not by itself establish their quality or actual effectiveness; that must be confirmed by asking directly.
What happens to the students who arrive
This is where the numbers begin to tell a story about persistence and degree completion, and they need to be read carefully because they do not all measure the same thing.
Of the full-time student cohort that entered in the fall of 2022, 91 out of every 100 met the official retention criterion: they were still enrolled here or had already completed a bachelor’s degree one year later. Compared with similar schools, this places it among those that retain the largest share of their entering cohort. Among part-time students from that same entering class, the result was lower: 67 out of every 100. These are two different groups, and high retention is not the same as earning a degree: it combines those who are still studying with those who have already graduated, without distinguishing between them.
As for graduation, the cohort that began a bachelor’s degree in 2017, consisting of 1,060 first-time, full-time students, reached the six-year mark with 775 graduates. That is 73 out of every 100, placing the institution in the top quarter compared with similar schools. But at four years—the period most families budget for—the figure falls to 49 out of every 100. There is a difference of 24 points between the four-year and six-year marks. In exact numbers from that same cohort, 775 completed a bachelor’s degree here, 93 transferred without completing here and then enrolled at another institution, 5 remained enrolled without completing, and 187 fell into the federal “no longer enrolled” category—a label that does not explain the reason and may include people who earned a degree after the measured period.
That gap of 24 points matters to your wallet: before signing, ask in writing how long the program your child is interested in actually tends to take, how required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if the process takes longer.
A third, longer measure follows a complete annual cohort of undergraduate students—both first-time students and those who already had prior postsecondary experience—who entered between July 2015 and June 2016. At the August 2023 measurement point, eight years later, 84 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this institution. Among those who received a Pell Grant, the figure was 82 out of every 100, only 4 points below the group without Pell Grants. Compared with similar schools, it is among those that graduate the largest share of students within this longer period.
None of these percentages predicts your child’s outcome. They describe earlier cohorts, in specific years, under specific federal definitions. What is worth doing is asking about the program’s current support and the results of the most recent cohorts, not only the historical average.
Putting the pieces together
You now know an important piece of the map: what kind of school New Jersey Institute of Technology is, who studies there, how selective it is in practice, how much it costs on paper and how much different families ultimately pay, and what happens to the students who enter and remain. That is what the official data can give you, and I have given it to you in full, without embellishing or obscuring it.
What these data cannot tell you is what your child wants to study, how he feels about living far from home, or how much your family can and is willing to pay each year. You build that part of the map together, at home, calmly. Put this piece together with those other two, and that is where a real plan begins to emerge.
Source note: The information in this article comes from official data reported by the institution to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as indicated for each figure. Best College Aid does not represent New Jersey Institute of Technology or any government agency; this article is informational and is not a substitute for direct verification with the institution.