Stevens Institute of Technology Acceptance Rate, Admissions & Graduation

This article will not tell you whether Stevens Institute of Technology is the right university for your family. No one can tell you that without knowing your child, your budget, and what your family is willing to do. But it can give you something very valuable: the reality that official United States government data reveals about this school, without embellishment and without fear. That is the first piece of your map.

Who Stevens Institute of Technology is

Stevens is a private, nonprofit, four-year university located in Hoboken, New Jersey, in Hudson County. It is within the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area, but its census code classifies it as suburban: inside the urbanized area but outside the city’s core. If your child plans to live at home and commute each day, do not rely on what the map says. Drive the route yourself on a weekday at the exact time your child would have class.

The Carnegie system, which classifies the nation’s universities by what they do, places Stevens among doctoral universities with high research activity and describes it as a four-year, medium-sized, primarily residential school. In its undergraduate profile, Carnegie places it in the more selective admissions group. It is worth saying clearly: being “more selective” does not mean teaching better. It describes whom the school admits, not the quality of what it teaches once students are inside.

IPEDS, the federal data system where all this information is housed, records the doctorate as the highest level Stevens reports offering and classifies it as an institution that awards bachelor’s degrees or higher. That does not mean there is a direct path from undergraduate to graduate study in your child’s specific major. You need to ask the school directly for that information.

And there is something worth clarifying right away: Stevens has none of three particular federal designations—it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this national directory, 138 do have at least one of those three labels. Stevens not having them says nothing about which students it serves, how many Latinos are on campus, or how your child will feel there. You find that out by asking what organizations and cultural centers exist today and by talking with someone who already studies there.

A medium-to-large community, with more engineering than anything else

Among Stevens undergraduates, 16 out of every 100 students were reported as Hispanic or Latino in fall 2023. That is not a majority, but it is not unusual either: compared with 941 selective private four-year schools that report this information, Stevens ranks in the top quartile. Keep one thing in mind: this comparison does not account for the part of the country where the school is located, and that matters. It also does not break the data down by major.

There are more men than women on campus—out of every 100 students, 33 are women—and there are almost no adult-age students: only 1 out of every 100 is between 25 and 64 years old. IPEDS simply does not report where incoming students came from for this school in this cycle.

In the official fall count, Stevens had 8,842 students enrolled in total, placing it in the medium-to-large school range, between 5,000 and 9,999. But here is a figure that changes the size that actually matters to your child: of that total, only 4,092 are undergraduates. The other 4,750 are graduate students. The larger number includes graduate enrollment. If your child is entering an undergraduate program, the number that matters is 4,092, not the total of 8,842.

Engineering dominates the academic landscape

The year at Stevens is organized into semesters, two periods of about 15 weeks. The school accepts credit for AP exams, although it did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience. Saying that it accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every exam: the data does not say what score is required or whether those credits will count toward your child’s specific major. Request the transfer-credit evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.

Now, the figure that most defines Stevens academically: in a recent year, the school awarded 948 bachelor’s degrees, and 503 of them—53 out of every 100, more than half—were in engineering. Compared with 942 similar selective private schools, Stevens ranks in the quartile with the fewest distinct fields of study represented in its bachelor’s-degree offerings. This does not say that engineering is the best option or address the particular major your child may be interested in, but it does say something real: here, if your child is not pursuing engineering, it is wise to examine the exact program closely, ask how many students graduated from it last year, and find out how easy it is to get the classes your child needs.

The ratio of students to instructional staff is 10 to 1, a low figure compared with similar schools. That does not tell you the actual size of your child’s classes or guarantee more personal attention—it is an aggregate average, not a promise.

Stevens also reports offering study abroad as a structured academic opportunity.

Getting in is not easy, and the application is lengthy

Stevens does not have open admissions. Of the nine considerations reviewed in this federal count, the school marked six as required: high school record, high school GPA, the correct college-preparatory course sequence, personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam for applicants to whom that requirement applies. The application fee is $70. If the essay is required—and it is—have your child start it during the summer, not the week of the deadline. The first draft is never the one that gets submitted.

Here are the numbers that really matter:

Stevens accepts 43 out of every 100 applicants. Compared with 942 selective private schools, it falls on the low side: seven out of ten schools in that group accepted a higher percentage. It is selective, yes, but this figure covers the entire school—IPEDS does not report how many students are admitted by major, so if your child is pursuing a particular program, you need to request that information directly from admissions.

And here is something that confuses many families: out of every 6 young people who receive a yes from Stevens, about one ultimately enrolls there. The other five had a place and did not take it. Do not read that as a mark against the school—the federal record does not say why each person made that decision. What does matter is this: what other people decided does not predict what your child will be offered. Wait for your child’s own letter with the net price before deciding whether this school stays on the list.

The SAT and ACT are optional. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains under consideration just the same. Among enrolled students who submitted SAT scores, the middle half scored between 670 and 730 in reading and writing and between 700 and 770 in mathematics. Those numbers are for students who enrolled and submitted scores—not all applicants, and they are neither minimums nor guarantees.

Transferring is uncommon in both directions: only 2 out of every 100 members of a recent cohort transferred out without finishing there, and in 2023, only 32 transfer students arrived from another institution. If your child were to transfer to Stevens, the credits the school recognizes would be an entirely separate calculation—request it in writing, with the course list in hand, before your child moves.

The sticker price: one of the highest in the group

At Stevens Institute of Technology, among a group of 78 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 $26,555. Among a group of 58 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $34,145; among a group of 338 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $47,748. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.

The difference between the average for the lowest-income band, covering 78 students, and the average for the highest-income band, covering 338 students, is $21,193. 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 $43,665.

Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this information with the same time coverage, Stevens falls in the most expensive quartile for lower-income families. That does not mean you should rule it out. It means you should request the financial aid letter before deciding.

Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours is the first step. The income bands on 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 financial aid letter sent to you is what ultimately matters.

Aid exists, but so does debt

Almost everyone receives something: 97 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received some grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid, with an average of $31,343 among recipients. Pell, the federal aid for low-income families, reached 21 out of every 100 students.

That $31,343 is real money, but it is not a price. A high average among aid recipients does not mean yours will be that large. When your letter arrives, look for the amount your family would have to pay out of pocket, and compare that amount across schools—not the size of the discount.

And here we come to something that deserves to be said plainly: in the 2022-23 school year, 55 out of every 100 Stevens undergraduates received a federal student loan. More than half. Among those who borrowed, the average amount was $6,379 that year. If your child borrowed a similar amount each year during the program’s four years, the total would be around $25,516—not counting interest and not counting the loans parents sometimes take out, which are a separate calculation that this figure does not even include.

Financing with debt is common here. That percentage describes other families, not yours, but it is wise to do the full calculation before signing anything, not afterward.

Campus life, athletics, and support

Stevens does have its own housing, with capacity for 2,028 students on or off campus, although it does not require all first-time students to live there. It also offers meal plans, but the number of meals per week varies by plan. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available: request the rate, deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or you will be placed on a waiting list in writing.

There is a ROTC opportunity in two branches, Army and Air Force—not Navy. Its inclusion in the report does not mean the program is necessarily offered on this campus; ask for the program’s name before building your child’s plan around it.

Stevens competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. If your child wants to pursue that route, write directly to the coach of the specific sport and request a written response about roster availability, division, and athletic scholarships.

The school offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although in the fall count no undergraduate student was taking an entirely distance-based course load. The library has employed staff, physical and digital collections, and interlibrary lending.

Among the services Stevens reports are combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services upon program completion, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans, a point of contact for service members and their families, and an office of services for people with disabilities.

Do those who enroll stay and graduate?

Here Stevens shows high figures, and they are worth examining carefully.

Of the cohort that entered in fall 2022, 94 out of every 100 met the official retention criterion: they were still enrolled there or had already graduated. Compared with 930 similar schools, Stevens ranks among those that retain the largest share of their students. But a high retention figure does not distinguish between those who graduated and those who simply remain enrolled, and it does not say what happened to the rest.

As for graduation: among first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students who entered in 2017 without having previously attended another university, 90 out of every 100 completed a degree within six years. At four years, the figure falls to 69 out of every 100—21 points lower. That difference matters because four years is the period most families have budgeted for. Compared with 920 similar schools, Stevens is among those that graduate the largest share of students.

This does not predict what will happen to your child. It does say that, at this school, those students finished within that time more often than students at most peer institutions. Before signing anything, request in writing how long the program your child is interested in typically takes, how its required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if your child takes an extra year.

At eight years, looking at an older cohort from 2015-16, 87 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from Stevens. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 80 out of every 100—9 points below the group without Pell. Compared with 935 similar schools, Stevens remains among those that graduate the largest share of students. If your family would qualify for Pell, it is worth asking specifically what is available for those students: an assigned advisor, emergency aid, and whether institutional aid is renewed each year. And have the school answer in writing.

What you already know, and what is still yours to discover

You now know Stevens Institute of Technology in a way few parents do before their child applies: you know that it is selective, that engineering is its academic heart, that its sticker price is among the highest in the country, that half of its students finance their education with federal loans, and that those who enroll there tend to stay and graduate.

None of these numbers makes the decision for you. It is your child’s responsibility to decide what to study, work hard, write the essay, and build an academic record. It is Stevens’s responsibility to admit, deny, and offer—or not offer—the aid that would make it possible for your family to pay. It is your responsibility to understand your household finances, request the financial aid letter before ruling the school out or choosing it, and support this decision without carrying it alone or leaving your child to carry it alone.

Combine this piece with what your child truly wants and what your family can afford. A plan comes from that combination, not from a single number.

Source note: the information in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and the United States Department of Education, primarily from reports for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, depending on the indicator. Best College Aid does not represent Stevens Institute of Technology or any government agency; this article is informational material, not an offer of admission or financial aid.