Public · University

Montclair State University

Montclair, New Jersey · Large suburb

87.9%
Admit rate
$15,566
Avg net price
65%
Graduation rate
$61,415
Median earnings

Montclair State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Montclair, New Jersey (large suburb setting), enrolling 18,376 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).

PublicLarge · 18,376 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 88% admitNCAA Division III with football · New Jersey Athletic ConferenceCold wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Montclair State University's admitted students.

Admit rate
87.9%
SAT (mid 50%)
910–1210
Avg GPA
3.33

Enter a test score to see where you land against Montclair State University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Montclair State University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Montclair, New Jersey

Montclair is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Montclair was initially formed as a township on April 15, 1868, from portions of Bloomfield Township, so that a second railroad could be built to Montclair. It derives its name from the French mont clair, meaning "clear mountain" or "bright mountain." In the 1948 biographical novel Cheaper by the Dozen, the principal characters Frank Bunker Gilbreth Sr. and Lillian Moller Gilbreth live in Montclair, as the authors did in real life. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
14 miles to New York, NY
To the ocean
11 miles
Nearest airport
7 miles to Teterboro (TEB)

How Montclair State University compares

Selectivity87.9%

More selective than 29% · #28 most selective of 43 in New Jersey

SAT average1070

Higher than 20%

Graduation rate65%

Higher than 68% · #15 of 47 in New Jersey

First-year retention78%

Higher than 56%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$61,415

Higher than 70% · #17 of 38 in New Jersey

Average net price$15,566

Cheaper than 70% · #17 cheapest of 46 in New Jersey

Median debt at graduation$22,000

Lower than 59%

Student–faculty ratio18 : 1

Lower than 18%

Undergraduate enrollment18,376

Larger than 94%

Percentiles compare Montclair State University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in New Jersey.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

23,039students
  • Undergraduate18,37680%
  • Graduate4,66320%

Undergraduates by gender

18,376undergrads
  • Women11,50963%
  • Men6,86737%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White32%
  • Black13%
  • Hispanic41%
  • Asian6.1%
  • Other or multiracial8.4%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
18,376
Graduate enrollment
4,663
Student–faculty ratio
18 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
47%
First-generation students
41%
Students over 25
8%
Median family income
$40,178
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$112,860
Endowment
$61,568,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 4,039 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From New Jersey95%
  • Other U.S. states5.0%
  • International0.5%

Most first-years stay in state — Montclair State University draws overwhelmingly from New Jersey.

1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
87.9%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
910–1210
SAT average
1070
SAT reading
480–620
SAT math
430–590
ACT composite
Average GPA
3.33

Cost

In-state tuition
$15,912
Out-of-state tuition
$26,022
Room & board
$16,730
Books & supplies
$1,250
Total cost of attendance
$28,305
Average net price
$15,566

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
65%
Graduated on time (4 years)
46%
First-year retention
78%
Transferred to another college
20%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$47,944
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$61,415
Median debt at graduation
$22,000
Students with federal loans
41%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
60%

About 19% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
46%
Low-income (Pell)
60%
First-generation
60%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
5,093
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
28%
Housing charge (year)
$11,222
Meal plan (year)
$5,600
Application fee
$65
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
New Jersey Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
643 (370 men · 273 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (13)

Football135
Track and Field (Indoor)83
Track and Field (Outdoor)83
Lacrosse71
Soccer66
Swimming46
Basketball36
Baseball34
Softball29
Field Hockey23
Cross Country18
Volleyball17
Diving2

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
36
Property offenses (2022–2024)
30

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (23,375 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

22reported offenses a year
12 violent a year10 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
8.3
Rape
6.0
Aggravated assault
3.3
Fondling
2.7
Motor vehicle theft
1.0
Arson
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$10,880
$30–48k
$11,532
$48–75k
$16,388
$75–110k
$22,058
$110k+
$25,573

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$72,616

$16,388/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

51%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$3,692
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 51% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,692. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 3,942 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$61,415
Typical debt at graduation
$22,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
36%
Out-earn a HS grad
66%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$57,997
Men
$68,308

Men out-earn women by $10,311 (18%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
86°F
Winter low
22°F
Annual rain
44.9″
Annual snow
28.2″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.34.5JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Little Falls, NJ US station (2.3 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Montclair State University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Montclair State University side by side →

Colleges near Montclair State University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.