Stockton in Top 15 Public Regional Universities of the North

On Sep 13, 2016

Galloway-based Stockton University is in the Top 15 public Regional Universities of the North, ranked by U.S. News & World Report in its 2017 edition of “America’s Best Colleges” released today.

Stockton was ranked at No. 14 in northern public regional universities and ranked overall at No. 51 out of 137 public and private northern universities by U.S. News & World Report, one of the nation’s top sources of information on higher education.

“The extraordinary achievements of Stockton’s students, faculty, staff and alumni all contribute to our reputation as a top tier public institution, an honor we have held for the past nine years,” said President Harvey Kesselman. “We are recognized for our small class sizes, where students receive mentoring from our distinguished faculty on a breathtaking campus in the Pinelands National Reserve. Stockton provides exceptional quality, value and distinction at an affordable price.”

Stockton is ranked with universities offering both undergraduate and master’s programs in the northern region of the United States. The university offers a total of 14 master’s and doctoral programs.

The annual report considers factors such as graduation and retention rates, assessment by peers, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

Stockton’s graduation and retention rates have been rising impressively, with 87 percent of the freshmen who started in 2014 returning in 2015, the most recent year for which figures are available. The four-year graduation rate for Stockton students is 56 percent, while statewide, only about 40 percent of students graduate in four years.

Stockton has a student-faculty ratio of 17:1, with 93 percent of the 319 full-time faculty members holding the highest degree available in their fields.

The university was also recognized as one of the “Best Colleges for Veterans” by U.S. News & World Report, which ranked it as #29 out of the schools ranked in the Regional Universities of the North. Stockton’s veterans program rose 10 places from the previous year, while at the same time the ranking system became more selective. This year, an institution had to be in the top half of its Best Colleges ranking category to qualify for the veterans ranking, while last year it qualified if it was in the top 75 percent.

Stockton’s Office of Veteran Affairs was founded in 2008, but student veterans have been a major part of Stockton since its inception. The program serves over 600 veterans and service members.

At Stockton, veterans and service members can receive referrals to a wide range of support services and connect with their fellow veterans by becoming a part of the Student Veterans Organization. The institution charges in-state tuition to all out-of-state veterans and is certified for the G.I. Bill.

The U.S. News and World Report rankings reflect Stockton’s past decade of tremendous growth in academic achievements, new programs and new facilities, such as the Campus Center and the Unified Science Center. An expansion, the Unified Science Center 2, is expected to open in spring 2018, along with a new classroom building. All four facilities will form an Academic Quadrangle, creating a spectacular new landscaped entrance to the Galloway campus.

Construction of a residential Atlantic City campus is underway to increase the university’s already significant presence there. The campus will be located at the intersection of Atlantic, Albany and Pacific avenues, with residences for about 520 students overlooking the beach and Boardwalk.

The project is a public-private partnership with the Atlantic City Development Corp., or AC Devco. It includes a parking garage topped with offices for South Jersey Gas, and 879 parking spaces for use by the university, South Jersey Gas and the public. An academic building will accommodate up to 1,800 students.

The university plans to open the Atlantic City campus in 2018 with about 1,000 students, with room for future growth.

The university also has expanded its geographic reach with instructional sites in Ocean and Cape May counties, at the Carnegie Center in Atlantic City, and in Hammonton in western Atlantic County.

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