Stockton’s Enrollment Hits Record High

On Sep 5, 2014

More students are enrolled at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey this fall than at any time in the college’s history.

Stockton’s overall enrollment is at a record high, with undergraduate and graduate students combining to reach the full-time equivalent (FTE)* of 8,138, up 2.67 percent from 7,926 in Fall 2013.

The Class of 2018 is the largest ever, with first-time freshmen up 11.41 percent over the number of Stockton students entering college for the first time in 2013. As of Sept. 3, the first day of classes, 1,191 first-time freshmen were enrolled, compared with 1,069 in Fall 2013.

“We are pleased to welcome so many outstanding students seeking a distinctive Stockton education,” said President Herman Saatkamp. “Stockton’s highly accomplished faculty and world-class facilities offer exceptional opportunities for students to build on their knowledge, skills and relationships, so they will thrive in our global economy.”

“The college’s growth is part of a very positive trend – this is the fourth straight year that Stockton has had its largest freshman class in history,” President Saatkamp noted.

The number of students attending Stockton this year is also the largest in history, with a headcount of 8,552 as of Sept. 3, up from 8,458 in Fall 2013.

Stockton, which traditionally draws a majority of its students from southern New Jersey, is attracting more students from northern New Jersey, said Dean of Enrollment Management John Iacovelli. He said a marketing awareness campaign in the northern part of the state has yielded significant increases in the number of freshmen from North Jersey in each of the past four years.

While enrollment is increasing, the academic profile of Stockton’s regular admission freshmen remains consistently high, Iacovelli said. The average freshman’s high school class rank is in the 78^th percentile and their average SAT score for critical reading and math is 1110.

The number of Stockton undergraduates has increased 3.01 percent, to 7,597 FTE as compared with 7,375 FTE in Fall 2013.

The only minor decrease was in the number of graduate students, with 535 full-time equivalent students enrolled this fall, as compared to 551 FTE last fall.

The enrollment numbers are expected to vary slightly as students make adjustments to their schedules in the first few weeks of class.

The Class of 2018 and other new students are entering Stockton as it continues its expansion.

In the past three years, Stockton has opened the 154,000-square-foot Campus Center, the 66,350-square-foot Unified Science Center and broken ground for its 54,000-square-foot expansion, the Unified Science Center². The facility, to be built with the help of bond funds approved by voters in 2012, will nearly double the capacity for faculty and staff of the School of Natural Science and Mathematics. An $18 million additional classroom building is also slated for construction using bond funds.

Stockton opened instructional sites in Manahawkin, Ocean County, in Woodbine, Cape May County, and in Hammonton in western Atlantic County in the past two years, increasing access for students.

Stockton was named as one of the Top Six “Up and Coming” regional universities in the north by U.S. News & World Report.

*Part-time student hours are totaled to determine how many full-time students that would equal. That number, added to the number of full-time students, equals FTE.

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