First-year enrollment at Stockton University this fall jumped 16% over the fall of 2021 as the school welcomed more than 1,550 new students, the school announced Thursday.
On-campus housing jumped, too — as more than 3,000 total students now live on campus, with many taking advantage of the school’s new housing options at its Atlantic City campus.
Stockton officials said the increases reflect an increase in attention on the school. Applications for the school jumped 54% — to more than 11,000.
President Harvey Kesselman, a fixture at the school who is retiring at the end of the next academic year, said he is thrilled to see the school thriving.
“Stockton is receiving national attention for our thriving campuses in Galloway and Atlantic City, with cutting-edge labs for studies in the sciences and health care fields, the most accomplished faculty in all disciplines and our dedicated staff,” he said.
Stockton has added an academic quad with a Unified Science Center and the John F. Scarpa Health Sciences Building in Galloway and opened a campus in Atlantic City in recent years. A second residence hall in Atlantic City to accommodate the growth of the student body will open in 2023.
“Students and their parents recognize the value of a Stockton education,” Kesselman said.
Bob Heinrich, vice president for enrollment management, pointed to the recent Stockton Promise initiative, which provides free tuition and fees for lower-income students, saying it has been a success.
“We do not want financial or family considerations to be a barrier for anyone who wants to attend college,” he said.
Nearly 200 students attend Stockton for free through the Stockton Promise. Stockton Promise covers qualified students for up to 60 credits. The Garden State Guarantee provides free tuition and fees in years three and four for eligible students.
The entering class is also the most diverse in Stockton’s history at 46% minority, with more than 700 first-year students identifying as minority or mixed race. This increases the overall minority representation in the student population to 40%.
To support this growing diversity, the university will open a Multicultural Center later this fall as part of its vision to provide a sense of belonging and support for students from historically underrepresented communities.
Stockton retains a low student-faculty ratio of 17:1, with 94% of full-time faculty holding the highest degree in their field.
Earlier this year, Stockton was designated as a Professional/Doctoral University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, reflecting the university’s increased number of doctoral programs offered and degrees awarded. Enrollment this fall in Stockton’s 19 graduate programs is up 10% over fall 2021.