Stockton vs. TCNJ vs. Rutgers vs. Rider University

Should I go to Stockton University or The College of New Jersey? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Stockton or TCNJ is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Stockton University vs. The College of New Jersey vs. Rutgers University New Brunswick vs. Rider University comparison
Stockton University The College of New Jersey Rutgers University New Brunswick Rider University
The College of New Jersey Rutgers University New Brunswick Rider University
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Overview

 Stockton TCNJ Rutgers Rider University
Location Galloway, NJ Ewing, NJ New Brunswick, NJ Lawrenceville, NJ
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 8,788 7,652 50,617 4,083
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #562 #164 #113 #309
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website stockton.edu tcnj.edu rutgers.edu rider.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 Stockton TCNJ Rutgers Rider University
Tuition (In State) $12,996 $14,706 $13,674 $37,700
Tuition (Out of State) $20,884 $20,589 $32,436 $37,700
Room & Board $15,332 $15,569 $14,715 $16,730
Avg Net Price $19,752 $22,379 $19,052 $26,618
Avg Grant Aid $12,052 $13,824 $16,249 $27,411
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 62% 52% 100%

Admission

 Stockton TCNJ Rutgers Rider University
Applied 9,338 11,668 43,347 9,069
Admitted 8,233 7,251 28,326 7,201
Acceptance Rate 88.2% 62.1% 65.3% 16.6%
Enrolled % 18.6% 21.3% 27.1% 2.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.54 3.29 3.3 3.41
Typical High School Grades B+ B B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Difficult Exceptional Challenging
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 20/27 25/31 28/33 22/29
SAT Range 1080/1260 1140/1340 1270/1480 1100/1310
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Sep 1, 2025 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 Stockton TCNJ Rutgers Rider University
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 13:1 15:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Education (22%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Business (6%)
  • Education (3%)
  • English and Literature (2%)
  • Psychology (1%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (1%)

Outcomes

 Stockton TCNJ Rutgers Rider University
Graduation Rate 66% 87% 77% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,100 $62,100 $66,200 $53,000
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 85% 68% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,108 $23,250 $22,215 $25,750
Median Loan Payment $218 $240 $229 $266

Diversity

 Stockton TCNJ Rutgers Rider University
% Men 3% 2% 10% 7%
% Women 8% 6% 18% 14%
Racial Diversity Low Medium Very High Medium
HBCU No No No No
% White 72% 66% 42% 62%
% Black 7% 6% 7% 12%
% Hispanic 11% 12% 13% 12%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 0% 3% 3%
% International 0% 0% 7% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 5% 2% 2%

Students

 Stockton TCNJ Rutgers Rider University
% In-State 95% 95% 84% 73%
% Out-of-State 4% 5% 8% 25%

Campus

 Stockton TCNJ Rutgers Rider University
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No Yes No
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Comparable Facts

  • Stockton University is larger than than TCNJ based on total student enrollment (8,788 students vs. 7,652 students)

Stockton vs. TCNJ Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Stockton or TCNJ?

  • The College of New Jersey is 13.2% more expensive to attend than Stockton for in-state tuition ($14,706.00 vs. $12,996.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.4% higher at Stockton than The College of New Jersey ($20,884.00 vs. $20,589.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Stockton University than TCNJ ($19,752 vs. $22,379)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Stockton University are 1.5% lower than costs at The College of New Jersey ($15,332 vs. $15,569)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Stockton University than The College of New Jersey (92% vs. 62%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The College of New Jersey students is 14.7% larger than aid received Stockton University ($13,824 vs. $12,052)

Stockton vs. TCNJ Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Stockton or TCNJ? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between TCNJ or Stockton .

  • The average SAT score at The College of New Jersey (1227) is 153 points higher than at Stockton (1074)
  • Incoming TCNJ students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Stockton (22)
  • Accepted freshman Stockton students have a 0.25 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at TCNJ (3.29)
  • Stockton has a higher acceptance rate (88.2%) than TCNJ (62.1%)

Stockton vs. TCNJ Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Stockton or TCNJ? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between TCNJ and Stockton.

  • The graduation rate at TCNJ is higher than Stockton University (87% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from The College of New Jersey earn on average $13,000 more per year than Stockton graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $49,100)
  • Stockton University students graduate with a $2,142 lower median federal student loan debt than TCNJ graduates. ($21,108 vs. $23,250)
  • Stockton graduates are paying $22 less per month on federal student loans than TCNJ graduates. ($218 vs. $240)
  • More TCNJ graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Stockton students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 65%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/