Exploring William Paterson University's Student Population

William Paterson University, also known as WP, is a public university in Wayne, New Jersey. It is one of the largest universities in the state, with nearly 10,000 students enrolled. The university offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs and is known for its diverse student body and commitment to sustainability. In recent years, the university has seen a decline in undergraduate enrollment, but an increase in students enrolled in web-based programs.

Undergraduate vs graduate student numbers

William Paterson University in New Jersey has a large student population, with nearly 10,000 students enrolled as of Fall 2023. The number of undergraduate and graduate students varies, with more students enrolled in undergraduate programs.

During the Fall 2023 semester, 6,546 students were enrolled as undergraduates, while 2,880 students were enrolled in graduate programs. This means that undergraduate student numbers are higher than graduate student numbers at William Paterson University.

The university has seen a decline in undergraduate enrolment, with a 10.1% decrease compared to the previous year. This drop in enrolment is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and has impacted the university's revenue. To address this, the university has invested in marketing campaigns and online programs to attract more students.

Despite the decline in undergraduate enrolment, William Paterson University remains one of the largest universities in New Jersey. The university offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with a total of more than 150 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs.

The university's online programs, known as WP Online, have seen significant growth, with nearly a 57% increase in enrolment. This trend towards web-based programs may further impact the number of students choosing traditional undergraduate and graduate pathways.

Enrollment numbers

William Paterson University, also known as WP, is a public university in Wayne, New Jersey. It is one of the largest universities in the state, with a total enrollment of nearly 10,000 students. The university offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees through its four academic colleges: College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Cotsakos College of Business; College of Education; and College of Science and Health.

During the Fall 2023 semester, William Paterson University had a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,546 students and 2,880 graduate students, for a total of 9,426 students. This represented a decline of more than 10% from the previous fall semester. The university's total enrollment, including graduate students, was 9,070 as of September 8, 2022, a decrease from 9,369 at the same time in 2021.

The university's undergraduate enrollment has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with a significant shift towards web-based programs. The population of students in WP Online, the university's web-based program, has grown by nearly 57%. WP Online offers a range of fully online graduate and undergraduate programs in areas such as nursing, education, business, communication, and psychology.

William Paterson University is committed to providing an outstanding and affordable education. They award more than 2,000 scholarships totalling $7 million each year. The university also offers a Pledge 4 Success program, which provides grants to incoming first-year students to cover the difference between their financial aid and tuition and fees.

Student demographics

William Paterson University, located in Wayne, New Jersey, is one of the largest universities in the state, with nearly 10,000 students enrolled as of 2022. The university's student population comprises both undergraduate and graduate students, with a total enrollment of 9,070 in 2022, a slight decrease from 9,369 in 2021.

The university is known for its diversity, ranking as the third most diverse public university in New Jersey. In terms of ethnic breakdown, the student population is diverse, with 37.9% White, 30.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Black or African American, 8.04% Asian, 2.49% with two or more races, 0.11% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 0.0551% American Indian or Alaska Native. Additionally, 30% of students claim Hispanic heritage, and it is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. The university also has a significant population of first-generation college students, with approximately 40% to 45% being the first in their families to pursue a university education.

In terms of gender distribution, William Paterson University has a higher percentage of female students. In 2022, 64.2% of degrees were awarded to women, while 35.8% were awarded to men. This trend is also reflected in the full-time undergraduate population, with the most common demographic groups being Hispanic or Latino females (22.2%) and White females (17.8%).

The university offers a range of academic programs, including bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, through its four academic colleges: the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; the Cotsakos College of Business; the College of Education; and the College of Science and Health. The university also has an Honors College for academically gifted students.

Alumni numbers

William Paterson University has a large alumni network of 84,894 former students, including 67,545 alumni who live in New Jersey. This means that William Paterson University alumni reside in all 50 states across the USA and beyond.

The university has a total of 9,426 students enrolled, with 6,546 undergraduate students and 2,880 graduate students enrolled in the Fall 2023 semester. This is a slight decrease from the previous year, when the university's total enrollment was 9,369. The undergraduate population has decreased by more than 10% since last fall, which the university president, Richard Helldobler, attributes to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the decline in full-time, on-campus students, the population of students enrolled in web-based programs, known as WP Online, is growing, with nearly 57% growth. The university's online programs now include over a dozen undergraduate programs for adult learners in areas such as communication, business, information technology, psychology, and professional and leadership studies.

In 2022, William Paterson University awarded 2,541 degrees across all undergraduate and graduate programs. 64.2% of these degrees were awarded to women, and the remaining 35.8% were awarded to men.

Campus size

William Paterson University is located on a 407-acre hilly, wooded campus in northern New Jersey, in the suburban township of Wayne. The campus is just three miles from the historic Great Falls in Paterson and 20 miles from New York City. Small parts of the campus are in the boroughs of Haledon and North Haledon.

The campus borders High Mountain Park Preserve, a forested area of nearly 1,200 acres of wetlands and woodlands. The campus is also three miles west of the historic Great Falls in Paterson. New York City is 20 miles east, the Jersey Shore is an hour's drive south, skiing is 30 miles north, and the Meadowlands Sports Complex is a half-hour drive away.

The university moved to its present campus in 1951, on a site originally known as Ailsa Farms, which was purchased by the State of New Jersey in 1948 from the family of Garret Hobart, the 24th vice president of the United States. The original manor house, built in 1877 in the style of a castle, was the home of John McCullough, a Scottish immigrant who made his fortune in the wool industry. It was later purchased, enlarged, and became the weekend retreat and summer residence of the Hobart family. Today, the building is known as Hobart Manor and houses the Office of the President and the Office of Institutional Advancement. Hobart Manor was designated a national and state landmark in 1976.

The campus includes University Hall, an 80,000-square-foot academic building that opened in 2016 and was funded in part by the Building Our Future Bond Act. The building is a mix of general-use classrooms, dedicated laboratories, and clinical spaces for nursing, communication disorders, and public health. The expanded and renovated 232,000-square-foot Science Complex features nearly 100 research labs and 50 teaching labs. The campus also includes the 1600 Valley Road Building, which has interactive classrooms, the Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales with its professional sales laboratory, and the Financial Learning Center (a simulated trading floor).

The University Galleries at the Ben Shahn Center for the Visual Arts present exhibitions of contemporary art, oversee the university's art collections, and offer educational programs. The Power Art Center accommodates an array of studio arts, including three-dimensional design, photography, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, woodworking, and painting. The Nel Bolger, RN Nursing Laboratory, is a patient simulation laboratory suite in University Hall that features computerized patient simulation mannequins, a control station for operating the mannequins, robotic digital cameras to record students, and television screens to display lab sessions.

Hamilton Hall, the communication building, houses TV broadcast studios, the WPSC radio station, and sound engineering arts facilities. The University Commons, including the John Victor Machuga Student Center and the Speert Hall dining facility, is the hub of campus life, providing a venue for the University community to gather and interact.

The university provides housing for nearly 1,800 students in eight residence halls, including Skyline Hall, which opened in 2019.

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