William Paterson University
William Paterson University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
William Paterson University Featured Rankings
- #3 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in New Jersey
- #4 New Jersey's Best Online Colleges
- #5 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in New Jersey
- #5 Best Online MBAs New Jersey
- #7 Most Affordable Colleges in New Jersey 2026
- #7 Best Public Colleges New Jersey 2026
- #8 New Jersey's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #13 Best Colleges in New Jersey 2026
- #19 Online Master’s in Educational Administration
- #34 Best Online RN-to-BSN
About William Paterson University
According to Wikipedia, William Paterson University, officially William Paterson University of New Jersey , is a public university in Wayne, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Founded in 1855 and was named after American judge William Paterson, William Paterson is the third-oldest public institution in New Jersey. William Paterson offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees through its five academic colleges. During the fall 2021 semester, 5,838 undergraduate students and 3,100 graduate students were enrolled.
William Paterson University's Online Degrees
MBA in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Marketing
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Human Resource Management
- Accounting
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
MSN in Administration
- Required Credits: 31
- Completion Time: 10 months
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Educational Leadership
Degree Concentrations
- New Jersey Certification
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
MA in Higher Education Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Leadership Studies
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Special Education
Degree Concentrations
- Autism Spectrum Disorder And Development Disabilities
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Education
Degree Concentrations
- Teaching Of Writing For Grades P-12
- Required Credits: 33
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Curriculum And Learning
Degree Concentrations
- School Library Media
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
BA in Disability Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Liberal Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
MSN in Rn To Msn Nurse Education
- Required Credits: 35
- Completion Time: 12 months
- Format: Fully online
MSN in Adult-Gerontology Np
- Required Credits: 39
- Completion Time: 16 months
- Format: Fully online
MSN in Family Nurse Practitioner
- Required Credits: 47
- Completion Time: 20 months
- Format: Fully online
MSN in Rn To Msn Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
- Required Credits: 57
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MSN in Rn To Msn Administration
- Required Credits: 58
- Completion Time: 20 months
- Format: Fully online
MSN in Rn To Msn Family Nurse Practitioner
- Required Credits: 65
- Completion Time: 28 months
- Format: Fully online
William Paterson University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7,754 | 90% | 74% | 44% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does William Paterson University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $16,748 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $14,533 |
| 30K - 48K | $15,636 |
| 48K - 75K | $19,373 |
| 75K - 110K | $23,365 |
| 110K+ | $25,625 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do William Paterson University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former William Paterson University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $61,869 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
William Paterson University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 11,608 | 7,860 | 3,748 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is William Paterson University?
William Paterson University is located at 300 Pompton Rd, Wayne, NJ 07470.
How Safe is William Paterson University?
Relative to its enrollment, William Paterson University has a violent crime rate of 0.03% and a property crime rate of 0.04%. Wayne has a violent crime rate of 0.10% and a property crime rate of 1.96%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is William Paterson University Known For?
William Paterson University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Nursing
- Philosophy
- Literature
- Social Work
- Communications
- Education
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Earth Sciences
- Criminal Justice
- Law
- History
- Business
- Mathematics
- Psychology
- Political Science
- Computer Science
- Biology
- Medical
- Economics
- Chemistry
William Paterson University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much William Paterson University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
William Paterson University ranks #568 in the U.S. and #1495 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #639 in the U.S. and #2142 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #653 in the U.S. and #1993 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #675 in the U.S. and #1623 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #701 in the U.S. and #2620 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #726 in the U.S. and #3136 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #765 in the U.S. and #2622 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #820 in the U.S. and #2511 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #912 in the U.S. and #3413 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #931 in the U.S. and #1775 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #979 in the U.S. and #3434 worldwide for influence in Law.
William Paterson University ranks #988 in the U.S. and #3097 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #1024 in the U.S. and #3816 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #1141 in the U.S. and #4403 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #1304 in the U.S. and #3409 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #1359 in the U.S. and #5792 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #1371 in the U.S. and #5743 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #1476 in the U.S. and #6040 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #1531 in the U.S. and #5258 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #1569 in the U.S. and #7334 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesWilliam Paterson University ranks #2121 in the U.S. and #7417 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWho Are William Paterson University's Most Influential Alumni?
William Paterson University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Nursing, Social Work, and Criminal Justice. Here are some of William Paterson University's most famous alumni:
- Dick Vitale
- An American basketball coach and announcer.
- Thom Brooks
- An American-British political philosopher and legal scholar.
- Kevin Burkhardt
- An American sportscaster.
- Ronald M. Berkman
- An American academic administrator.
- Ian Ziering
- An American actor.
- Glenn Kenny
- An American film critic.
- Brian Lynch
- A Film and comic book writer.
- Tyshawn Sorey
- An American composer and multi-instrumentalist.
- Eric Alexander
- An American saxophonist.
- Carl Allen
- An American jazz drummer.
- Dana Hall
- A Jazz drummer.
- Steve LaSpina
- An American musician, artist, educator.
