Mission Montclair State University is committed to serving the educational needs of New Jersey with programs characterized by academic rigor and currency in the development of knowledge and its applications. The University will offer a comprehensive range of baccalaureate, master’s, and certificate programs and a focused portfolio of doctoral programs that are closely aligned with the University’s academic strengths and the needs of the state.
The University will recruit faculty with exceptional academic or professional credentials and a deep commitment to the pursuit of their development as teachers and scholars. The University will admit to study with this faculty students who have demonstrated the potential for high achievement, diligence in the pursuit of their education, and high aspirations for using their education. The University will be inexorably committed to the maintenance of a learning community that is deeply and broadly reflective of the diverse population of New Jersey.
All University programs will develop in students the ability to discover, create, evaluate, apply, and share knowledge in a climate characterized by tolerance and openness in the exploration of ideas. Curricular and co-curricular programs will cultivate the ability to think critically, to act ethically, and to become informed citizen-participants prepared to assume leadership roles in a democracy. Recognizing the increasing connectedness of the world, the University will ensure that all students develop an understanding of global issues and of their responsibilities as citizens of the world.
The University will serve as a center for the creation of new knowledge and for the development of innovative applications of existing knowledge and as a center for pedagogical and artistic excellence and creativity. The University seeks to focus the professional activities of its faculty and the educational endeavors of its students on the enduring disciplines that will continue to constitute the knowledge base of an educated citizenry in the 21st century, as well as on the more specific and changing areas of study that have particular relevance to the region served by the University.
The University will play a role beyond the campus community, partnering and collaborating at the local, state, national and international levels to make positive contributions to addressing issues of importance to society, to enable students to experience their ability to use knowledge in constructive ways in the world, and to share the rich array of intellectual and cultural resources of the University with the people of New Jersey.
Description Montclair State University defines what it means to be a university with a public purpose — one that not only creates transformational opportunities for students, but also partners with communities to make a difference in the lives of others.
Montclair invites students to imagine the world they want to live in and empowers them to develop the skills and knowledge to create it. As a solutions engine, we ask: How can we harness the power of 21,000 students and 1,800 professors to be a force for good in the world?
This distinctive approach continues to attract students, propelling Montclair to become New Jersey’s second largest institution of higher learning, and one of its most diverse. Under President Jonathan Koppell, the University enrolled the largest entering class in the University’s history two years in a row.
Founded in 1908, Montclair has grown big enough to offer more than 300 programs across 13 colleges and schools at all degree levels – and yet, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 17 to 1, is still small enough for students to receive personalized attention from professors and staff who truly care. Students have numerous opportunities to conduct research with professors who are respected leaders in their fields.
More than 50% of Montclair’s students identify as underrepresented minorities. It is New Jersey’s largest Hispanic-Serving Institution, serving more Latinx students than any other university in the state.
Montclair’s highly diverse students thrive in the University’s supportive, welcoming environment. Their graduation rates outperform state and national benchmarks and predictions with U.S. News & World Report ranking Montclair as seventh among national universities in graduation rate performance in 2022. It is consistently recognized as one of the most inclusive and best value universities and ranked No. 21 in the country in social mobility.
Many of Montclair’s students are working and raising families, and the University offers flexible programs that give them the opportunity to learn in ways that work best for them, on campus or online, in real time or asynchronously.
Faculty include winners of a MacArthur fellowship, Fulbright grants and Emmy awards, and NSF, NEH and NIH grants, among many other distinctions. These highly respected researchers, scholars and creators are dedicated to student success, and they are always innovating to meet the needs of learners and of the state. Montclair has launched dozens of new degree and certificate programs, and offers more combined bachelor’s and master’s degree programs than any other university in New Jersey – empowering students to enter the workforce faster, with stronger skills and for less cost.
Montclair’s mission is to elevate its students and partners, and in so doing, help make the world a better place.
Here you’ll find:
- Opportunities to develop leadership skills and achieve professional goals through a wide range of extracurricular activities - A vibrant, expansive campus community - Cutting-edge technologies, such as online study opportunities, that match our students’ learning styles - Exceptional value for both in-state and out-of-state students - Over 300 majors, minors, concentrations and certificate programs - State-of-the-art facilities including a new 2,000-bed student residence and dining complex - Exceptional opportunities for motivated students, regardless of ethnicity or economic background: described by the U.S. Education Trust as a “Top Gap Closer” for increasing graduation rates for minority students
Yet students receive the individual attention you’d expect from a much smaller institution.
- Student-to-faculty ratio of 17 to 1 - Average class size is 23 students - Courses taught by professors, not graduate assistants - Affordable tuition: one of Forbes’ 25 Best Buy Colleges in the Northeast
Montclair State University has an employee rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars, based on 511 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Montclair State University employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).
Overall, 82% of employees would recommend working at Montclair State University to a friend. This is based on 511 anonymously submitted reviews on Glassdoor.
73% of job seekers rate their interview experience at Montclair State University as positive. Candidates give an average difficulty score of 2.6 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) for their job interview at Montclair State University.