For Positive Outcomes, Montclair State Ranks Among NJ’s Top Universities

For enrolling students from all walks of life and helping them earn affordable and in-demand credentials, Montclair State is catching the eye of influential national media on their annual rankings of the best American colleges and universities.

In recently released lists by U.S. News & World Report, Montclair State’s national rankings included No. 79 (tied) among all top public schools and No. 166 (tied) among all national universities.

The U.S. News rankings focus on academic excellence, with schools ranked on 15 measures of academic quality and grouped into categories based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the most widely accepted classification system in U.S. higher education. Montclair State is recognized as a Carnegie-designated national research doctoral university with high research activity and as a state-designated public research institution.

The publication places the heaviest weight on student outcomes, including analyzing institutional success at retaining and graduating students and social mobility, and the successful graduation rates of students who receive federal Pell Grants.

In specialized rankings, Montclair State placed second in New Jersey and No. 23 nationally among “Top Performers in Social Mobility,” according to U.S. News, No. 64 nationally on rankings that measure ethnic diversity, and No. 121 (tied) among best colleges for veterans.

New to the accolades is the “best bang for your buck” award from the Washington Monthly College Guide, a list that ranks institutions for their strong student outcomes and a commitment to social mobility.

In “America’s Best Bang for the Buck Colleges,” Washington Monthly places Montclair State at No. 41 in the Northeast and among the top four New Jersey institutions that help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.

Montclair State is also doing its most to turn students into engaged citizens, Washington Monthly says. On the list of “America’s Best Colleges for Student Voting,” Montclair State is the only public New Jersey institution to make the honor roll for how well it empowers young voters by getting them off the sidelines and into the polls.

“We are so pleased to be recognized by Washington Monthly for a second year in a row. Montclair State University strives to promote civic engagement to help our student become informed voters and citizens,” says Mariel Pagán, director for the Center for Student Involvement. She oversees student ambassadors working with the Office of Civic and Voter Engagement who provide registration and election materials, host conversations with policymakers and poll “parties” that make participation a celebration, all which have contributed to earning the University the designation Voter Friendly Campus.

Montclair State also made Washington Monthly’s master’s university rankings (No. 43) for awarding a significant number of master’s degrees based on contributions to social mobility, research and promoting public service.

A list compiled by The Wall Street Journal compares more than 800 U.S. universities and was created in partnership with Times Higher Education, a London-based publication that focuses on global higher education news. Rankings are based on an assessment of educational outcomes, student resources, student engagement and learning environments. Among all schools, public and private, Montclair State made the top 500.