Confetti falls during the Montclair State University commencement at Prudential Center, Newark, NJ, May 8, 2025. © Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
(Montclair, NJ) – The Wall Street Journal says Montclair State University is New Jersey’s top public higher education institution. The paper analyzed things like graduation rates, learning environment, diversity, and future financial success. And it ranked MSU as the nation’s 29th best public school.
Jonathan Koppell, the Montclair State University president, called the ranking a powerful affirmation of the school’s mission. Koppel describes the university’s overarching goal as providing an excellent, accessible education — that delivers real results for students.
This marks the first time that Montclair State University was ranked in New Jersey’s top 30 public institutions of higher education. Overall, 584 schools were surveyed across the Garden State — with MSU coming in at 67.
Apparently, MSU’s overall score was boosted significantly by the financial success students enjoy post graduation. The average salary earned was compared to the cost of the degree — in order to determine the amount of time it takes to pay that off. The Montclair Girl reports it would take a student — on average — one year and seven months to pay off the cost of school.
