Stockton Among 'America's Best Colleges' in New Report

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey is again in the top tier of Best Regional Colleges and Universities of the North, rated at 60 out of 139 public and private Northern schools in the U.S. News and World Report’s annual edition of “America’s Best Colleges.”

New Jersey’s Distinctive College is also ranked as one of the top 15 public schools in the North, at No. 14 by U.S. News, one of the nation’s top independent college and university rankings. Only the top 15 public colleges and universities in a region are rated in the report.

This is the sixth consecutive year in which Stockton has placed in the first tier. Stockton is ranked with schools offering both undergraduate and master’s programs in the northern region of the U.S. Another 42 colleges and universities in the North were in the second tier.

The annual report considers factors including graduation and retention rates, assessment by peers, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

“It is truly gratifying that Stockton is again recognized as a top-tier institution for the sixth consecutive year,” said Stockton President Herman Saatkamp.

“Stockton’s reputation for small classes  - taught by more full-time faculty than you’ll find at any other public college in New Jersey  - has attracted an increasing number of full-time undergraduates,” said President Saatkamp. “The college’s flat-rate tuition enables students to take more courses for the money and graduate more quickly, saving thousands of dollars and ultimately improving graduation rates.”

“Best of all, in a move that U.S. News and World Report could not have anticipated, Stockton has held the line on costs this year, with no increases in tuition or fees,” President Saatkamp noted. 

 “We’ve had a meteoric rise from low tiers to the highest,” said President Saatkamp, noting that the college was in the fourth tier in 2003 and the third in 2005. “Where exactly we are in the tier each year will always fluctuate based on both external and internal influences.”

“However, we’re confident Stockton is moving in the right direction with a new Unified Science Center, $54 million in state bond funds earmarked for new facilities, a strong scholarship fund and a growing graduate program,” President Saatkamp said. “In the past year, we opened three new instructional sites in the region and had a record number of graduates  - 1,933 received bachelor’s degrees, 161 received master’s and post baccalaureate degrees and 39 received doctorates. We’re looking forward to another successful year.”

Stockton was cited in August by the college guide, Public Colleges of Distinction, for its high-quality teaching, students who are engaged with the community, graduates who succeed and an exceptional campus atmosphere.

Stockton was also named one of the “Best in the Northeast” in August by The Princeton Review, an education services company widely known for its test prep programs and college and graduate school guides.

— News release from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey