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Students at William Paterson University in Wayne continue to benefit from an institutional transformation in recent years that has focused on fostering educational access and outcomes for a diverse student body prepared to lead their communities and the State of New Jersey.
To support its undergraduate student population—approximately 40 percent first-generation, 60 percent students of color, and more than one-third adult learners—the institution has developed new academic, student support, and financial programs designed to help students persist, graduate, and realize positive post-graduation outcomes. An engine for social mobility, the University is ranked no. 54 out of 1,205 institutions in the 2024 CollegeNet Social Mobility Index— placing it in the top 4.5 percent nationwide and a gain of 58 spots since 2018.
Initiatives have included a revised year-long first-year experience program; a Student Success Team of academic, financial, and career advisors committed to each student’s success; strategic expansion of need-based supports; and new online undergraduate degree programs supported by a College of Adult and Professional Studies dedicated to supporting adult learners.
“I am so proud that William Paterson has become a true Powerhouse of Progress for the students we serve, who are changing the social fabric of New Jersey and our nation,” said President Richard J. Helldobler. “Thanks to the incredible dedication of our talented faculty and staff and the ‘Will. Power’ of our hard-working students, the University’s relentless focus on student success is paying off in the form of more students persisting toward their degrees and more graduates who are launching good-paying careers in in-demand fields. The data proves that we know that what we are doing is working for students, and as a result, they are changing their own lives and the lives of their families for the better, while also strengthening our local communities and the state’s economy.”
Recognizing that first-year students, particularly those who are first-generation, benefit from education and support, the University redesigned and expanded its first-year experience program in 2019. The required two-semester program, Will. Power. 101 and 102, focuses on building relationships and teaching students “how to do college.” Professional advisors—assisted by peer mentors—facilitate these courses, which include topics such as study skills, time management, and choosing a major, and introduce students to campus resources. In addition, all first-year students have an assigned Student Success Team with a financial aid counselor, professional advisor, academic coach, and career coach, to guide and support them through graduation. As sophomores, their success team expands to include a faculty mentor from their intended major.
Together, Will. Power. 101 and 102 and Student Success Teams have increased student engagement, satisfaction, and performance. Collectively, these efforts have led to a 6.9 percent increase in retention, from 67.5 percent for the 2020 cohort to 74.4 percent for the 2023 cohort. Since 2019, the University’s retention gain is number one in N.J., in the top 10 percent of institutions withing its category in the national Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and in the top 15 percent among all four-year public institutions in the U.S.
The University also closed achievement gaps for underserved populations. Black student retention increased from 52.4 percent in 2021 to 65.69 percent in 2024; Hispanic student retention climbed from 67.5 percent to 77.14 percent for the same period. The institution has seen gains in persistence and in four-year graduation rates, from 26 percent for the 2018 cohort to 31 percent for the 2021 cohort, with expectations for continued growth.
The University has also made strategic investments in need-based support for its students, more than 50 percent of whom are Pell eligible and 46 of whom experience housing and/or food insecurity. Its Pledge 4 Success program, launched in 2019, provides grants for unmet need to students eligible for full New Jersey TAG and federal PELL grants. It served as the model for the New Jersey Garden State Guarantee launched in 2022. Together, these programs offer a four-year funding path that enables low-income students to attend WP tuition-free or at a greatly reduced cost.
During the 2024-25 academic year, 1,369 students received these awards. In addition, 717 students utilized the food pantry. Additionally, the University has expanded its use of open educational resources and low-cost/no-cost textbooks to 40 percent of courses, a 17 percent increase in two years. Scholarship support has also increased. During the 2024-25 fiscal year, the University’s Foundation awarded 764 scholarships totaling over $1.73 million, an increase of 50 percent in the number of scholarships and nearly 85 percent in dollars distributed compared to five years ago.
To attract and support more adult students, the University launched WP Online, its online degree platform, with numerous options for degree completion and expanded resources for adult learners through a new College of Adult and Professional Studies. The College provides adult learner onboarding, creates peer-to-peer connections for online students, and coordinates campus programming specific to adult learners. It also supports credit for prior learning through non-credit to credit equivalencies aligned with the American Council on Education’s national standards and portfolio assessment of professional experiences, offering support for adult learners to access these means to accelerate degree completion.
In just four years, WP Online has grown its enrollment from 0 to more than 4,300 undergraduate students—number one in N.J., number two in its Carnegie Class, and in the top 20 among all four-year public institutions in the U.S. With dedicated adult learner supports, WP’s third-term undergraduate online persistence rate has been consistently 7 to 10 percentage points higher than other online programs and is currently 73 percent.
At William Paterson, student success includes post-graduation outcomes. Career development begins in the first year in Will. Power. 101 and continues throughout the student’s academic career. An innovative new Career Experience Program, launched in 2024 and required for all students beginning with the Class of 2028, gives every student the opportunity to obtain a significant hands-on experience that will prepare them for success in the job market following graduation. Options range from coursework in a student’s major that includes a hands-on project, fieldwork or a civic engagement experience, to opportunities outside class such as an internship, job simulation, job shadowing, or faculty-led research project. According to data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 86 percent of the Class of 2023 had positive career outcomes six months after graduation—a rate 5 percent higher than public institutions, nationally.
