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William Paterson University has been recognized in Money magazine’s 2026 Best Colleges in America list, which recognizes institutions nationwide for their quality, affordability, and student outcomes.
William Paterson is one of nine New Jersey public institutions that made the list and is the most affordable among them, with a lower estimated full price for the 2026-2027 academic year than area institutions including Ramapo College of New Jersey and Montclair State University.
"Everyone at William Paterson is deeply committed to providing all of our students with an excellent and affordable education, along with a strong network of support resources so they can graduate into rewarding and well-paying careers," said President Richard J. Helldobler. "So it is gratifying to see our success in delivering exceptional value to students and families recognized by Money and its prestigious Best Colleges in America list."
For its 2026 Best Colleges list, Money evaluated more than 700 four-year colleges and universities using 25 measures across three primary categories: quality of education, affordability, and student outcomes.
Quality measures include graduation rates, student-to-faculty ratio, financial health, and outcomes for students receiving federal Pell Grants. Affordability measures include the net price of a degree, student and parent borrowing, and the amount of demonstrated financial need an institution meets.
Money also evaluates student outcomes through measures including graduates’ earnings and economic mobility, as well as an institution’s “value added”—whether alumni earnings exceed what would typically be expected based on students’ backgrounds and the programs they studied.
William Paterson has also earned national recognition in rankings from U.S. News and World Report, the Wall Street Journal, and Time. It is named among the top 3.9 percent of four-year colleges nationwide on the Social Mobility Index – that is, how it advances students’ socioeconomic standing. The University has also earned Gold-level status as a Military Friendly School, having been recognized for 16 consecutive years for its support of veterans.
