Public
Accredited · Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Ewing, New Jersey
62.1% Acceptance Rate
The College of New Jersey — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
62.1%Acceptance Rate
3.29Avg GPA
1247Avg SAT
28Avg ACT
$37,070Annual Cost
$73,323Grad Salary
20.1%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
62.1%
Avg GPA
3.29
Avg SAT
1247
Avg ACT
28
Selectivity
Somewhat Selective
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
SAT Middle 50%
1140–1340
ACT Middle 50%
25–31
Avg Net Price
$25,458
Need-Based Aid
20.1% receive Pell
The College of New Jersey, founded in 1855, is a top-ranked public liberal arts college with strengths in education, engineering, and business.
The 289-acre campus features the STEM Building, the Art and Interactive Multimedia Building, and new residence halls. TCNJ's small class sizes foster close faculty mentorship.
The College of New Jersey Acceptance Rate
The College of New Jersey takes a broad view of applicants, admitting about 62.1% each year.
What TCNJ Admissions Looks For
- Whole-Person Review: Personal circumstances and career goals are weighed alongside grades.
- Flexible on GPA: Strong extracurriculars or work experience can offset an average transcript.
Selectivity at a Glance
Somewhat Selective
Selectivity scale: Somewhat Selective — 62.1% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.29 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.09 – 3.28
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 2.84
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
The College of New Jersey Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for The College of New Jersey is November 1 for Early Decision I applicants, with additional plans listed below. Admission decisions are typically released by December 15.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 86 days left — Early Decision I
Early Decision I
November 1
Decision by: December 15
Early Decision II
January 1
Decision by: February 15
Regular Decision
February 1
Decision by: April 1
Early Action
November 1
Decision by: January 15
💡 The scholarship deadline (Merit scholarship priority: 2025/11/01) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
TCNJ GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at TCNJ is 3.29. That makes admissions here competitive, but not extremely selective. Most admitted students carry a mix of A's and B's.
In the 2.99–3.29 range, a high SAT or ACT score still carries real weight.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently. For an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.49–3.69.TCNJ GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Holistic review is critical for admission.
Recommended Strategy: Requires Contextual Factors (Leadership, hardship, or talent).
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.29 – 4.00
Strategic Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.09 – 3.28
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
2.89 – 3.08
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 2.88
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Requires both the Common App personal essay and a separate, required secondary writing prompt specifically about interest in TCNJ - not merely a recommended supplement.
- 7-year medical, optometry, and physical therapy combined-degree programs (plus 4+3 PT and 4+2 speech pathology tracks) run on unique timelines and are excluded from Early Decision/Early Action.
- Test-optional through 2025-26; acceptance rate clusters around 62%, though specific majors like nursing admit a small, capped cohort regardless of overall selectivity.
- Art/Graphic Design portfolio is strongly encouraged (optional); Music applicants must complete a required audition by a fixed deadline tied to their admission round.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at TCNJ
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on The College of New Jersey's verified institutional data
--%
Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if TCNJ is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into TCNJ Without SAT or ACT?
TCNJ considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
The College of New Jersey Average SAT Score: 1247
The average SAT score of admitted students at The College of New Jersey is 1247 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1247 — Slightly Competitive
This sits close to the national average SAT score.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1340 SAT or 31 ACT) to stand out. Below average? The College of New Jersey allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 1140, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at TCNJ. Retaking multiple times is completely normal. Most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 620 | 570 | 670 |
| SAT Reading | 620 | 570 | 670 |
| SAT Composite | 1247 | 1140 | 1340 |
Below 1140, you're behind most admitted students; at 1340 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1250
Can I get into The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) with a 1350 SAT?
A 1350 SAT puts you ahead of most of TCNJ's admitted class, but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at TCNJ is 28.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 28 — Competitive
This average is solidly above the national mean without being elite-tier.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 27 | 25 | 29 |
| ACT Composite | 28 | 25 | 31 |
Can I get into The College of New Jersey with a 31 ACT?
A 31 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of TCNJ's admitted students. That's a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several that admissions weighs.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT scores four separate sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science, each on a 1–36 scale. A noticeably weak section, especially Science at STEM-focused schools, stands out to reviewers, so it's worth checking your section breakdown for outliers before applying.
Your ACT score clears the first filter, but GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, recommendations, and essays are what carry an application the rest of the way at TCNJ.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for TCNJ
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
TCNJ is accessible to students who show core competency. Focus on proving readiness for college-level work and locking in financial aid.
Treat the secondary writing prompt as a distinct, required task - not a restatement of the Common App essay
TCNJ explicitly states the Common App essay serves as the official essay for evaluation, but requires an additional secondary writing prompt specifically designed to explore a student's interest in TCNJ. Make sure students draft this as a genuinely separate piece focused on fit and motivation, not a condensed rehash of their personal statement - confirm the current exact prompt and word count directly on the live application, since TCNJ's own page describes its purpose without quoting exact text.
Identify 7-year combined-degree applicants early, since they're excluded from Early Decision/Early Action entirely
TCNJ's 7-year medical, optometry, and physical therapy programs (plus the related 4+3 PT and 4+2 speech pathology tracks) run on unique application timelines and are explicitly unavailable to Early Decision or Early Action applicants. Flag this immediately for any pre-health student considering these combined-degree pathways, since assuming standard ED/EA eligibility could derail their plan.
For Art, Graphic Design, or Music applicants, treat portfolio/audition timing as a separate project
Visual Art and Graphic Design applicants are strongly encouraged (not strictly required) to submit a portfolio, with deadlines tied to each admission round (Nov. 1 for ED I, Dec. 15 for EA, Feb. 15 for general), while Music applicants face a hard audition requirement by Nov. 19 (ED) or March 15 (general). Build separate portfolio/audition prep timelines for these students well before the standard application deadline, since these dates often fall earlier than the general application deadline itself.
Use TCNJ's competitive-major reality (e.g., nursing) to set realistic major-specific expectations
TCNJ's overall acceptance rate (~62%) masks substantially tighter competition within specific high-demand majors like nursing, which admits a capped number of students per class regardless of overall university selectivity. For students targeting these programs, set expectations based on the program's own competitiveness rather than the university-wide acceptance rate, and discuss whether applying as an "open options" or related major might offer a more flexible entry path.
Expert Insight:
Don't let students treat TCNJ's secondary writing prompt as optional or low-effort just because it's described as "secondary" - it functions as a genuine fit-assessment tool distinct from the Common App essay, and skipping real effort here removes one of TCNJ's only differentiated, school-specific evaluation points in an otherwise numbers-heavy review process.
TCNJ Profile
Full Name
The College of New Jersey (TCNJ)
City
Ewing
State
New Jersey
ZIP Code
08628-7718
Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSACHE)
Is a TCNJ Degree Worth It?
Whether TCNJ is worth it depends less on its reputation and more on your program choice, financial aid package, and career goals. Here's the data to weigh it against.
The average household income among admitted students is $86,800, with a graduate unemployment rate of 3.15%.
How much does a degree from TCNJ Cost?
The sticker price is $37,070/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is closer to $25,458.
20.1% of students receive a Pell Grant and 47.4% take federal loans at TCNJ. File your FAFSA early and list TCNJ as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a TCNJ Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $73,323. That's about 81% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than The College of New Jersey. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham-Southern College | Birmingham, AL | 1197 | 24 |
| University of Mobile | Mobile, AL | 1220 | 24 |
| Samford University | Birmingham, AL | 1203 | 26 |
| John Brown University | Siloam Springs, AR | 1222 | 26 |
| Ouachita Baptist University | Arkadelphia, AR | 1212 | 25 |
| California Lutheran University | Thousand Oaks, CA | 1224 | 26 |
| University of Redlands | Redlands, CA | 1231 | 28 |
| Eastern Connecticut State University | Willimantic, CT | 1200 | NA |
| University of Hartford | West Hartford, CT | 1207 | 29 |
| Quinnipiac University | Hamden, CT | 1212 | 27 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as The College of New Jersey. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | 1251 | 26 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott | Prescott, AZ | 1256 | 27 |
| Eckerd College | Saint Petersburg, FL | 1256 | 27 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach | Daytona Beach, FL | 1256 | 27 |
| Covenant College | Lookout Mountain, GA | 1254 | 27 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than The College of New Jersey. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama in Huntsville | Huntsville, AL | 1321 | 28 |
| The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL | 1287 | 28 |
| Auburn University | Auburn, AL | 1318 | 28 |
| University of the Pacific | Stockton, CA | 1303 | 27 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego, CA | 1278 | 26 |
Degree Programs at TCNJ
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About TCNJ Admissions
Median graduate earnings at The College of New Jersey run about $73,323 a year.
The College of New Jersey costs roughly $37,070 a year, and most students combine this with scholarships or aid.
The College of New Jersey's Pell Grant rate of 20.1% sits below the national average. Merit-based aid is worth checking regardless of income.
At 62.1%, The College of New Jersey's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at The College of New Jersey average a 3.29 GPA.
The College of New Jersey doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 2.99 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 2.89, The College of New Jersey becomes a harder reach, though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at The College of New Jersey — aim above 1247, ideally within the 1140–1340 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for The College of New Jersey is November 1 for Early Decision I applicants. Admission decisions are released by December 15.
The application fee is 75. Fee waivers may be available. Check with admissions.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is Merit scholarship priority: 2025/11/01. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes, transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most, along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.
Explore Other Options
Acceptance Rate of all New Jersey Colleges
Average SAT Score of New Jersey Colleges
Average ACT Score
Admissions deadlines of Colleges in New Jersey
Bachelor Programs in New Jersey
Test Optional Colleges in New Jersey
SAT Score Wise Best Colleges
ACT Score Wise Best Colleges
Rolling Admissions Colleges in New Jersey