Poets&Quants Top Business Schools

The College of New Jersey School of Business

#61

Contact our general manager with any questions. Profile updated: January 15, 2021.

School Data

Tuition & Fees In-State: $121,497*

Tuition & Fees Out-of-State: $167,798*

Average Debt: $23,000 (as of 2020)

When do students declare their majors: Freshman Year

International: 1%

Minority: 38%

First generation college students: 18 (as of 2020)%

Acceptance Rate: 51%

Average SAT: 1,223

Average ACT: 28

Average GPA: Data not provided by school in 2021

HS Class Top Ten: 32 (as of 2020)%**

*The total tuition and fees for the most recent graduating class. This does not include books, room, or board.

** HS Class Top Ten is the percent of the student population that graduated high school in the top ten percent of their class.

*** Please note that these statics are provided for the business school major only whenever possible. If a school does not track these statistics separately, then the university-wide statistics are provided.

The College of New Jersey’s (TCNJ) School of Business landed at No. 61 in this year’s rankings.

TCNJ plummeted from last year’s 34th-place finish because of drops in the admissions standards and academic experience categories. The B-school had an acceptance rate of 51.20%, compared to last year’s 44%. The average SAT score this year landed at 1223, down from last year’s average score of 1260. 

Employment outcomes, however, dropped just about 1% from last year’s 71.28% to 70.21% for the Class of 2020. Internship placements, on the other hand, increased from 80% to 84% of the Class of 2020 landing a business-focused internship before graduation.

The TCNJ education is best described as a toolbox. From its hallmark signature experiences and strong faculty support to unique research and experiential opportunities, TCNJ students are given the building blocks to set out and make their own mark on the world. 

DNA OF TCNJ: FIVE SIGNATURE EXPERIENCES

At the core of the TCNJ education is what the B-school calls its Five Signature Experiences: personalized, collaborative, and rigorous education; undergraduate research, mentored internships, and field experiences; community-engaged learning; global engagement; and leadership development.

All TCNJ undergraduates go through each of these experiences within their four years in the program. The objective of the signature experiences is to help students discover their goals and develop the technical and soft skills necessary to achieve those goals. The benefit of the Five Signature Experiences is that students are given a comprehensive education that incorporates every aspect of business to prepare students for the real world. By the time they graduate, TCNJ students are well-versed in all areas from research to leadership. 

STRONG FACULTY SUPPORT 

TCNJ offers a fairly simple and straightforward curriculum. Undergraduate students can choose from four majors: a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and Bachelor of Science in Economics. The Business Administration degree offers additional specializations in Finance, Interdisciplinary Business, Management, and Marketing. 

While TCNJ lacks the shiny and cutting-edge curriculum offerings of other B-schools, it does ensure that each and every student receives quality support and mentorship. This is a key differentiating factor of TCNJ and goes hand in hand with its hallmark Five Signature Experiences offering. As students go through each experience, faculty and staff are there to enhance their intellectual curiosity and guide their development.

Surveyed 2018 alumni gave TCNJ faculty a strong 9.0 average rating in terms of availability for informal discussions and mentoring outside of class. Additionally, classes are often discussion-based with an average class size capped at just 25 students. 

“I conducted a research and performance study on the valuation of Mortgage and Asset-Backed Securities under the guidance of Dr. Herbert Mayo, a professor I have always looked up to for his teaching and publications,” one 2018 alumni told us. “This experience not only helped to bridge my academic experience with more real-world applications, but he also invited me to join the College’s Student Investment Fund. These opportunities made a huge impact on my college experience, solidifying my goals when assessing what kind of career I hoped to earn in Finance.”

Other B-schools may offer more specialized degrees, but at TCNJ, students are given the proper guidance and attention from faculty, which can play a large role in helping them discover their passions and achieve their career goals.  

VARIETY OF REAL-WORLD OPPORTUNITIES 

TCNJ students have a variety of opportunities to discover their interests and gain valuable real-world experience. Surveyed 2018 alumni highlighted a number of experiences that they say were valuable in helping them succeed in their careers. 

“Working with a novice business management company, myself, along with 4 other students, used a real tool to evaluate and guide the management of a local business,” one 2018 alumni told us. “In addition to learning about launching a new company, it also assisted the local economy as they received this management advice for no cost. This business-based relationship helped establish early, vital business etiquette and expectations which helped me grow as well.”

“Senior thesis in economics allowed me to analyze a project I was interested in over 2 semesters,” another 2018 said. “I received exceptional faculty support.”

“Doing Business In China course-traveled with the class to China to experience firsthand how business is conducted in China,” said another. “We toured businesses in several industries and completed market research for a major toy manufacturer.”

While a capstone project is often the singular “signature experience” at many B-schools, at TCNJ, the signature experiences are expansive and diverse. Whether it’s consulting a local business, diving into a research topic, or touring a real business, TCNJ students have a variety of opportunities to learn business from a real-world perspective. 

Overall, if you’re looking for a specialized or expansive curriculum, TCNJ probably isn’t the right fit for you. But what the B-school does offer that many others can’t is a commitment to your development throughout your education. With its strong faculty support and hallmark signature experiences, TCNJ will be right beside you as you embark on your business journey. 

Alumni say: 

“I engaged in a networking event in NYC with a panel of alumni from distinguished universities. The unique opportunity provided a network to learn outside of the classroom.”

“Capstone project in Valuations as well as Capstone Management. Both were incredibly useful and helpful.”

“I was also a member of the Honors College at The College of New Jersey, which allowed me to submit an additional thesis project on top of the two capstones traditionally completed by Business students in my major (Finance and Management).”

Where the Class of 2017 Went to Work:

PWC: 6
EY: 5
Johnson and Johnson: 5
Grant Thornton: 4
KPMG: 4
Bloomberg: 3
Deloitte: 3
UPS: 2
JP Morgan Chase: 2
EisnerAmper: 2

Contact Information

Location:
2000 Pennington Rd.
Ewing, New Jersey 08628
Admissions Office:
609-771-2131

From The School:

The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is a highly selective institution that is consistently recognized as one of the top comprehensive colleges in the nation. Founded in 1855 as the New Jersey State Normal School, TCNJ maintains the fifth highest four-year graduation rate among all public colleges and universities. It is ranked by Money as one of the top 15 public colleges “most likely to pay off financially,” and U.S. News & World Report rates it the No. 1 public institution among regional universities in the northeast.

Known for its natural beauty, the college is situated on 289 tree-lined acres in suburban Ewing Township, New Jersey, in close proximity to both New York City and Philadelphia. A strong liberal arts core forms the foundation for a wealth of degree programs offered through the college’s seven schools: Arts and Communication; Business; Education; Engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science; and Science. Five signature experiences are the hallmark of a TCNJ education: a personalized, collaborative, and rigorous education; undergraduate research, mentored internships, and field experiences; community engaged learning; global engagement; and leadership development.

TCNJ enrolls approximately 7,400 students including 6,790 undergraduates and 610 graduate students.

About TCNJ’s School of Business

The School of Business consistently ranks in the top 100 undergraduate business programs in the country, a testament to our commitment to quality and relevance in business education. Our mission, as the business school of a small, public college, is to educate leaders who bring value to the companies and communities they serve. We connect bright, motivated students with their own potential for success in a region bursting with business opportunity—the New York to Philadelphia corporate corridor.

Our broad connections within the business community ensure a curriculum that is responsive to the rapid and continual changes in business. Our students can pursue a wide range of business study to support specific academic interests and career goals, with choices that include:

  • Majors in key business fields, including accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing, and interdisciplinary business
  • Global business expertise, through programs that combine a business major with a major or minor in international studies as well as business-first study abroad opportunities
  • Open option study, giving students up to two years to explore across the business curriculum before declaring a major
  • Solid preparation for teaching and medical careers, through dual- and joint-degree programs that build on a foundation of business study

Along with business acumen, our students gain the critical thinking and analysis skills central to a liberal arts and sciences education. After all, business is conducted by reasoning out problems, analyzing complex data, writing persuasive proposals, delivering clear presentations, and collaborating as a member—or a leader—of a project-based team. These are foundational skills for both the liberal arts scholar and the business professional.

Opened in 2000, the TCNJ Business Building features modern classrooms with fully integrated technology and a Financial Learning Center that boasts a Bloomberg terminal—the same system used by professionals to access real-time market data, news, and trends.

The School of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, which recognizes the highest standards of achievement for business schools worldwide.