Montclair State University Ranked 7th in Nation for Social Mobility in U.S. News & World Report College Rankings 2024

U.S. News & World Report has ranked Montclair State University No. 7 in the nation and No. 1 in New Jersey in social mobility, a measure of how well schools enroll and graduate low-income students and bring them closer to achieving the American Dream, among 435 national universities in its 2024 Best Colleges rankings. It is the first time the University has been ranked in the Top 10 on this metric.

The University has also been ranked No.11 for graduation rate performance, which measures how well students out-perform the anticipated graduation rate of those with similar backgrounds at other schools.

Montclair also moved up 19 places, coming in at No. 163 overall – its highest ranking ever – and reached No. 88 among the nation’s top public universities on this closely watched list of the best colleges in America.

U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best Colleges Rankings At a Glance

• No. 7 in the nation in social mobility (up from No. 21 in last year’s rankings)
• No. 11 in the nation in graduation rate performance
• No. 88 among national public universities (up from No. 91)
• No. 163 overall (up from No. 182)

The U.S. News results come on the heels of Montclair’s high marks in The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings, released September 6.

The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse Best Colleges in the U.S.

• No. 4 in New Jersey (ahead of Rutgers University and Seton Hall University)
• No. 104 overall out of 400 institutions (ahead of New York University, Boston University and Northeastern University)
• No. 37 out of 204 public institutions (ahead of The University of Texas at Austin, Penn State and the University of Maryland)

The results are a confirmation of Montclair’s value proposition as an institution providing a rare combination of affordability, high-quality programs, research output, hands-on learning and commitment to student success.

They also underscore why students are choosing Montclair in record numbers. The University recently welcomed its third-straight record incoming class, as well as its largest returning student population to ensure the largest total enrollment ever at more than 22,000 students.

How rankings publications are now tabulating their flagship rankings – with an increased emphasis on student outcomes, return on investment and providing an affordable, rigorous experience that limits debt – only further validates the University’s mission of accessible educational excellence.

“Montclair State University is one of the best universities in America, as the latest rankings confirm. Even more importantly, Montclair is tackling head-on the most common critique of higher education: that students take on unmanageable debt to get degrees that don’t help them, if they get a degree at all,” says Montclair President Jonathan Koppell.

“That’s not the case at Montclair,” says Koppell. “These new rankings demonstrate that a school can be accessible, affordable, rigorous and excellent – and can do it all at a high level. We are not just providing an exceptional value. We are providing a truly excellent educational experience, and changing the lives of students and their families affordably without compromising quality. The time has come for all institutions to be evaluated on the metrics that truly matter, and these are the measurements by which Montclair State University is shown in the light it deserves.”

For more information on the U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best Colleges rankings, visit usnews.com/best-colleges. For more information on The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings, visit wsj.com/rankings/college-rankings/best-colleges-2024.

This article was featured in the Winter 2024 edition of Montclair magazine.