New Jersey City University Ranks #1 in New Jersey and Top 20 Nationally in Social Mobility Index (SMI) for Second Consecutive Year
JERSEY CITY, N.J. | New Jersey City University (NJCU)’s transformative work in advancing students' upward economic mobility has again been recognized as one of the nation’s leaders throughout higher education.
For the second consecutive year, NJCU is ranked No. 1 in the state of New Jersey and Top 20 in the United States, in CollegeNET’s 2024 Social Mobility Index (SMI) — a unique and innovative measure that assesses factors such as affordability, graduation rates, and alumni outcomes.
The institution has long been acknowledged as one of the top public colleges in this life-changing metric, and NJCU — which earned a No. 19 national ranking — remains the only college or university in the state to rank among the Top 25 in the country. In all, CollegeNET’s 11th annual SMI rankings evaluated 1,206 institutions of higher education nationwide.
“NJCU’s continued presence among the top ranked institutions is a powerful affirmation of our mission-centered work and enduring impact,” said NJCU Interim President Andrés Acebo. “This recognition is a testament to the tireless efforts and values of our entire university community. It reflects our unwavering focus on driving social and economic mobility, as seen in our deepening community partnerships, curricular reforms that promote relevance, equity, and opportunity, holistic support of transfer initiatives and seamless academic pathways, the alignment of our work with our Academic Master Plan and Strategic Enrollment Plan, and the deliberate, inclusive refresh of our institutional mission through shared governance. I am extremely proud of our work, and this is an achievement the entire NJCU community should take pride in. It is a clear signal that what we do matters—and that our students’ stories, challenges, and triumphs are worthy of national recognition.”
NJCU's unwavering century-long mission has transformed the lives of generations through exceptional education. As a powerful catalyst for social mobility, the institution has consistently opened doors of opportunity for New Jersey's most economically diverse populations—a commitment that remains central to the university’s Mission and Vision, and its essential role in the state's higher education landscape.
NJCU has made a steady and strong improvement in the national index, particularly under President Acebo’s leadership since January 2023. The university improved from 105th place in 2021 and 44th place in 2022, into the Top 20 nationally in 2023 and 2024.
The Social Mobility Index (SMI) measures the extent to which a college or university educates more economically disadvantaged students — with family incomes below the national median — at lower tuition and graduates them into good paying jobs. The development of the SMI has revolutionized the way success is viewed in higher education institutions.
CollegeNET’s SMI differs from most other rankings in that it focuses directly on the factors that enable economic mobility, rather than arbitrary or irrelevant criteria such as percentage of applicants denied. The institutions that educate more economically disadvantaged people — those with family incomes below the national median — and do so the best at lower tuition so that they graduate into good paying jobs, will rank higher according to the SMI.
Acebo noted that “Far too often, traditional measures of institutional success fail to account for the economic profile of the students served. The Social Mobility Index stands in contrast by recognizing institutions, like NJCU, that truly move the needle for students from historically underserved backgrounds—rewarding access, affordability, and real economic outcomes.”
The SMI Index is significant because NJCU serves the most socioeconomically diverse student population in the state with a reported median household annual income of the students standing at $42,200 — the lowest of New Jersey’s four-year public colleges by a considerable margin, in the most recent data. More than 50 percent of the university’s students are first generation college students and 61 percent of its freshmen receive PELL.
NJCU’s commitment to social mobility through access to education and affordability has been demonstrated in impactful initiatives under Acebo’s leadership.
NJCU became the most-transfer friendly institution in the State of New Jersey when it introduced the most significant overhaul of its general education curriculum in decades, allowing every course on the approved New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) list, including those without direct equivalencies, to be accepted at NJCU for general education credit.
In the last year, NJCU continued making transformative changes to higher ed, dismantling systemic barriers that students face in their degree completions. Effective this academic year, NJCU introduced a pledge of guaranteed schedules for its students. Additionally, NJCU now absorbs the cost of books into the price of tuition, which eliminates the uncertainty about the cost of college for its students.
NJCU further cemented relationships with its community college partners through dual admission transfer agreements. In December 2023, NJCU launched HCCC|NJCU CONNECT — a transformational program that provides highly visible, inclusive, and barrier-free transfer pathways to guide students and their families from high school, through studies at Hudson County Community College, and on to a timely graduation from NJCU. The university recently expanded these efforts with the introduction of the Essex|NJCU Express with Essex County College (ECC) and a similar program with Mercer County Community College.
The university also introduced key affiliate partnerships with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County, the Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association (JCPOBA), Jersey City Board of Education, and New Jersey Tutoring Corps, providing education discounts for its members to further their educations.
CollegeNET Inc, is a privately held company that provides web-based technological solutions for higher education institutions. Their mission to support social mobility in higher education has resulted in millions of dollars worth of college scholarships and financial support that impacts campuses directly.
Full rankings of CollegeNet’s 2024 SMI are available at socialmobilityindex.org.
About NJCU:
New Jersey City University is a comprehensive public regional institution committed to providing a high-quality education to a diverse student population. Located in Jersey City, New Jersey, NJCU offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for learning, professional development, and community engagement. Recognized as a top university for improving upward economic social mobility, students enrolled in our undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs have access to an affordable, diverse environment, and an exceptionally supportive faculty. This prepares them to go on to become the next generation of workers and leaders who improve their communities and the State of New Jersey.
Contact:
Ira Thor, Associate Vice President for University Communications and Marketing | ithor@njcu.edu | 201-200-3301