Andres Acebo

Andrés Acebo, the Interim President of New Jersey City University, is the proud first-generation son of Cuban exiles and a Hudson County native who grew up in Union City, N.J., and has maintained strong ties to the community. In January 2023, he became only the second Hispanic to serve as the leader of a four-year public institution of higher education in the State of New Jersey. He is the youngest known president to ever lead a public university in New Jersey.

In under 18 months of widely praised mission-driven servant leadership, Acebo has demonstrated extraordinary vision, guiding NJCU from a fiscal emergency to a remarkable recovery which will be a case study throughout higher ed.

In May 2024, ROI-NJ named him the No. 1 ranked Influencer in New Jersey Higher Education in the 2024 Higher Education Influencers annual publication. In September 2024, he ranked No. 4 overall in the 2024 NJBiz Education Power 50 List. Acebo earned the highest ranking of any college or university president in New Jersey in the 2024 Power 50.

Taking office in the midst of a financial emergency, he has steered NJCU forward. He has helped orchestrate three major strategic initiatives: the release of the NJCU Recovery and Revitalization Plan (April 2023), introduction of the university's first Academic Master Plan (February 2024) and the institution’s first Strategic Enrollment Plan (April 2023).

In February 2024, the university unveiled a refresh of the University Mission Statement and introduced its first ever Vision Statement. Both statements are offered in both English and Spanish, in recognition of the richly diverse community the university serves and as testament to its status as the oldest public four-year minority and Hispanic-serving institution in New Jersey.

Furthermore, Acebo has led to the University's finances being stabilized and the first balanced operating budget since 2017 — less than two years after NJCU reported a $22.7 million deficit. Moody’s agreed, upgrading NJCU’s outlook from “negative” to “stable.” Acebo's advocacy rallied support for the university from key stakeholders — including the campus and local community, union and local leaders, and legislative champions.

Additionally, he has forged key partnerships — highlighted by the Hudson Connect Program — and signed key strategic MOUs, including with the NJEA, Hudson Building Trades, GLACO, AFT Local 1839, Jersey City POBA, and Hudson County Boys and Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County.

In August 2024, Acebo announced the creation of the NJCU President’s Community Advisory Council, a new initiative designed to strengthen the bond between the university and the surrounding community. The inaugural council includes more than 20 community leaders, anchor organizations, elected officials, local business owners, and academic leaders, and will continue to grow.

Acebo holds a B.A. from Brown University and a Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School. A North Jersey resident, he  is a proud product of Union City