Freshman Class Grows By 14 Percent At Wayne's William Paterson U.

WAYNE, NJ — Classes are underway at Wayne's William Paterson University, and the school reported an almost 14 percent increase in the number of full-time freshmen who are attending college for the first time.

Overall, enrollment grew 5.3 percent for the fall 2024 semester, with nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students attending on-campus and online. This is the largest number of students since before the COVID-19 pandemic, William Paterson leaders said.

The Class of 2028 includes students from 18 NJ counties, 13 states, and 17 countries, including a 25.6 percent increase in new international students, according to WPU.

President Richard J. Helldobler pointed to the university's emphasis on student support resources, and expansion of new degrees and credential offerings, as reasons for enrollment growth — not just for the new freshman class, but for graduate students and adult learners too.

"Our enrollment growth is great news for New Jersey, as William Paterson is educating more students who are changing the social fabric of our State and our nation,” he said in a statement.

The university has doubled its campus percentage of adult learners in the past five years, with more than 5,860 adult students enrolled on the main campus and through WP Online. William Paterson also launched a new College of Adult and Professional Studies in July for those seeking an online Bachelor's degree, to advance their career through professional certificates and training, or to get college credit for courses they took in the past.

Graduate student enrollment also increased by 14.6 percent, while the number of transfer students went up 4.6 percent.

“These gains show that our emphasis on Student Success Teams, social mobility and social justice focus, and other critical support resources are working to attract and retain more students and that our strategic expansion of new degree and credential offerings via WP Online and on-campus are appealing to more graduate, adult degree completer, and international students," Helldobler said. "Together with our excellent faculty and dedicated staff, this growing student body makes William Paterson a true ‘Powerhouse of Progress.'"

William Paterson University offers more than 150 academic programs, including accelerated degree pathways, fully-online programs, and certificate programs. The university, which was founded in 1855 and is part of the state's public higher education system, is located along Pompton Road, with the campus falling between Hamburg Turnpike and Belmont Avenue.