William Paterson University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
William Paterson University is a public university in New Jersey that admits most qualified applicants (around 90%), which puts it in the accessible range. A rate like this means it admits most qualified applicants; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what William Paterson University weighs, where it ranks among New Jersey schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1180, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at William Paterson University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into William Paterson University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into William Paterson University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into William Paterson University?
At William Paterson University, your real chance depends on far more than the published 90% admit rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for William Paterson University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is William Paterson University hard to get into?
William Paterson University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 90% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into William Paterson University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at William Paterson University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. William Paterson University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
What SAT score do you need for William Paterson University?
William Paterson University does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 1180. A score at or above that range strengthens your application, while a lower score puts more weight on your rigor, activities, and essays. CollegeCalcAI shows how your exact score shifts your odds at William Paterson University.
Your chances at William Paterson University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at William Paterson University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at William Paterson University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1120 SAT?
About 98% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1120 SAT, the middle of William Paterson University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1180 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/william-paterson-university.
How to get into William Paterson University
Built from William Paterson University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Getting into William Paterson University comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at William Paterson University carries about a 3.01 core GPA and a 1130 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
William Paterson University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by William Paterson University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.wpunj.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to William Paterson University, and how many get in?
7,754 students applied to William Paterson University for fall 2023; 7,174 were admitted (92.5%). 883 enrolled. Only about 12% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. William Paterson University enrolls about 6,614 undergraduates in total, 61% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 18 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for William Paterson University?
William Paterson University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What William Paterson University looks for
What William Paterson University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
William Paterson University signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores above the rest of the file. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from William Paterson University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at William Paterson University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does William Paterson University cost after financial aid?
William Paterson University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $28,476 per year. Tuition and fees are $15,704 for NJ residents and $25,344 for out-of-state students, a $9,640 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $18,745 a year, and it ranges from $16,171 for families earning under $30,000 to $24,917 for families earning over $110,000. 47% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do William Paterson University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median William Paterson University student who received federal aid earns $57,780 a year, up from $44,928 at six years. 44% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 74% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $22,334; 43% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How William Paterson University compares in New Jersey
William Paterson University ranks #20 most selective of 20 schools in New Jersey in our database.
Among the 20 New Jersey schools we track, William Paterson University ranks #20 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Princeton University (5%) and Stevens Institute of Technology (48%) sit nearby, which makes New Jersey a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to William Paterson University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If William Paterson University is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: Appalachian State University, Arizona State University, and Central Michigan University. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is William Paterson University's acceptance rate?
William Paterson University admitted 7,174 of 7,754 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 92.5% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 12% of admitted students enrolled.
Is William Paterson University test-optional?
Yes. William Paterson University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does William Paterson University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at William Paterson University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $18,745 a year against a sticker price of about $28,476. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $16,171 on average.
What do William Paterson University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering William Paterson University are $57,780 a year among students who received federal aid, and 44% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does William Paterson University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, William Paterson University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does William Paterson University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, William Paterson University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at William Paterson University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at William Paterson University specifically.
How does residency affect admission to William Paterson University?
As a public university, William Paterson University typically admits in-state students at a higher rate, and tuition differs sharply by residency. Select your home state in the calculator to fold the in-state effect into your estimate.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.