NJIT Continues Expansion With Record-Setting Incoming Class

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is starting the 2022 academic year by setting records with its largest and most diverse student body ever. Total projected enrollment is up 21% over the last 10 years to hit its highest mark yet at 12,000 students. The fall first-year cohort makes up a sizable part of that growth with over 1,600 enrollees, a 30% increase from last year’s class, as of Sept. 1.

The largest ever first-year class also has the most female students at 31%. First-year enrollment totals for both men (1,108) and women (503) are the highest in NJIT’s history. 

Underrepresented minorities account for a record 42% of the first-year class

Underscoring NJIT’s mission of providing a STEM education to those typically underserved, the number of first-year students that identify as Black or Hispanic has more than doubled since 2012 and has also set a record. This year, students that identify as Black or Hispanic make up 10% and 30% of the freshman class, respectively, compared to 7.1% and 20% in 2012. 

NJIT also received a record number of applications at 13,000 for the Class of 2026. The incoming freshmen class average SAT score jumped to 1302, up from last year’s average of 1295. Average GPA is also up at 3.75.

“The growth in application numbers and enrollment at NJIT are the result of students recognizing that NJIT is a tremendous value and a launching pad for future success,” said NJIT President Teik C. Lim. “They also are due to our planned efforts to grow the pipeline of students from underrepresented groups pursuing STEM education, specifically at NJIT.”

To support NJIT’s enrollment growth, the university has seen extensive physical changes. Since 2014, NJIT has undergone a $500M campus transformation that saw major additions and renovations, like the Wellness and Events Center, Life Sciences and Engineering Building, NJIT’s Makerspace, and complete renovations to many lecture, laboratory and classroom spaces. This fall, the rise of Maple Hall, a 176-unit apartment-style residence, has supported the growing enrollment and requests for modern, amenity-filled facilities.

Rising enrollment has coincided with improved standing in many prominent national rankings. Most recently, NJIT jumped 114 places to No. 75 on Forbes’ 2022 list of America’s Top Colleges. Among public universities, NJIT ranked No. 1 in New Jersey and No. 28 nationally — up from No. 89 last year — making it the overall second ranked university in the state, after Princeton.

NJIT graduate students increased, as well. Projected this semester, NJIT will have 3,196 students pursuing a master's or doctorate degree – 570 more than last year.