The NJ colleges that students turn down most

Us parents get so bogged down in thinking about where our high school seniors might be accepted into college that we spend little time thinking about the ones they turn down.

Well, not me.

A year ago at this time, my son Jack was receiving offer after offer of college acceptance. Everything from University of Delaware to University of Rhode Island to Widener. Then there were the in-state acceptances like Montclair State and TCNJ.

In all, he was accepted to eight of the nine colleges to which he applied. The one I really hoped he would want to say yes to was The College of New Jersey. I mean, beautiful campus, solid programs, great spirit and you can’t beat in-state tuition.

In the end, he chose to go into some debt to attend the University of Vermont. It’s working out well. He received a presidential scholarship and is happy there as he’s finishing his freshman year.

The schools he turned down though were definitely fine schools in their own right. I made sure he let admissions offices know he had chosen Vermont to make space for others, something not everyone does.

But when a school accepts students and a large number turn them down and go elsewhere, that can get noticed over time.

As great of a school as Seton Hall is, did you know 90% of accepted students end up turning them down? And they’re not even the most turned down college in New Jersey after acceptance.

NJ.com listed the 27 colleges and universities that were turned down the most by the students whose applications they accepted in 2023. 

The full list of colleges and universities with the percentage of students who took up the acceptance offers is below. The list is broken up by college type. The information is from the state Department of Higher Education.

Community colleges

The smaller the percentage, the more students turned down a school.

Sussex County Community College
Applications: 865 | Offers: 865 | Enrolled: 624 (72%)

Salem Community College
Applications: 340 | Offers: 340 | Enrolled: 243 (71%)

County College of Morris
Applications: 3,099 | Offers: 2,939 | Enrolled: 1,985 (68%)

Warren County Community College
Applications: 372 | Offers: 372 | Enrolled: 241 (65%)

Brookdale Community College
Applications: 5,383 | Offers: 5,383 | Enrolled: 3,157 (59%)

Middlesex College
Applications: 6,697 | Offers: 6,697 | Enrolled: 3,597 (54%)

Mercer County Community College
Applications: 3,570 | Offers: 3,570 | Enrolled: 1,870 (52%)

Raritan Valley Community College
Applications: 2,763 | Offers: 2,763 | Enrolled: 1,381 (50%)

Essex County College
Applications: 4,420 | Offers: 4,420 | Enrolled: 1,987 (45%)

Rowan College of South Jersey - Cumberland Campus
Applications: 1,475 | Offers: 1,475 | Enrolled: 655 (44%)

Rowan College of South Jersey - Gloucester Campus
Applications: 2,979 | Offers: 2,979 | Enrolled: 1,210 (41%)

Bergen Community College
Applications: 8,358 | Offers: 7,800 | Enrolled: 3,166 (41%)

Camden County College
Applications: 2,713 | Offers: 2,713 | Enrolled: 1,090 (40%)

Rowan College of Burlington County
Applications: 2,050 | Offers: 2,050 | Enrolled: 810 (40%)

Atlantic Cape Community College
Applications: 2,210 | Offers: 2,210 | Enrolled: 858 (39%)

Hudson County Community College
Applications: 4,231 | Offers: 4,231 | Enrolled: 1,501 (35%)

Union College of Union County, NJ
Applications: 4,874 | Offers: 4,874 | Enrolled: 1,681 (34%)

Passaic County Community College
Applications: 3,242 | Offers: 2,993 | Enrolled: 990 (33%)

Ocean County College
Applications: 8,134 | Offers: 8,134 | Enrolled: 2,595 (32%)

Public colleges & universities

The smaller the percentage, the more students turned down a school.

Rutgers University - New Brunswick
Applications: 43,347 | Offers: 28,326 | Enrolled: 7,793 (28%)

The College of New Jersey
Applications: 11,668 | Offers: 7,251 | Enrolled: 1,547 (21%)

Kean University
Applications: 12,142 | Offers: 9,335 | Enrolled: 1,968 (21%)

Montclair State University
Applications: 23,599 | Offers: 20,629 | Enrolled: 4,039 (20%)

New Jersey Institute of Technology
Applications: 14,010 | Offers: 9,367 | Enrolled: 1,793 (19%)

Stockton University
Applications: 9,338 | Offers: 8,233 | Enrolled: 1,530 (19%)

Rowan University
Applications: 17,923 | Offers: 13,948 | Enrolled: 2,555 (18%)

Ramapo College of New Jersey
Applications: 7,553 | Offers: 5,530 | Enrolled: 1,012 (18%)

New Jersey City University
Applications: 5,758 | Offers: 5,134 | Enrolled: 682 (13%)

William Paterson University of N.J.
Applications: 7,754 | Offers: 7,174 | Enrolled: 883 (12%)

Rutgers University - Newark
Applications: 17,779 | Offers: 13,997 | Enrolled: 1,580 (11%)

Rutgers University - Camden
Applications: 11,951 | Offers: 9,293 | Enrolled: 655 (7%)

Private colleges & universities — Public mission

The smaller the percentage, the more students turned down a school.

Pillar College
Applications: 132 | Offers: 126 | Enrolled: 126 (100%)

Princeton University
Applications: 39,644 | Offers: 1,782 | Enrolled: 1,366 (77%)

Stevens Institute of Technology
Applications: 14,170 | Offers: 6,244 | Enrolled: 1,036 (17%)

Felician University
Applications: 2,254 | Offers: 2,119 | Enrolled: 350 (17%)

Centenary University
Applications: 1,304 | Offers: 1,261 | Enrolled: 189 (15%)

Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metro Campus
Applications: 4,862 | Offers: 4,097 | Enrolled: 598 (15%)

Georgian Court University
Applications: 2,317 | Offers: 1,634 | Enrolled: 232 (14%)

Monmouth University
Applications: 8,410 | Offers: 7,530 | Enrolled: 975 (13%)

Drew University
Applications: 4,604 | Offers: 3,197 | Enrolled: 404 (13%)

Saint Peter's University
Applications: 4,381 | Offers: 3,966 | Enrolled: 455 (11%)

Rider University
Applications: 9,069 | Offers: 7,201 | Enrolled: 806 (11%)

Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus
Applications: 5,325 | Offers: 4,606 | Enrolled: 512 (11%)

Saint Elizabeth University
Applications: 1,781 | Offers: 1,377 | Enrolled: 139 (10%)

Seton Hall University
Applications: 23,748 | Offers: 18,738 | Enrolled: 1,573 (8%)

Bloomfield College
Applications: 3,048 | Offers: 2,347 | Enrolled: 182 (8%)

Caldwell University
Applications: 7,769 | Offers: 5,208 | Enrolled: 345 (7%)

Private colleges & universities — Proprietary

The smaller the percentage, the more students turned down a school.

Devry University
Applications: 2 | Offers: 2 | Enrolled: 2 (100%)

Chamberlain University
Applications: 9 | Offers: 8 | Enrolled: 7 (88%)

Eastern International College
Applications: 50 | Offers: 40 | Enrolled: 33 (83%)

Eastwick College
Applications: 630 | Offers: 525 | Enrolled: 428 (82%)

Berkeley College
Applications: 666 | Offers: 631 | Enrolled: 197 (31%)

Religious schools & universities

The smaller the percentage, the more students turned down a school.

Assumption College for Sisters
Applications: 7 | Offers: 7 | Enrolled: 7 (100%)

Bet Midrash Ohel Torah
Applications: 20 | Offers: 2 | Enrolled: 2 (100%)

Keser Torah- Mayan Hatalmud
Applications: 8 | Offers: 5 | Enrolled: 5 (100%)

Rabbi Jacob Joseph School
Applications: 31 | Offers: 28 | Enrolled: 28 (100%)

Rabbinical Seminary M'Kor Chaim
Applications: 31 | Offers: 31 | Enrolled: 31 (100%)

Talmudical Academy
Applications: 24 | Offers: 10 | Enrolled: 10 (100%)

Yeshiva Bais Aharon
Applications: 8 | Offers: 6 | Enrolled: 6 (100%)

Yeshiva Chemdas Hatorah
Applications: 28 | Offers: 21 | Enrolled: 21 (100%)

Yeshiva Gedola Tiferes Yerachmiel
Applications: 61 | Offers: 24 | Enrolled: 24 (100%)

Yeshiva Gedolah Keren Hatorah
Applications: 40 | Offers: 37 | Enrolled: 37 (100%)

Yeshiva Gedolah Tiferes Boruch
Applications: 19 | Offers: 19 | Enrolled: 19 (100%)

Yeshiva Gedolah Tiferes Yaakov Yitzchok
Applications: 40 | Offers: 20 | Enrolled: 20 (100%)

Yeshiva Ohr Zechariah
Applications: 20 | Offers: 19 | Enrolled: 19 (100%)

Yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok
Applications: 6 | Offers: 6 | Enrolled: 6 (100%)

Yeshivas Emek Hatorah
Applications: 29 | Offers: 29 | Enrolled: 29 (100%)

Yeshiva Toras Chaim
Applications: 63 | Offers: 62 | Enrolled: 61 (98%)

Mosdos Yaakov V'Yisroel
Applications: 198 | Offers: 182 | Enrolled: 174 (96%)

Bais Medrash Zichron Meir
Applications: 52 | Offers: 22 | Enrolled: 20 (91%)

Rabbinical College of America
Applications: 70 | Offers: 61 | Enrolled: 55 (90%)

Yeshiva Yesodei Hatorah
Applications: 23 | Offers: 23 | Enrolled: 20 (87%)

Yeshiva Gedolah Shaarei Shmuel
Applications: 75 | Offers: 60 | Enrolled: 44 (73%)

Bais Medrash Toras Chesed
Applications: 74 | Offers: 47 | Enrolled: 34 (72%)

Bais Medrash Mayan Hatorah
Applications: 33 | Offers: 23 | Enrolled: 16 (70%)

Yeshiva Gedolah of Cliffwood
Applications: 25 | Offers: 20 | Enrolled: 13 (65%)

Seminary Bnos Chaim
Applications: 380 | Offers: 165 | Enrolled: 106 (64%)

Yeshiva Gedolah Zichron Leyma
Applications: 35 | Offers: 24 | Enrolled: 15 (63%)

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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