TCNJ vs. NYU

Deciding between The College of New Jersey and New York University? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

The College of New Jersey
New York University

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • TCNJ Ewing, NJ
  • NYU New York, NY
  • Setting
  • TCNJ Large Suburban
  • NYU Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • TCNJ 8,141
  • NYU 56,832
  • Type
  • TCNJ Public 4 Year
  • NYU Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • TCNJ #177
  • NYU #43
  • Religious Affiliation
  • TCNJ -
  • NYU -
  • Status
  • TCNJ Non-profit
  • NYU Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • TCNJ
  • NYU

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • TCNJ $19,632
  • NYU $62,796
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • TCNJ $25,752
  • NYU $62,796
  • Room & Board
  • TCNJ $14,976
  • NYU $23,530
  • Average Net Price
  • TCNJ $25,580
  • NYU $30,325
  • Average Grant Aid
  • TCNJ $13,360
  • NYU $53,901
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • TCNJ 59%
  • NYU 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • TCNJ 12,766
  • NYU 110,807
  • Admitted
  • TCNJ 7,952
  • NYU 10,232
  • Acceptance Rate
  • TCNJ 62.3%
  • NYU 9.2%
  • Enrolled
  • TCNJ 19.7%
  • NYU 55.4%
  • Typical SAT score
  • TCNJ 1240
  • NYU 1520
  • Typical ACT score
  • TCNJ 28
  • NYU 34
  • Average High School GPA
  • TCNJ 3.29
  • NYU 3.79
  • Typical High School Grades
  • TCNJ B+
  • NYU A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • TCNJ Difficult
  • NYU Elite
  • Applicant Competition
  • TCNJ Low
  • NYU Extreme
  • ACT Range
  • TCNJ 26/31
  • NYU 34/35
  • SAT Range
  • TCNJ 1140/1340
  • NYU 1480/1560
  • Submit Test Scores
  • TCNJ Test optional
  • NYU Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • TCNJ Feb 1, 2027
  • NYU

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • TCNJ 14:1
  • NYU 8:1
  • Popular Majors
  • TCNJ
    • Education (22%)
    • Business (17%)
    • Psychology (9%)
    • English and Literature (8%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)
  • NYU
    • Business (19%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (18%)
    • Social Sciences (14%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
    • Communication (9%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • TCNJ 87%
  • NYU 86%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • TCNJ $62,100
  • NYU $76,000
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • TCNJ 85%
  • NYU 77%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • TCNJ $23,250
  • NYU $23,250
  • Median Loan Payment
  • TCNJ $240
  • NYU $240

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • TCNJ 43%
  • NYU 42%
  • % Women
  • TCNJ 57%
  • NYU 58%
  • Racial Diversity
  • TCNJ Medium
  • NYU Very High
  • HBCU
  • TCNJ No
  • NYU No
  • % White
  • TCNJ 66%
  • NYU 34%
  • % Asian
  • TCNJ 10%
  • NYU 20%
  • % Black
  • TCNJ 6%
  • NYU 5%
  • % Hispanic
  • TCNJ 12%
  • NYU 12%
  • % Native American
  • TCNJ 0%
  • NYU 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • TCNJ 0%
  • NYU 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • TCNJ 0%
  • NYU 4%
  • % International
  • TCNJ 0%
  • NYU 17%
  • % Unknown Race
  • TCNJ 5%
  • NYU 8%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • TCNJ 95%
  • NYU 26%
  • % Out-of-State
  • TCNJ 5%
  • NYU 49%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • TCNJ Yes
  • NYU Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • TCNJ No
  • NYU No
  • Meal Plan
  • TCNJ Yes
  • NYU Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • TCNJ No
  • NYU No
  • Daycare Facility
  • TCNJ No
  • NYU No

Comparable Facts

Compare The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ with New York University in New York, NY on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

New York University is larger than TCNJ based on total student enrollment (56,832 students vs. 8,141 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • The College of New Jersey is located in Ewing, NJ (Large Suburban setting); New York University is in New York, NY (Large City setting).
  • The College of New Jersey is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. New York University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: The College of New Jersey 14:1; New York University 8:1.

TCNJ vs. NYU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, TCNJ or NYU? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at The College of New Jersey than NYU ($25,580 vs. $30,325).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The College of New Jersey are 36.4% lower than at New York University ($14,976 vs. $23,530).
  • New York University is 219.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than TCNJ (about $43,164 more per year; $62,796.00 vs. $19,632.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 143.8% higher at NYU than at The College of New Jersey (about $37,044 more per year; $62,796.00 vs. $25,752.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at The College of New Jersey than at New York University (59% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by New York University students is 303.5% larger than aid received by The College of New Jersey students ($53,901 vs. $13,360).

TCNJ vs. NYU Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, TCNJ or NYU? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between NYU and TCNJ.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at New York University (1520) is 280 points higher than at TCNJ (1240).
  • Incoming NYU students have a 6 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (34 vs. 28 at TCNJ).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: The College of New Jersey 1140/1340; New York University 1480/1560.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: The College of New Jersey 26/31; New York University 34/35.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: TCNJ - Test optional; NYU - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: TCNJ Feb 1, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman NYU students have a 0.5 point higher average high school GPA (3.79) than students at TCNJ (3.29).
  • TCNJ has a higher acceptance rate (62.3%) than NYU (9.2%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 19.7% at TCNJ vs. 55.4% at NYU.

TCNJ vs. NYU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for TCNJ and NYU? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • The College of New Jersey's six-year graduation rate (87%) is higher than New York University's (86%).
  • Graduates from New York University earn a median of about $13,900 more per year than TCNJ graduates about ten years after starting college ($76,000 vs. $62,100), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, New York University and TCNJ graduates have the same median loan debt ($23,250 vs. $23,250).
  • Among borrowers in the federal data, New York University and TCNJ graduates have the same median monthly federal student loan payment ($240 vs. $240).
  • More TCNJ graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NYU students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 77%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.