TCNJ vs. Purchase College

Should I go to The College of New Jersey or SUNY at Purchase College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if TCNJ or Purchase College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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The College of New Jersey vs. SUNY at Purchase College comparison
The College of New Jersey SUNY at Purchase College College 3 College 4
The College of New Jersey SUNY at Purchase College
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Overview

TCNJ Purchase College
Location Ewing, NJ Purchase, NY
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 7,629 3,182
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #175 #319
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website tcnj.edu purchase.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

TCNJ Purchase College
Tuition (In State) $14,140 $7,070
Tuition (Out of State) $26,934 $16,980
Room & Board $14,144 $14,948
Avg Net Price $22,273 $19,434
Avg Grant Aid $11,826 $10,312
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 73%

Admission

TCNJ Purchase College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,302 5,747
Admitted 6,638 4,292
Acceptance Rate 64.4% 74.7%
Enrolled % 23.8% 16%
Avg High School GPA 3.29 3.37
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 24/30 29/31
SAT Range 1140/1350 1190/1350
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2025 Jul 1, 2025

Academics

TCNJ Purchase College
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (22%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (37%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Communication (6%)

Outcomes

TCNJ Purchase College
Graduation Rate 87% 56%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $62,100 $40,200
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 65%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,250 $22,500
Median Loan Payment $240 $232

Diversity

TCNJ Purchase College
% Men 42% 42%
% Women 58% 58%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 66% 55%
% Black 6% 10%
% Hispanic 12% 18%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 5%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 5% 7%

Students

TCNJ Purchase College
% In-State 95% 85%
% Out-of-State 5% 14%

Campus

TCNJ Purchase College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • The College of New Jersey is larger than than Purchase College based on total student enrollment (7,629 students vs. 3,182 students)

TCNJ vs. Purchase College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, TCNJ or Purchase College?

  • The College of New Jersey is 100% more expensive to attend than Purchase College for in-state tuition ($14,140.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 58.6% higher at TCNJ than SUNY at Purchase College ($26,934.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY at Purchase College than TCNJ ($19,434 vs. $22,273)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The College of New Jersey are 5.7% lower than costs at SUNY at Purchase College ($14,144 vs. $14,948)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY at Purchase College than The College of New Jersey (73% vs. 58%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The College of New Jersey students is 14.7% larger than aid received SUNY at Purchase College ($11,826 vs. $10,312)

TCNJ vs. Purchase College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, TCNJ or Purchase College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Purchase College or TCNJ .

  • The average SAT score at The College of New Jersey (1227) is 145 points higher than at Purchase College (1082)
  • Incoming TCNJ students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Purchase College (25)
  • Accepted freshman Purchase College students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.37) than students at TCNJ (3.29)
  • Purchase College has a higher acceptance rate (74.7%) than TCNJ (64.4%)

TCNJ vs. Purchase College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, TCNJ or Purchase College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Purchase College and TCNJ.

  • The graduation rate at TCNJ is higher than SUNY at Purchase College (87% vs. 56%)
  • Graduates from The College of New Jersey earn on average $21,900 more per year than Purchase College graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $40,200)
  • SUNY at Purchase College students graduate with a $750 lower median federal student loan debt than TCNJ graduates. ($22,500 vs. $23,250)
  • Purchase College graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than TCNJ graduates. ($232 vs. $240)
  • More TCNJ graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Purchase College students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 65%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/