New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities committed to college opportunity for new jersey citizens

150 West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey 08608                       609-989-1100     609-989-7017 fax                   njascu@njascu.org

New Jersey's Growing Capacity Crisis

2007 Update

As Predicted ... Enrollment Demand Exceeds Capacity

Student demand for a full-time, residential experience at one of New Jersey's eight traditional state colleges and universities is higher than ever before.

Applications for the fall 2006 full-time freshman class reached an unprecedented level.  There were over 46,000 applications from about 21,000 individuals for an estimated 10,000 full-time slots.  Demand is expected to be higher than ever for the fall 2007 freshman class; many admissions directors are reporting significant increases in applications.

Both freshmen and transfer students were more prone than ever to seek housing on campus, a situation which required hundreds of students to be put on waiting lists at some institutions and scores of others to be housed off-campus in hotels.  Currently, there are over 18,500 students living on campus at the eight residential schools, up from about 16,000 six years ago. 

Graduate enrollment in fall 2006 was about 14,100 students.

Meanwhile, Thomas Edison State College continues to grow to meet the needs of mature students who want to obtain a baccalaureate or master's degree on a part-time basis.  The institution now serves over 12,700 undergraduates.

ASCU officials emphasize that demand is likely to continue to grow rapidly in the area of full-time, residential undergraduate education.

Much Greater Demand Seen

Communications Director Paul Shelly has been tracking campus, state and national college enrollment trends as part of the NJ College Bound 2008 project.  Shelly believes there is a good possibility that demand for what the nine state colleges/universities offer will increase much faster than projections.  He has enumerated at least a half dozen factors -- beyond high school graduation demographics -- that could converge to create a "perfect" wave of enrollment demand.  Among them:

As the campuses become more residential in terms of number of students on campus and facilities to house them, student life will be enriched and extracurricular opportunities expanded.  All this will lead to more demand.

The Public Favors Expansion

Since 1999, the Association has been sponsoring public opinion polls to research the direction and strength of public opinion about expanding the capacity of colleges in New Jersey in order to serve more students.  The results are consistent.  Time and again residents and likely voters have shown that they favor, and strongly favor, expansion of opportunity and facilities at New Jersey colleges and universities.  Responses to an array of questions indicate New Jersey residents "connect" increased capacity with access to affordable colleges and universities and are willing to support a major public investment, such as a multi-billion dollar higher education facilities bond issue, even at a time of state budgetary stress.

All polls were based on scientific, random sampling of New Jersey adults and conducted by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, Washington, DC.    

Consequences of Underdeveloped Capacity

Since 1961, New Jersey has worried about the exodus of high school graduates to colleges in other states and the inability to educate more of its college bound students.  In the late 1960's, the state took major steps to address the problem but since then, nothing significant has been done -- despite some dismal statistics.  The numbers which follow tell the story best.