About Montclair State University

Founded in 1908, Montclair State University. is a Public college. Located in New Jersey, which is a city setting in New Jersey, the campus itself is Suburban. The campus is home to 16,810 full time undergraduate students, and 4,177 full time graduate students.

The Montclair State University Academic calendar runs on a Semester basis. In the school year the student to faculty ratio was 17:1. There are 620 full time instructional teachers. Degrees awarded at Montclair State University include: Bachelor's Degree, Masters Degree, Post-master's certificate, Doctor's degree.

Quick Facts

Acceptance Rate66%
Application Deadline
Application Fee65
SAT Range
ACT Range

Admissions at MSU are considered Selective, with ,97% of all applicants being admitted.

In the school year, of the students who applied to the school, only 25 of those who were admitted eventually ended up enrolling.

80% of incoming freshmen are in the top half of their high school class. 39% were in the top quarter, and 12% were in the top tenth. You can apply online.

STUDENT LIFE

We asked, and students answered these important questions about student life at Montclair State University.

Montclair State University REVIEWS

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  • How would you rate on-campus housing?

    228 Students rated on-campus housing 3.3 stars. 15 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate off-campus housing?

    172 Students rated off-campus housing 3.2 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus food?

    259 Students rated campus food 3.2 stars. 15 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus facilities?

    264 Students rated campus facilities 3.9 stars. 32 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate class size?

    264 Students rated class size 4.1 stars. 40 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate school activities?

    262 Students rated school activities 3.9 stars. 37 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate local services?

    261 Students rated local services 3.9 stars. 38 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate academics?

    264 Students rated academics 4 stars. 41 % gave the school a 5.0.

What's your overall opinion of Montclair State University?

135 Students rated Montclair State University

Nneoma - 01/07/2024

Honestly, Montclair State University is a wonderful campus at first glance. Dorm residents have a chance to be engaged, and there are numerous benefits for them, such as access to the free gym and even "free" food at Freedman's Dinner. However, as a commuter, it is challenging to be involved without a car. Firstly, the NJ Transit buses, especially the 191 Bus, are often late, and on Fridays, they are consistently unreliable. Commuters have to pay over $15 to access Freedman or Sam's Place, even if their meal doesn't amount to $15, and the lines in the student center are excessively long. Moreover, there are no shuttles to transport you around the massive campus, so you will end up doing a lot of walking. Public transportation is not a viable option either, as it takes around 2 hours to reach a destination that should only take 20 minutes. Nevertheless, I digress, because overall, Montclair's professors and staff are amazing. By the way, my major at Montclair is Business Analytics, I just put finance because it was the closest I could get.

Lindsey - 04/03/2023

Montclair State University is a very well rounded school. There are many activities to do on and off campus and its so close to the train station which you can take to the City!! It has greek life, athletics, clubs, food, and both commuters and people who dorm. There are many things to do at Montclair even on the weekends.

Jamie - 01/11/2023

I enrolled into Montclair not knowing what to expect. As a student athlete I fully expected it to be all fun and games but to my surprise I was met with professionalism. The school met my needs and boosted my academic career. The students are a nice balance between intellectual and fun. There’s also a lot to do off campus and on campus, something is always going on. The professors for the most part are helpful as well and even offer internships if you do well in their class. MSU as a whole is a great school.

Robyn - 02/06/2021

I think that it's a great school! So far I've enjoyed going here and taking my classes. The only thing I would say is that there is a majority of commuter students so it is very dead on the weekend. That and off-campus housing is nearly impossible. But the academics are great and as far as my experience goes most professors are reasonable and pretty good!

Montclair State University FAQS

  1. What is the Acceptance Rate at Montclair State University?

    The fall 2020 acceptance rate for Montclair State University is 66%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020 , _____ students were offered admission. The number of males who applied was _____ vs the number of females which was _____.

  2. What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

    Through my personal college experience I have gained so more more knowledge about myself. I learned my strengths and my weaknesses. I know now that I need to have better time management and not procrastinate. I learned that I take really good notes in class and they really did help me in the long run. I need to use the facilities available to me on campus more, and I am learning that as do use them more. The most important thing that I learned is that I am truely passionate about what I want to di with my life, since I started taking classes that pertain to my major I really do know the path I am going to follow. My college experiences that I have had so far turned into life experiences that will benefit me for the rest of my life. The people I have met, classes I have taken, places I have gone, and things I have learned are all the pieces to my life puzzle, which will all fit together in order for me to be successful and the person I want to be.

    Read all  199 answers
  3. Describe the students at your school.

    Some of my classmates are smart, many are lazy and complain, others are average.

    Read all  49 answers
  4. What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?

    No financial aid for graduate students...this is not just for this school. This is for all schools that I apply to. There are a lot of promises on the fafsa, but then you receive nothing but loan options.

    Read all  48 answers
  5. Describe how your school looks to someone who's never seen it.

    Montclair State University is a diverse and populous school full of life, activities, and dreams turning into reality all happening right outside of the epicenter of the modern world, New York City.

    Read all  43 answers
  6. What kind of person should attend this school?

    The kind of person who should attend Montclair State is a person who has a lot of drive, well-disciplined, and studious. Montclair State has an acceptance rate of 47{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} which means the admission is selective. However, this school is well known for its education program and arts program such as theatre.

    Read all  33 answers
  7. What's unique about your campus?

    The best thing about this school is it's diversity. There are people from so many cultural, religious, gender, and other backgrounds and there are also organizations for those specific diversity groups.

    Read all  31 answers
  8. What kind of person should not attend this school?

    one that's looking for a challenge.

    Read all  29 answers
  9. Describe your favorite campus traditions.

    Our school is best known for out education program. When we first started out in 1908 it was a teachers college and from then it has done nothing but grown.

    Read all  28 answers
  10. What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

    It is mostly a commuter school. Campus is dead and there isn't a whole lot to do on weekends and I wish that I had known that.

    Read all  28 answers
  11. What do you brag about most when you tell your friends about your school?

    Its a school with just the right amount of people. Its a beautiful place with a lot of fun people. If your looking for a great place to study montclair is your school. thw school is 15 minutes away form new york city, so you can always go there any nite you want.

    Read all  27 answers
  12. Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!

    All the colleges I considered were out of state, and I even attended one of them before transferring to Montclair State. I think this school was different, because it is close to home for me, and also in a city enviroment. It puts a lot of emphasis on "Greek Life" as well, which the other schools I considered did not; however, I am not in a sorrority and there is no pressure to pledge. Everyone is invited to their sponsored events, regardless of affiliation.

    Read all  27 answers
  13. What's the most frustrating thing about your school?

    The major I am involved in (athletic training) requires each student to have their own transportation to attend intenships. This is extremely frustrating because myself along with a few other students do not own a car, and this makes our daily routines very difficult beacuse our clinical sites are often very far away from our school.

    Read all  22 answers
  14. What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?

    There is no steriotype really. There is a mix of everyone. Honestly when Montclair said that it was diverse I honestly believe that.

    Read all  12 answers
  15. What are the academics like at your school?

    Montclair has recently become a lot more competitive in accepting students. Strong candidates for admission have a 3.0 GPA or greater. As far as academics go, Montclair has a lot to offer, but it really depends on the student to take advantage and make the most of it. I chose to be a part of the Honors program, which has pushed me to take more rigorous classes and to challenge myself academically. Being a part of the Honors program means you take Great Books I and II instead of College Writing I and II, so the focus is on analyzing, questioning, and interpreting literature instead of learning how to write good papers. The Honors program accepts students that already know how to write well. As an Honors Student you also must take 20th Century Civilization and Contemporary Civilization, as well as an Honors Seminar in Science unless you are a science major. These classes all cover general education requirements that students must take anyway in order to graduate. Honors students must also take 3 other elective classes - meaning you must take 8 total Honors classes to graduate as part of the program. Many of the professors teaching these classes are highly qualified and also very highly regarded by the academic community. Many of the classes have been my favorites out of my two years at MSU so far. Outside of the Honors program, from my experience a lot of the rigor of the class depends on the professor and also how much initiative the student takes. Many students will search ratemyprofessor.com to find the easiest class they can take and therefore they choose to be underprepared for a competitive workforce in the real world after graduation. Something I have really enjoyed was choosing to live with other Honors students the past two years. We were able to form strong friendships and study groups to help and push each other. Living communities like the Honors one I was part of exist for other subjects like the Arts, Science and Math, LGBT, Men's Interests, Women's Interests, Language Immersion, etc. I have really liked nearly all of my professors at MSU so far. They are very warm, welcoming, and eager to help students. Most of them knew my name after the first couple classes and many offered their home phone or cell phone numbers in addition to email and office hours for students to take advantage of if they had questions. That's not to say that they hold your hand though. They expect you to be a responsible adult and manage things for yourself but they are happy to be available for students to reach out to them if help is needed. Still, there will always be students who just try to slide by. The easiest class I've taken so far was French I and that was because my professor did not push the students and the students in the class were extremely lazy. Like I said, it is really up to the student to make the most of it. I believe I've been able to accomplish that so far by being a part of the Honors program, taking on a minor, and always pushing myself to do my best. Due to this, I have a 3.9 GPA and I will have completed 90 credits by the time I start class again this fall, meaning I'll be a senior by credits entering my third year as a junior. If I was only doing my major and not the Honors program or my minor I probably would have been able to graduate in 3 years. Take advantage of all the opportunities offered to you and make the most of it!

    Read all  12 answers
  16. What are the most popular student activities/groups?

    I would have to say the two most popular groups on campus are ResLife which are the Resident Assistants and Student Assistants and greek life

    Read all  11 answers
  17. What is your overall opinion of this school?

    I love MSU! One of the things I really love about Montclair is that because it is a large public university, it offers a lot of opportunities that smaller, more subject specific colleges do not. You can pursue and satisfy other interests and hobbies you may have outside of your major. For example, though I am a Graphic Design major, I was able to take two dance classes last year, be a part of the Honors program, pick up a Business minor, join the dance club, and work for Undergraduate Admissions on campus. I also love having friends and working with people who have different backgrounds and interests, much like I will in the real world after graduating. If I had gone to a small art school like I originally wanted to I would have missed out on all of that! Montclair offers more than 250 majors, minors, and concentrations and has over 150 clubs and organizations. Though there is a large student population and the campus itself is pretty big as well, everything is really close together and classes are kept relatively small (about 25 students) so the motto goes that Montclair is a "big school with a small campus feel." Students really like that about MSU. In addition, another great thing about Montclair is it's location. Montclair's campus is situated in three different towns: Upper Montclair, Clifton, and Little Falls. The town of Montclair is safe, quaint, and affluent, and the downtown area has a lot of nice little shops and places to eat that are within twenty minutes' walking distance from the campus if it's a nice day out. If you have a car, Route 3 and Route 46 run near the campus and they each have various shopping plazas. You can easily get to these in about five minutes by car, including my favorite frozen yogurt place CUPS. On Saturdays, students can take the MSU shuttle buses to Clifton Commons on Route 3 which has a Target superstore, Blockbuster, grocery store, AMC theater, Sports Authority, Party City, Barnes and Noble, various restaurants, and several other places. Montclair also has two NJ Transit Train station stops on campus (one on either end) that go into New York City, which is only 14 miles away. The trains from Montclair only run Monday through Friday but there are also the Decamp Buses that pick up students down the street from campus and go into the city every day of the week. NJ Transit buses also stop right on campus and can take students various places for very cheap including Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, NJ. The campus and surrounding suburban area are both really pretty and experience diverse weather, including a fair amount of snow in the winter, warm sun in the spring, and hot weather in the 80s and 90s during the summer. One of the only things I don't like about Montclair is there is poor communication between the different departments. If you have a question or a problem it's often hard to figure out who to talk to and the departments are little help because they usually don't know much outside of their subject. I work for Undergraduate Admissions and many departments just direct students to us because they don't know where else to send them, even though we really only deal with prospective students and families. This lack of unity and cohesiveness between the departments is usually the biggest complaint I hear from other students. However, the university is aware of this problem, and they plan to take measures, such as having cross-training for the employees of different departments, to correct it and help things run more smoothly. As far as school pride goes, Montclair is not anything like, say, Penn State. However, the entire student body does really come together for certain events, such as Homecoming. Other than things like that, most students who commute or go home on the weekends have little connection to the school other than their classes. Those students who live on campus and stay on the weekends are usually much more connected, have more friends at school, and are more heavily involved and therefore have more pride for the school. Montclair is also division 3 for its 17 sports so the students who aren't involved in athletics aren't connected to the school through sports the way that Rutgers students are to Rutgers football, for example.

    Read all  10 answers
  18. What is the stereotype of students at your school?

    The students at Montclair are well-rounded, intelligent, and open-minded individuals.

    Read all  3 answers
  19. Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?

    hah

    Read all  2 answers
  20. What are the most popular classes offered?

    The most popular classes offered are the physical education, sociology, and religion classes.

    Read all  2 answers
  21. What are your classes like?

    My classes range from being fairly small (25) to very large (100). The classes in my major tend to be small and a lot of my general education classes are very large.

    Read all  2 answers

Student Body

Students

61%

female

39%

male

16,810

Total Undergrad Enrollment

4,177

Total Grad Students

5%

Out-Of-State

95%

In-State

N/A

International

Organizations

124

Student Organizations

17

Fraternities

18

Sororities

Housing

Yes

On-Campus Housing

24%

of students living on campus

Student Diversity

% American Indian/Alaskan Native
N/A
% Asian/Pacific Islander
6%
% Black or African-American
12%
% Hispanic/Latino
26%
% White or Caucasian
43%

TUITION & AID

All students must apply yearly for financial aid. This process starts with the FAFSA. Though financial aid deadlines vary by school, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. For the upcoming school year, you can apply as early as October 1 for the FAFSA. Additional school aid will be dependent on the FAFSA results.

81% of students attending Montclair State University receive some sort of financial aid. 46% were awarded federal grants. While 61% received federal loans. Many students do also need to apply for additional private student loans.

Cost Out of State

$20,007

Tuition and fees(Out of state)

$1,300

Books and Supplies

$14,094

Room and Board

35,401

Total On Campus

Actual Cost By Income Level(W/Financial Aid)

Family Income
Cost
$0 - $30K
$18,750
$30 - $48K
$20,250
$48 - $75K
$23,092
$75 - $110K
$24,670
$110K & UP
$24,783

We use student reviews and the most current publicly available data on our school pages. As such, we don't typically remove or edit college information. Sources for school statistics and data include the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Portions of college data include copyrighted material, which is reproduced on this website by permission of Wintergreen Orchard House, a division of Carnegie Communications. © 2009-2016 by Wintergreen Orchard House. All rights reserved.

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