Stockton University is a mid-size public university in Galloway Township, New Jersey, just 15 minutes from Atlantic City and roughly an hour from Philadelphia. Founded in 1971 as Richard Stockton State College and named after a New Jersey signer of the Declaration of Independence, the university enrolls approximately 8,800 students on a sprawling 2,000-acre main campus that sits inside the Pinelands National Reserve — making it one of the most ecologically distinctive university settings on the East Coast. A second campus opened directly on the Atlantic City Boardwalk in 2018, giving Stockton a unique dual-location identity. For international students, Stockton offers an unusually friendly cost-of-attendance for a New Jersey public university, a guaranteed renewable International Student Scholarship of $8,504/year for qualifying freshmen, and a SEVP-certified Office of Global Engagement that runs partnerships with the on-campus ELS Language Center for conditional admission and English bridge programming. The U.S. News 2026 ranking places Stockton at #38 nationally for social mobility — reflecting its mission to serve first-generation, transfer, and underrepresented students. Stockton runs on a SEMESTER calendar with rolling admissions, a test-optional admissions policy (with limited exceptions for the accelerated Medical, Pharmacy, Nursing, and Direct-Admit Physical Therapy programs), and 160+ undergraduate and graduate programs across the schools of Arts & Humanities; Business; Education; General Studies; Health Sciences; Natural Sciences & Mathematics; Social & Behavioral Sciences; and Continuing Studies. Health Sciences, Business Administration, Psychology, Hospitality & Tourism Management Studies (uniquely strong given the Atlantic City casino industry), and Marine Science (leveraging the Pinelands and Atlantic coastal ecosystems) are the standout programs.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Top Performers on Social Mobility
US News 2026
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceThe deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
—
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$22,000 – $26,000
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Stockton's largest college, offering BSN nursing, public health, health sciences, communication disorders, and a direct-admit physical therapy doctorate. Strong placement into NJ and Philadelphia-area hospital systems.
AACSB-accredited business school with a notable concentration in Hospitality & Tourism Management Studies — leveraging Stockton's Atlantic City location and casino-industry partnerships.
Programs in marine science, environmental science, biology, chemistry, and computer science. The Pinelands and Atlantic coastal ecosystems serve as living laboratories.
Strong programs in psychology, criminal justice, sociology, and social work — feeding NJ public service and law enforcement careers.
Liberal arts programs including communication studies, literature, history, philosophy, performing arts, and the visual arts.
4 years
Stockton's signature program — uniquely positioned 15 minutes from Atlantic City casinos and resorts, with internships at major hospitality brands (Hard Rock, Borgata, Caesars). Coursework covers casino management, event planning, and tourism economics.
4 years
Field-based program leveraging Stockton's location adjacent to the Pinelands National Reserve and the Atlantic shore — students conduct hands-on research in tidal estuaries, salt marshes, and offshore Atlantic ecosystems.
4 years
Direct-admit BSN program with strong NCLEX pass rates and clinical placements across AtlantiCare, Cooper, and Penn Medicine systems.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $24,524
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
