NEWARK, NJ — New Jersey Institute of Technology began the academic year by setting records with its largest and most diverse student body ever.
Total projected enrollment is up 21 percent in the last 10 years to hit its highest mark yet at 12,000 students. The fall first-year cohort makes up a sizable part of that growth with more than 1,600 enrollees, a 30-percent increase from last year’s previous record class, as of Sept. 1.
Underscoring NJIT’s mission of providing a STEM education to those typically underserved, the number of first-year students who identify as black or Hispanic has more than doubled since 2012 and also set a record. This year, students identifying as black or Hispanic make up 10 percent and 30 percent of the freshman class, respectively, compared to 7.1 percent and 20 percent in 2012.
The largest ever first-year class…