Montclair State University (Montclair) is a public research university in Montclair, New Jersey, United States. Parts of the campus extend into Clifton and into Little Falls. As of June 2024, there were 22,570 total enrolled students: 18,062 undergraduate students and 4,508 graduate students. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". The campus covers approximately 252 acres (1.02 km2). The university offers more than 300 majors, minors, and concentrations.
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History
Plans for the State Normal school were initiated in 1903, and required a year for the State of New Jersey to grant permission to build the school. It was then established as "New Jersey State Normal School at Montclair", a normal school, in 1908 approximately five years after the initial planning of the school. At the time, Governor John Franklin Fort attended the dedication of the school in 1908, and the school was to have its first principal Charles Sumner Chapin that same year. The first building constructed was College Hall (now known as Cole Hall), and it still stands today. At the time, the campus was around 25 acres (100,000 m2), had 8 faculty members and 187 students. The first graduating class, which numbered at 45 students, contained William O. Trapp, who would then go on to win the Pulitzer Prize for journalism in 1929. The first dormitory was then built five years later, in 1915, and is known as Russ Hall.
In 1927, Harry Sprague was the first president of Montclair, and shortly afterwards the school began being more inclusive of extracurricular activities such as athletics. In 1927, however, after studies had emerged concerning the number of high school teachers in the state of New Jersey (only 10% of all high school teachers received their degrees from New Jersey), the institution became "Montclair State Teachers College" and developed a four-year (Bachelor of Arts) program in pedagogy, becoming the first US institute to do so. In 1937 it became the first teachers college accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
In 1943, during World War II, several students, with permission from the president, Harry Sprague, joined the US Navy as volunteers to train for the war. It was also a time when students and faculty sold war bonds to support US American troops.
In 1958 the school merged with the "Panzer College of Physical Education and Hygiene" to become "Montclair State College". The school became a comprehensive multi-purpose institution in 1966. The Board of Higher Education designated the school a teaching university on April 27, 1994, and in the same year the school became "Montclair State University". It has offered Master of Arts programs since 1932, Master of Business Administration since 1981, Master of Education since 1985, Master of Science since 1992, Master of Fine Arts since 1998, Doctor of Education since 1999, and Doctor of Environmental Management in 2003 (now the PhD in Environmental Science and Management). PhD degrees were added in Teacher Education and Teacher Development in 2008, Counselor Education, Family Studies, Mathematics Education, Communications Sciences and Disorders by 2014, and most recently Clinical as well as Industrial/Organizational Psychology (2021). Of note, the Clinical and I/O Psychology PhD programs are fully funded programs. In 2018, Montclair State University graduated more than 30 doctoral students.
Colleges and schools
Montclair State University comprises seven colleges and six schools, each led by a dean or director. The colleges and schools organize and conduct academic programs within their units (Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral, and Certificate Programs) and work cooperatively to offer interdisciplinary programs.
College of the Arts
The John J. Cali School of Music is part of the College of the Arts. The Cali School of Music provides a wide range of study and performance opportunities for its undergraduate and graduate students, as well as a professional certification program in Music Education and the Artist's Diploma and Performer's Certificate degrees in classical and jazz performance. The noted string quartet, the Shanghai Quartet, was in residence at MSU from 2002 to 2020. As part of their new residency programs, the Cali School welcomed the Harlem Quartet as its new quartet-in-residence and introduced Jessie Montgomery as its composer-in-residence. In 2021, the Cali School implemented the Cali Pathways Project, a scholarship program designed to create dynamic and comprehensive pathways to higher education and careers in music for talented student musicians from underrepresented backgrounds.
Initially the School of Communications and Media within the College of the Arts, CCOM launched as Montclair's newest college in July 2025.
The then-school opened a new facility in fall 2017. It features a 187-seat Sony Digital Cinema Presentation Hall, four broadcast-ready HD + 4K studio and control rooms, motion picture stage for digital filmmaking, and an audio production center featuring a Foley stage, a performance stage, and audio sound labs.
College of Education and Human Services
The College of Education and Human Services houses the Center of Pedagogy, with oversees the Teacher Education program. Majors across the university earning teacher credentials are administered jointly by the Center of Pedagogy and the department that houses the student's major.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Montclair State offers 20 undergraduate majors and more than 40 minors. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is the largest college by enrollment within Montclair State.
Montclair State supports and encourages interdisciplinary programs. In 2019, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Science and Mathematics have teamed up to offer the only Master of Science in Computational Linguistics program in New Jersey.
College of Science and Mathematics
The College of Science and Mathematics (CSAM) offers programs in the natural, physical, life, and computational sciences. Located in Richardson Hall are the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and the Student Success Center. Reid Hall houses the Department of Biology and the Marine Biology and Coastal Sciences Program. The School of Computing and the Department of Mathematics are housed in the Center for Computing and Information Science.
The Center for Environmental and Life Sciences (CELS) houses the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, which includes Earth and Environmental Science; Geographic, Environmental and Urban Studies; and Sustainability Science. CELS also houses the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies, New Jersey Center for Water Science and Technology, Clean Energy and Sustainability Analytics Center, Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Lab, Sokol Institute for Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences, and the interdisciplinary PhD Program in Environmental Science and Management.
Feliciano School of Business
The Feliciano School of Business offers undergraduate as well as MBA programs. Students may opt to choose the Bachelor of Arts approach or the Bachelor of Science. The school offers a BA degree program culminating in a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. In 2016, the MBA program became available in a fully online format. The School of Business also offers post-MBA certificate programs. In 2015 a brand new building for the Feliciano School of Business opened, dedicated to Mimi and Edwin Feliciano.
School of Nursing
In 2016, Montclair State University launched a School of Nursing. It offers RN-to-BSN and four-year BSN programs. The school is housed in a state-of-the-art facility that includes mediated classrooms, computer study areas, a nursing skills laboratory, anatomy laboratory, and high-fidelity and home care simulation rooms.
The Graduate School
Montclair State began offering master's degree programs in 1932, beginning with the Master of Fine Arts degree; the university began to grant doctoral degrees in 1998, after receiving state approval to establish a Doctor of Education degree in pedagogy and Doctor of Environmental Management degree in 2003. In the fall of 2019, the university had about 300 doctoral students in eight programs.
University College
University College is an initial academic home for students to pursue interests that will lead them to their eventual academic major. University College admits about one-third of incoming freshman, as well as approximately 1,400 returning and transfer students who have yet to declare a major. Once University College students have been admitted to their chosen majors, they transition into the college or school of that academic program.
Rankings
U.S. News & World Report listed Montclair State as No. 152 among all national universities in its 2025 rankings, tied for No. 12 in Top Performers on Social Mobility and tied for No. 81 in Top Public Schools. U.S. News & World Report 2025 Best Graduate Schools ranked several of the university's programs among the best in the nation, including its education program at 107th, its Master's in Public Health program tied for 140th, and its part-time Master's in Business Administration program 207th. Montclair State University's online Master of Arts in Educational Leadership program was ranked 25th in the nation in the U.S. News & World Report 2020 Best Online Programs rankings. The Feliciano School of Business was included in the 2020 edition of "The Best Business Schools" published by The Princeton Review. The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2019 Edition included Montclair State in its rankings of America's greenest campuses. Money magazine ranked Montclair State among the nation's "Best Colleges for Your Money" in 2020. Money also ranked the university at No. 16 on its 2020 "Most Transformative Colleges" list. Campus Pride named Montclair State a "Premier Campus" in its 2020 Campus Pride Index, the national listing of LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities. Montclair State earned the maximum five stars out of five, one of only two institutions in New Jersey to do so.
In 2024, Washington Monthly ranked Montclair State 57th among 438 national universities in the U.S. based on Montclair State's contribution to the public good, as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service.
Campus
The original Montclair State University campus consisted of College Hall, Russ Hall, Chapin Hall and Morehead Hall, all built between 1908 and 1928. It was 2 miles south of the intersection of U.S. Route 46 and Route 3. Housing for students returning from World War II was added near the end of the war. Between 1950 and 1980, Montclair State gradually acquired land from a former traprock quarry and expanded its facilities with an additional 23 buildings. Montclair State University began its next phase of growth in the late 1990s to accommodate New Jersey's growing student population. Dickson Hall was dedicated in 1995. The building is named for David W.D. Dickson, the first African American president of Montclair State University. The Floyd Hall Arena, an ice skating rink, was built in 1998. Science Hall, the home of the Department of Biology, opened in 1999. The Red Hawk Diner was built in 2001, making it the first diner on a university campus in the United States.
Other additions (2002–2011)
The Red Hawk Deck, MSU's first parking garage, opened in spring 2003
The Village Apartments at Little Falls, an apartment complex accommodating 850 students, opened in fall 2003.
The Women's Softball Stadium opened in 2004.
The 500-seat Alexander Kasser Theater opened in fall 2004.
The NJ Transit Montclair State University station and Parking Deck was opened October 20, 2004. It provides direct access to and from New York Penn Station, the city's main public transportation hub. This is also a major parking and transfer point on the Montclair-Boonton Line.
The Children's Center, Montclair State University's daycare facility for children of students and faculty, opened in fall 2005.
University Hall, the largest building on campus at the time and home of the College of Education and Human Services, opened in spring 2006.
The George Segal Gallery, located on the fourth floor of the Red Hawk Deck, opened in spring 2006.
Cafe Diem, a cafe attached to Sprague Library, opened in January 2007.
Chapin Hall, nearly 100 years old, was completely renovated and expanded to house the new John J. Cali School of Music.
A 77,000-square-foot (7,200 m2) Student Recreation Center opened in spring 2008.
Sinatra Hall, a new suite style residence hall near the Village, housing 300 undergraduate and graduate students, opened in August 2010.
Capital master plan (2013–2018)
Montclair's most recent master plan contained $650 million in capital construction and improvements. The major projects under this new program were:
Two student housing and dining complexes, The Heights, are adjacent to the Student Recreation Center and CarParc Diem Garage. Opened in August 2011, they house approximately 2,000 students, increasing the on-campus housing capacity to 5,500, the second largest college residential population in New Jersey after Rutgers University in New Brunswick. They have also increased dining capacity at MSU by 25,000 gross square feet.
A 143,000 square feet (13,300 m2) building to house the Feliciano School of Business, adjacent to University Hall. It opened in Fall 2015.
The 107,500 square feet (9,990 m2) Center for Environmental and Life Sciences building, located adjacent to Richardson Hall, opened in 2015. CELS houses the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies and all of its research facilities, the Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Laboratory, the Margaret and Herman Sokol Institute for Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, the New Jersey Center for Water Science and Technology, the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies, and the interdisciplinary PhD program in Environmental Science and Management. The majority of the funding for this facility came from a bond issue passed by statewide referendum on November 6, 2012.
A 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2) expansion of Morehead Hall, which connects the building with Life Hall and the DuMont TV center to form the Communication and Media Studies Center.
Various expansions, improvements and renovations of residential buildings, athletic facilities, and academic facilities including College Hall, Partridge Hall, Mallory Hall (now the Center for Computing and Information Science), Life Hall, the Bond House, and Richardson Hall.
Census-designated place
Montclair State University is a census-designated place (CDP) covering the Montclair State University campus in Passaic and Essex counties.
It first appeared as a CDP in the 2020 Census with a population of 2,180.
Athletics
Montclair State University's athletic teams have played under many names in the school's history. From the late 1920s to '30s, the school played as the "Big Red" and featured a large scarlet "M" on its uniforms. Next, Montclair State Teacher's College competed as the Indians, using a logo with a Native American chief's profile with the initials "MSTC" emblazoned on the caricature's headdress.
The initials were changed to "MSC" when the school became Montclair State College in 1958. In response to the growing concerns voiced by Native Americans, the school changed its nickname to the Red Hawks in August 1989, named after the Red-tailed hawks that are indigenous to the area. Montclair's athletic teams all play in the NCAA Division III (Campus Teams). The 2023 season for the men's soccer team was noteworthy with an NJAC Division title and competition in the semifinal round of the national championship.
Division III sports
Montclair State University athletics are in the NCAA Division III in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). The university offers the following sports:
Club sports
Men's Ice Hockey (ACHA Division II)
Women's Ice Hockey (ACHA Division II)
Men's Rugby (MetNY RFU Division II)
Men's Volleyball (Middle Atlantic Collegiate Volleyball Conference)
Baseball (National Club Baseball Association (NCBA) Division II Central)
Men's Lacrosse (National College Lacrosse League, NY Metro Conference, Division II)
Quidditch (unofficial with the International Quidditch Association as of spring 2015)
Sports fields and facilities
Sprague Field: The 6,000-seat field is home to the MSU football team, men's and women's lacrosse and field hockey teams.
Panzer Athletic Center Gymnasium: The 1,200-seat arena is home to the MSU men's and women's basketball teams and volleyball team.
Panzer Athletic Center Pool: The 500-seat Panzer Pool is home to the Red Hawk men's and women's swimming and diving teams.
MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field: The 3,000-seat artificial turf field, which opened in 1998, is the main home for both the men's and women's soccer teams. Starting in 2017, Pittser Field will be the home of New York Red Bulls II.
Yogi Berra Stadium: The 3,400-seat stadium is home to the MSU baseball team and the Yogi Berra Museum. It was the former home of the New Jersey Jackals of the independent Frontier League from 1998 to 2022.
MSU Softball Stadium: The 300-seat stadium opened its doors in 2004 and is home to the MSU softball team, and also hosted the 2009 NCAA Division III Women's College World Series.
Montclair State University Ice Arena: The ice skating arena, formerly known as Floyd Hall Arena, opened in March 1998 with two NHL size rinks, an off-ice training area, meeting rooms, concession stand, pro shop, and facilities for birthday parties. The arena now attracts over 500,000 visits per year and has become the home to many groups including The MSU Hockey Club, the Montclair Hockey Club, The North Jersey Figure Skating Club, the Clifton HS Mustangs and Nutley and Passaic Valley High School Hockey Teams. In 2020, the arena was acquired by the university and re-named Montclair State University Ice Arena.
Student Recreation Center: The 77,000-square-foot facility is home to two fitness floors, a six-lane swimming pool, two racquetball courts, a full-size basketball court with an overhead track, and two multi-purpose rooms. Montclair State University's Student Recreation Center hosts 13 intramural sports, a variety of fitness classes, and many special events throughout each year.
Notable alumni
Science and technology
William E. Gordon (1918–2010), physicist and astronomer, known as the "father of the Arecibo Observatory", director of the Arecibo Observatory and later Professor and Dean at Rice University. He earned B.A. and M. A. degrees from Montclair State College in 1939 and 1942 respectively.
Paul J. Lioy (1947–2015), Professor, UMDNJ, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Herman Sokol (1916–1985), co-discoverer of tetracycline and president of Bristol-Myers Company graduated from Montclair State College
Politics and government
Barbara Buono (born 1953), former New Jersey State Senator and former New Jersey Democratic Gubernatorial nominee
Andrew R. Ciesla (born 1953), former member of the New Jersey Senate who represented the 10th Legislative District.
Marion Crecco (1930–2015), member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1986 to 2002
Scott Garrett (born 1959), Congressman who represented New Jersey's 5th congressional district from 2003 to 2016.
Sharpe James (1936–2025), mayor of Newark
Connie Myers (born 1944), politicians who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1996 to 2006, where she represented the 23rd Legislative District.
Joan Voss (born 1940; B.A. 1962 / M.A. 1971), member of the Bergen County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders.
Business and industry
Howie Hubler, Morgan Stanley bond trader whose positions on subprime-mortgage-related securities cost Morgan Stanley $9 billion in 2007.
Janine K. Iannarelli (born 1961), aircraft broker, founder and president an aircraft marketing firm
A. J. Khubani (born 1959), founder, president and CEO of Telebrands Corp.
Arts and entertainment
Jay Alders (class of 1996), fine artist, photographer and graphic designer, best known for his original surf art paintings.
Tobin Bell (born 1942), actor, earned master's degree in environmental education
Jason Biggs (born 1978), actor who briefly attended as an English major
Edna Buchanan (born 1939), reporter and mystery writer.
Kevin Carolan (born 1968, class of 1990), actor and comedian
Lesley Choyce (born 1951), author of novels, non-fiction, children's books, and poetry
Wendy Coakley-Thompson (born 1966, class of 1989), writer, studied broadcasting
Paula Danziger (1944–2004), children's author who wrote more than 30 books, including her 1974 debut young adult novel, The Cat Ate My Gymsuit.
Josh Dela Cruz (born 1989, class of 2011), actor chosen in 2018 to be the host of Blue's Clue & You, a reboot of the Nickelodeon series Blue's Clues.
Warren Farrell (born 1943, class of 1965), author
Fernando Fiore (born 1960), television personality, sportscaster, actor, two-time Emmy award winner
Michele Fitzgerald (born 1990), television personality, winner, Survivor: Kaôh Rōng
Allen Ginsberg (1926–1997), poet; icon of the Beat Generation, briefly attended before transferring to Columbia University
Sports
Kim Barnes Arico (born 1970), head women's basketball coach at the University of Michigan Women's Basketball Halls of Fame; former General Manager and President of the New York Liberty
Carol Blazejowski (born 1956), basketball player and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Anthony Bowens (born 1990), an American professional wrestler, signed to All Elite Wrestling
Marco Capozzoli (born 1988), Arena Football player
Mark Casale (born 1962), football player
Kevin Cooney (born 1950), college baseball coach at Montclair State and Florida Atlantic
Amod Field (born 1967), football player
Mike Fratello (born 1947), NBA head coach, sports commentator
Keith Glauber (born 1972), Major League Baseball player
Larry Hazzard (born 1944), Boxing referee, member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame (graduated with a bachelor of arts degree, 1972)
Fred Hill (born 1959), Rutgers University basketball coach
Sam Mills (1959–2005), NFL linebacker, coach, member of College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame
Others
Dorothy Beecher Baker (1898–1954) Hand of the Cause of the Baháʼí Faith
Olga Grau (born 1945), Chilean writer, professor, philosopher
Eugene T. Maleska (1916–1993, class of 1937), crossword editor at The New York Times
Nelson J. Perez (born 1961), prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who serves as the 10th archbishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Ma Anand Sheela (born 1949), chief assistant for the Indian guru Rajneesh who in 1985 pleaded guilty to attempted murder and assault for her role in the 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack.
Notable faculty
Brenda Miller Cooper (1916–2008), operatic soprano
Grover Furr
Ken Kelsch (1947–2023), cinematographer (also alumni)
Dorothy Priesing (1910-1999), composer