Making the decision to attend graduate school is a complicated one. There is much to consider when applying, but fees and tuition tend to carry the most weight in decision-making. The Whit Staff will take a critical look at Rowan’s graduate and doctoral tuition rates in comparison to other major universities in New Jersey. For this editorial, The Whit Staff will compare Rowan’s graduate and doctoral tuition rates to Rutgers, Stockton, and The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). Additionally, The Whit Staff will only be comparing semester hour (s.h.) credits— additional fees are not included.
Rowan University
According to Rowan’s website, under “Glassboro Campus Programs,” the cost per s.h. is $798.90. If a student is taking three classes per semester, tuition would total to $2,396.70 per semester. In comparison, if a student is taking five classes per semester, tuition would total to $3,994.50 per semester. Other programs, like Rowan’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences cost more. Students in this program should expect to pay $902 per credit. The total cost for a master’s from Rowan’s Biomedical Sciences program would cost a New Jersey native $16,236, while costing $20,160 for a non-native. New Jersey native doctoral students of the Biomedical Sciences program will pay $8,854 per year while non-natives will pay $12,688 per year. There are stipends provided for these students. Data results are from the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
Rutgers-New Brunswick
There are several graduate programs that Rutgers-New Brunswick has to offer. For full-time, New Jersey residents, several of the graduate schools cost the same. Programs that cost a total of $14,976.00 (12 credits or more) include Rutgers’ Business school, Rutgers’ master’s of quantitative, RBS Executive (MBA), doctorate of business (administration), Rutgers’ master’s of digital (marketing online), and Rutgers’ master’s in accounting (professional online). These programs will cost the most for a full-time, New Jersey resident. In comparison, Rutgers’ master’s in supply chain management will cost a hefty $16,404.00. Of course, non-New Jerseyans will pay more to receive their master’s degree. For example, non-natives will pay $25,998.00 for a master’s at the Rutgers School of Business. But on the contrary, there are a few programs that cost the same for a native and non-native. One of these programs is the RBS Executive (MBA).
Stockton
Like Rowan and Rutgers-New Brunswick, Stockton’s s.h. is dependent on where a student is from and whether that student is fully online or not. According to Stockton’s website, for a full-time or part-time graduate student who is taking classes in person, the s.h. is $813.00 per credit. Out-of-state graduate students are expected to pay $1,185.00 per s.h. credit. Doctoral students who are native New Jerseyans will pay $881.00 per s.h. while non-natives will pay $1,344.00. According to Stockton’s website, there are fully online options for graduate students only. Students who choose to take this path will pay $703.00 per s.h., regardless of native status.
The College of New Jersey (TCNJ)
TCNJ breaks down its graduate tuition rate into two parts: part-time and full-time. According to their website, a student is part-time if they are taking eight or fewer credits. Students who take nine or more credits are considered full-time. For in-state students, s.h. are $898.18 per credit. If a student who is in-state is taking nine credits, that would be $8,083.62 per semester. TCNJ lists up to 20 credits per semester. Additionally, for students who are out of state, s.h. would remain a flat rate of $898.18 per credit. Tuition for TCNJ’s MBA program and nursing program differ from their graduate rates.
Overall
The Whit Staff believes that students who are interested in applying to graduate or doctoral programs should be aware that tuition fees vary across universities. There is no right or wrong decision; students should pick a school that best suits them.
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