William Paterson University is a public university in Wayne, New Jersey, about 20 miles from Manhattan. It is best known for business, nursing, computer science, music, communication and education, with a wooded hilltop campus and some of the lowest tuition in the New York area. Choose it for an affordable public degree near New York City.
Wayne, New Jersey, United States
Official website: wpunj.edu
1855 in Paterson, New Jersey
AACSB-accredited
A long-established jazz studies programme
Around 9,000 students
$20,000 – $26,000
International students, non-resident undergraduate and master's rates
$16,000 – $20,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on wpunj.edu before you apply.
MS Data Science
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Sep, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 79
MBA
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Sep, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 79
MS Accounting
Masters DegreeDuration
12 Months
Intake
Sep, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 79
BS Computer Science
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Sep, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 70
BS Nursing
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 79
Jazz studies — a well-known programme with a long-running jazz room series.
Cotsakos College of Business — AACSB-accredited with a sales and financial trading lab.
Hilltop campus with woodland, a waterfall and New York skyline views.
Graduates join Prudential, BD, Johnson & Johnson and New York and New Jersey employers.
STEM master's graduates can work in the US for up to three years on OPT.
Nursing graduates enter hospitals across northern New Jersey.
Undergrad
Rolling
Postgrad
Rolling
Undergrad
Rolling
Postgrad
Rolling
The 370-acre campus sits on a wooded hill in Wayne with residence halls, the library and academic buildings close together.
Wayne is a suburb with moderate rent by New York standards, and Manhattan is about 45 minutes away by bus or car.
Form I-20 issued by William Paterson
Proof of funds for one academic year
SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt
Completed DS-160 online application
US embassy or consulate interview
Passport valid six months beyond stay
William Paterson reviews applications on a rolling basis. International applicants should apply by 1 June 2027 for fall and by 1 November 2026 for spring to leave time for the I-20 and visa.
Undergraduates can start in fall (September) or spring (January), though nursing admits mainly in the fall. Data science, the MBA and accounting master's admit for both terms.
You need an F-1 student visa. The international admissions office issues your Form I-20 after you accept the offer and submit proof of funding. Then pay the SEVIS fee, complete the DS-160 and attend a visa interview.
Data science, the MBA, accounting, computer science and nursing attract the most international applicants. Graduate admission needs a bachelor's degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 and TOEFL 79 or IELTS 6.5.
Yes. International undergraduates can receive merit scholarships based on their grades, and graduate students can apply for assistantships. Check the financial aid pages for current amounts.
