College of New Jersey (Ewing, N.J.)

• New Jersey State Normal School (Trenton, N.J.)
• State Teachers College and State Normal School at Trenton (N.J.)
• New Jersey State Teachers College at Trenton
• Trenton State College
• TCNJ

• Escolar

The College of New Jersey’s academic tradition reaches back to 1855 when it was established by the state legislature as the New Jersey State Normal School. It was the first teacher training school in the state and the ninth in the nation. Governor Rodman Price, sometimes called the founder of the New Jersey Normal School, promoted the idea of a training institute for New Jersey’s teachers and mobilized support among influential state leaders.

Originally located on Clinton Avenue in Trenton, the Normal School flourished in the latter 1800s, expanding both its academic offerings and physical facilities. In 1925, the first four-year baccalaureate degree program was established. This change marked the beginning of TCNJ’s transition from a normal school to a teachers’ college and was accompanied by a change in physical surroundings. In 1928, a beautiful 210-acre tract of land in Ewing Township was purchased as a new site for the College.

Graduate study was instituted at the College in 1947, and accreditation from various national associations was forthcoming in the 1950s. The enactment of the Higher Education Act of 1966 paved the way for TCNJ to become a multipurpose institution by expanding its degree programs into a variety of fields other than education. By 1972, seventy percent of entering students were selecting non-teaching majors.

In the 1970s, during a period of declining enrollments nationwide that saw other schools lowering standards to attract students, the College made a decision to raise its already high standards. Since that time, the number of applications to the College has increased steadily and it has become one of the most competitive schools of its kind in the nation.

Known for its natural beauty, the college is situated on 289 tree-lined acres in suburban Ewing Township, New Jersey, in close proximity to both New York City and Philadelphia. A strong liberal arts core forms the foundation for a wealth of degree programs offered through the college’s seven schools: Arts and Communication; Business; Education; Engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; Nursing and Health Sciences; and Science. Five signature experiences are the hallmark of a TCNJ education. They include a personalized, collaborative, and rigorous education; undergraduate research, mentored internships, and field experiences; community engaged learning; global engagement; and leadership development.

TCNJ’s longstanding commitment to faculty-student collaboration was recognized in 2015 by the Council on Undergraduate Research, which named the college the recipient of its inaugural “Campus-wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishment.” In 2006, TCNJ was awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter—an honor shared by less than 10 percent of colleges and universities nationally.

The TCNJ Archives and Special Collections are available by appointment only. Please contact Deb Schiff, College Archivist and Special Collections Librarian for more information.

Created on April 10, 2024. Revised on May 8, 2024.

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