The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is a public university in Ewing Township, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Established in 1855 as the New Jersey State Normal School, TCNJ was the first normal school, or teaching college, in the state of New Jersey and the fifth in the United States. It was originally located in Trenton proper and moved to its present location in adjacent Ewing Township during the early to mid-1930s. Since its inception, TCNJ has undergone several name changes, the most recent being the 1996 change from Trenton State College to its current name.

The institution is organized into seven schools, all of which offer bachelor's degree programs and several of which offer master's degree programs. Emphasis is placed on liberal arts education via the college's general education requirements. Much of TCNJ is built in Georgian colonial revival architecture style on a 289-acre (117 ha) tree-lined campus.

The College of New Jersey was established on February 9, 1855, by an act of the New Jersey Legislature mandating the creation of a state normal school, making the New Jersey State Normal School the first teacher training institution in New Jersey and the ninth in the United States. Prior to this, then-Governor Rodman McCamley Price had actively promoted the notion of founding a training institute for New Jersey's teachers and helped to mobilize support among influential state leaders.

For the first 73 years, the school was located in Trenton on Clinton Avenue. Beginning in 1925, the institution offered its first four-year baccalaureate degrees, and engaged in a transitional program of expansion. In 1928, a suburban tract of 210 acres (85 ha) was purchased in nearby Ewing Township and preparations were underway to relocate the college. The first building erected on the new campus was Green Hall, built in traditional Georgian colonial style. The majority of buildings now on campus reflect Green Hall's architecture. In 1996, in a move spearheaded by its president, Harold Eickhoff, The College of New Jersey adopted its current name.

Programs in the graduate study were instituted in 1947, followed by accreditation from various national associations in the 1950s. The enactment of the Higher Education Act of 1966 paved the way for TCNJ to become a comprehensive institution by expanding its degree programs into a variety of fields aside from the education of teachers. By 1972, 70 percent of entering students were selecting non-education majors.

Names

• 1855 – New Jersey State Normal School
• 1908 – New Jersey State Normal School in Trenton
• 1929 – New Jersey State Teachers College and State Normal School at Trenton
• 1937 – New Jersey State Teachers College at Trenton
• 1958 – Trenton State College
• 1996 – The College of New Jersey

More than 50 liberal arts and professional programs are offered through the college's seven schools: Arts and Communication; Business; Education; Engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; Nursing, Health and Exercise Science; and Science.

The College of New Jersey offers degrees in over 50 liberal arts and professional programs. TCNJ also offers a 7-year combined B.S./M.D. (Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Medicine) program for graduating high school students in conjunction with University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Admission into this program is highly selective.

These programs are organized within seven schools:

• School of the Arts and Communication
• School of Business
• School of Humanities and Social Sciences
• School of Education
• School of Engineering
• School of Nursing, Health and Exercise Science
• School of Science

According to U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 rankings, TCNJ ranked #5 in the Regional Universities North category. U.S. News & World Report also ranked TCNJ #1 in Top Public Schools in the Northeast USA, #2 in Best Colleges for Veterans, #7 in Most Innovative Schools, #6 in Best Undergraduate Teaching, top #100 in the United States in Best Value Schools as well as citations for high ranking engineering and nursing programs. The Princeton Review, in their 2021 ranking, ranked TCNJ #47 for the "Best Value College".

First-year students at TCNJ are either given a room assignment in Travers/Wolfe Tower, Centennial Hall, or any empty rooms in the Allen/Brewster/Ely Complex. Second-year students live in New Residence, Allen Hall, Brewster Hall, Ely Hall, Norsworthy Hall, Eickhoff Hall, Cromwell Hall, and Decker Hall. There are currently plans to construct another building specifically for second-year housing. Upperclassmen typically live in Townhouses South, East or West, or in one of the two apartment complexes; Phelps Hall and Hausdoerffer Hall. Upperclassmen may also live in one of the various College Houses that surround the campus. While 95 percent of first-year students live on campus, only 50 percent of upperclassmen live on campus, instead choosing to live in homes and apartments surrounding the college.

In 2013, groundbreaking began for The Campus Town complex. Consisting of seven buildings — Campus Town Clock Tower, apartments and recreation space — Campus Town was built by PRC Campus Centers LLC on 12 acres of property located on campus and it has 80,000 square feet of commercial space.

The Campus Town complex has space to house 446 juniors and seniors in one-, two- and four-bedroom apartments. Each apartment has a living room/dining area, separate bedrooms, one or two bathrooms depending upon the unit, a full kitchen with a dishwasher and a full-sized washer and dryer.

The Campus Town complex houses an 11,500-square-foot fitness center that replaced the college's 4,000-square-foot gym. The apartments and the fitness center are only open to the students, but the complex's retail stores are open to the public. Barnes & Noble is an anchor tenant, with a 14,000-square-foot store. Other facilities include Panera, Jersey Mike's, a yogurt shop, sushi restaurant, convenience store and brewpub.

In the mid-2000s, TCNJ began to put a more concentrated effort on student entrepreneurship. Administrative resources were put toward counselling and workshops for students. The Mayo Business Plan Competition in April 2012 saw numerous student groups competing for $12,000 to launch their start-up businesses. The school has also held entrepreneurship events for local high school students.

Greek life at TCNJ is governed by the Inter-Greek Council. The Inter-Greek Council recognizes 30 organizations; 16 sororities, 12 fraternities, and 3 coed organizations.

The Brower Student Center (BSC) is the student center on campus; it was named after former president Clayton R. Brower. The BSC was built in 1976. The building is home to all of the student organizations on campus, as well as some dining facilities.

The College of New Jersey is home to the David Sarnoff Museum, formerly located at Princeton Junction. The collection detailing the life of NBC founder David Sarnoff is now located in Roscoe L. West Hall. Various art exhibits can be found in galleries at the Art and IMM building. The exhibits feature the work of student artists, professional artists and local artists. The exhibits are updated regularly.

The Signal has been The College of New Jersey's student-run newspaper since 1855. It has won numerous awards, and has placed first many times in the General Excellence category (the highest category) for collegiate news publications at the New Jersey Press Association awards. The Signal is run almost entirely out of their office located on AIMM's second floor.

TCNJ Magazine is another publication, covering both current campus life and alumni affairs. The Perspective, an openly left-leaning student news booklet, is the school's newest publication having been first published in 2009. The Perspective received funding from the Student Finance Board, but so far has no established publishing schedule (as opposed to other campus publications). On the literary side, The Lion's Eye and The Siren are both student-made magazines filled with poetry, prose and artwork by students. The Seal was TCNJ's yearbook since its first publication in 1911. However, following the 2017 edition, the publication and student organization were discontinued due to low demand and incumbent debt.