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The basics:

• Monmouth University president touts college’s contributions to the county
• Says ‘public purpose is to be a force for positive economic, social, and cultural development‘
• School generates nearly $400M annual impact
• University supports research, health care and business growth

Monmouth County‘s advantages are well documented — its demographics, its proximity to major markets, its cultural vitality. One major advantage that may be underappreciated is this: Nestled among its beaches, its suburban neighborhoods, and its thriving downtowns sits a National University – Monmouth University.

Monmouth University was founded here in 1933, in the depths of the Great Depression, because this region needed expanded educational opportunity. From our beginnings as a junior college offering night classes, we have grown into a comprehensive university with national reach. This year – for the first time – we will be recognized as a National University, a U.S. News & World Report designation reserved for institutions with an expanding reach; a growing research enterprise; and a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. The designation reflects what our community has believed for some time: that steady, intentional investment in academic excellence and student access, sustained across generations, eventually changes what an institution is.

And this expanded institution can similarly expand what it offers the region around it. Since our founding, we have always thought of ourselves as a private institution with a public purpose. That public purpose is to be a force for positive economic, social, and cultural development in our host community.

Economic

Today, with more than 1,200 full- and part-time employees, we are among the top 10 employers in Monmouth County. Just by being located here, we estimate our annual economic impact at almost $400 million. Our students intern at companies throughout the region. Our graduates stay, put down roots, and build careers here. Our faculty consult, advise local governments, and produce scholarship that informs public policy and private decision-making. Our staff serves their individual communities throughout the county in countless ways.

In 2025, Monmouth earned Carnegie Research College & University status — placing us among the top 14% of American institutions for research activity, and among only four private universities in New Jersey to hold that distinction. Our centers and institutes of distinction translate that research capacity into real-world impact. The Kislak Real Estate Institute trains the professionals who will develop, appraise, and finance the next generation of properties in this region. The Urban Coast Institute has spent 20 years producing the science and policy frameworks that inform coastal resilience decisions for every property owner, insurer, and developer with an asset near New Jersey’s shoreline. And, the Center for Entrepreneurship incubates early-stage ventures from students and community members alike, connecting aspiring founders to mentorship, capital, and a regional network of industry leaders.

Social

Over the years Monmouth University has taken its commitment to the region to heart. We have developed the academic programs that serve the social needs of our community in our continuing quest to elevate the community around us. Our School of Nursing and Health Studies produces competent and caring professionals to serve the healthcare needs of our community. Our School of Social Work develops professionals who work in schools, hospitals, and community centers, aiding community members when they need support the most. And our School of Education trains teachers for placement throughout the county, helping to keep New Jersey ranked No. 1 in the nation for education, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best States rankings. As part of their education, these students must complete clinical placements and volunteer assignments, sending legions of students into our community to serve it as part of their training. Most of these professionals come from our community, are trained here, know this region, and are already embedded in the institutions and communities they serve.

Cultural

Our commitment to the cultural vitality of Monmouth County is equally striking. Today, we host arts and cultural events each year for the community through our Center for the Arts and our two art galleries. Over 100 Division I athletic contests are hosted on campus annually, pitting Monmouth against some of the finest schools up and down the East Coast. Our collaborative partnerships with the Two River Theater and the Count Basie Theater expand our cultural offerings with these amazing community assets. This June, Monmouth University opens the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music, a 30,000-square-foot facility funded entirely through philanthropic support, designed to serve as a global hub for American music scholarship and public engagement. It will draw scholars, students, artists, and visitors from around the world for decades to come. It is the kind of cultural anchor that most counties never acquire — and it will be here, in Monmouth County, steps from the beach towns, like Asbury Park, where so much of that music was born.

And, like the rest of Monmouth County, we anxiously await the arrival of Netflix, which is building one of the largest television and film production studios in the nation, just 3 miles from our campus. The opportunities for even more cultural collaboration will skyrocket, including the numerous times that Netflix and other entertainment companies use our beautiful and historic campus for film shoots.

For a business leader evaluating where to locate, expand, or invest, proximity to a research university matters in ways that don’t always appear in a site-selection spreadsheet. It means access to applied research partnerships. It means a reliable pipeline of prepared graduates who already know the region and are inclined to stay in it. It means access to cultural and sporting events that make our area not just a place where people want to work, but a place where people want to live.

Monmouth University is not simply located in Monmouth County. We are proudly part of its economic, social, and cultural infrastructure. We look forward to welcoming you to our special part of the world.

Patrick F. Leahy, Ed.D., is the president of Monmouth University.