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After officially launching its School of Nursing this past fall, William Paterson University is celebrating a significant milestone.

According to the school, it now boasts the largest nursing student enrollment in North Jersey. Additionally, it has the largest number of learners in the field among public regional universities in New Jersey and on any single campus in the state.

Nursing enrollment totals more than 1,800 students across bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, according to WPU.

Since 2019, the school said undergraduate nursing enrollment has more than doubled to its current 972 figured. Meanwhile, graduate numbers quadrupled to 841 students.

And that growing student body is diverse. WPU said that more than 60% of its nursing students are people of color.

The enrollment announcement follows a recent partnership between WPU and Atlantic Health System.

“Our growth perfectly aligns with our new collaboration with the Atlantic Health System to improve access to high-quality health profession education and health services in the region,” WPU President Richard Helldobler said in a statement. “William Paterson has become a powerhouse for allied health in New Jersey, and our role is more important than ever in meeting the demands of the state’s complex health care environment.”

Next gen nurses

While WPU has been educating health care workers for nearly six decades, its School of Nursing program just launched in September.

Between 2019 and 2022, the university said nearly 550 new nurses graduated from its programs. More than 200 nursing professionals have also continued their education at WPU, earning advanced degrees and certifications.

According to School of Nursing Associate Dean Minerva Salinas Guttman, the growth “demonstrates that we are providing our nursing students with the critical academic and clinical skills they need to succeed.”

William Paterson offers campus-based programs for nursing as well as a fully online undergraduate RN to BSN course and 12 fully online master’s degree and certificate programs. The university’s nursing education facilities include six patient simulation laboratories, as part of the Nel Bolger, RN laboratories, with control and debriefing rooms to provide enhanced clinical training. Additionally, there are three state-of-the-art nursing basic skills labs.

The program is affiliated with more than 50 cooperating agencies in North Jersey region, including major hospital and medical centers, public health agencies, clinics, and nursing homes.

WPU’s regular student body is seeing successful growth, as well. This past fall the school reported an 8.5% increase in enrollment for the Class of 2027.