William Paterson University, officially William Paterson University of New Jersey , is an American public university located in Wayne, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1855, William Paterson is the second oldest of the nine state colleges and universities in New Jersey. William Paterson offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees through its five academic colleges. During the fall 2016 semester, 9,103 undergraduate students and 1,480 graduate students were enrolled.William Paterson is the sixth largest producer of college graduates in New Jersey. In 2016, the University graduated more than 2,500 students. It is the third most diverse public university in New Jersey and nearly 30 percent of students are the first in their families to attend university.LocationWilliam Paterson University is located on a 370-acre hilly, wooded campus in northern New Jersey in the suburban town of Wayne. The campus borders on High Mountain Preserve as well as the boroughs of Haledon and North Haledon, nearly 1,200acre of wetlands and woodlands, and three miles (5 km) west of the historic Great Falls in Paterson. New York City is 20mi to the east, the Jersey Shore is an hour’s drive south, skiing is 30mi north, and the Meadowlands Sports Complex is a half-hour drive away.HistoryWilliam Paterson University was founded in 1855 as the Paterson City Normal School. For more than a century, training teachers for New Jersey schools was its exclusive mission. In 1951, the University moved to the present campus. Originally known as Ailsa Farms, the site was purchased by the State of New Jersey in 1948 from the family of Garret Hobart, twenty-fourth vice president of the United States.
