Stockton University has long held a mission grounded in access: nearly half of its undergraduates receive Pell Grants, and the institution serves a significant number of first-generation college students who are navigating higher education without family precedent. Housing, for many of these students, isn’t merely a matter of dorm choice; it is foundational to their ability to engage, persist, and succeed. Recent signals suggest that Stockton’s residential capacity may be under pressure, and while the university is actively responding, the challenge warrants closer attention from a retention-and-equity lens.

In Fall 2024, Stockton reported a total of 8,631 students between its Galloway and Atlantic City campuses, with 7,538 of students being undergraduate and 1,043 being graduate. The university also reported that “more than 3,000 students reside in university housing, including in the apartment complexes, residence halls and affiliated properties” (The Office of Institutional Research, 2024).

On the housing side: Stockton’s Housing 1 facility has a capacity of 1,068 beds. Housing 2 has capacity for 545 students; Housing 3 holds 345 students. Housing 4 has capacity for 242 students, and Housing 5 offers 388 beds. The Atlantic City campus lists 416 student beds in the Parkview Hall complex and 533 in Kesselman Hall. Taken together, these numbers point toward a finite housing inventory that can only accommodate 3,537.

Retention is critical to Stockton’s mission. Among first-time, full-time undergraduates, “Stockton’s third-semester retention rate […] fell from a high of 87% in Fall 2016 to 78% in Fall 2023”, according to the FY 2026 budget response (Higher Educational Services Stockton University, 2025). A recent profile shows that Stockton’s full-time retention rate was approximately 77% as of 2023 (Data U.S.A., n.d.). While many factors influence retention—academic preparation, finances, student support—the housing environment is one of the less-visible yet tangible elements that shape where and how students live, study, and engage.

For students who are the first in their families to attend college, and those coming from low-income backgrounds, housing represents more than a place to sleep. It offers a stable base from which to access to campus resources, participate in peer networks, and reduce commute-time burdens. Incommutable housing or late assignments may hamper involvement in tutoring, study sessions, employee positions on campus, and informal peer networks; all of which show up in retention research as meaningful predictors of success.

One sophomore in Stockton’s First-Generation Ospreys club, who requested anonymity, described the lived reality:

“When you’re the first in your family to go to college, every little thing feels like an obstacle […] housing shouldn’t be one of them. I couldn’t afford the on-campus options that were left, so now I’m living forty minutes away […] and working two jobs just to stay close enough to class. Stockton talks a lot about community, and I really believe in that. But it’s hard to feel part of it when you’re not actually here.”

For this student and many others, housing has become a barrier to belonging, rather than a bridge. While Stockton has taken concrete steps to expand housing, the gap between what is available and what is needed–particularly for students with fewer resources or less pre-existing social networks–remains.

Stockton is aware of the challenge. The Atlantic City campus residential expansion added 416 beds and is part of a public-private partnership aimed at meeting growing demand (Fry, 2023). According to The Office of Institutional Research (2024), Herbst Pell Grants to undergraduates were awarded to 3,587, totaling $18.7 million. This suggests a significant, low-income student population whose housing needs merit priority. For many of these students, on-campus housing is a financial lifeline that allows them to remain enrolled without taking on additional debt or unreliable off-campus leases.

But, the challenge is not unique to Stockton. Universities across the country report rising demand for on-campus housing, increased construction costs, labor and supply-chain pressures, and regional housing market limits. The Atlantic City Campus Expansion Feasibility Assessment (2024) indicates constrained multifamily housing in Atlantic City and the surrounding region near Stockton’s second campus: only 7.5% of multifamily properties within 15 minutes of the Atlantic City campus were built since 2010. That being said, Stockton cannot simply rely on off-campus housing as an affordable back-up for students.

Rather than treating housing as a crisis to manage, Stockton has the chance to approach it as an opportunity to lead with foresight. Expanding access to campus housing can take many forms beyond simply building new residence halls. One approach might involve revisiting how housing assignments are prioritized. Current policies that favor full roommate groups make sense administratively, but they can unintentionally disadvantage first-generation or transfer students who apply individually. Offering early selection windows or designated spaces for Pell-eligible and first-generation students could create a fairer process while aligning directly with Stockton’s equity goals.

Flexibility is another key area. Many Stockton students balance work, family, and academics, so more adaptable leasing options—such as semester-to-semester contracts or mid-year assignments—could help students stay closer to campus even when life circumstances shift. Likewise, partnerships with nearby housing developers and community organizations could open doors to affordable, mixed-income apartments within commuting distance, supported by university shuttles or transit discounts.

Transparency will also matter moving forward. Publishing clear data each year on housing capacity, and student commuting distances would help both administrators and students understand the scope of demand and identify where pressure points exist. That information could then feed directly into Stockton’s retention strategy. After all, the link between stable housing and student success is well documented, and with the university’s third-semester retention rate declining from 87% to 78%, examining housing access as a part of that question could lead to meaningful gains. Together, these steps signal not just a response to housing strain, but a reaffirmation of Stockton’s core promise: that every student, regardless of background or income, deserves a fair shot at belonging.

Stockton University’s mission to serve first-generation and Pell-eligible students is deeply tied to access and affordability. Housing is more than an amenity; it is part of the ecosystem that enables students to learn, connect, stay, and graduate. While Stockton has made commendable investments and is inarguably aware of the challenge, the data suggest that supply is finite and demand is growing. By shifting the narrative from shortage-only to one of strategic expansion, prioritization, and transparency, Stockton can more fully align its housing infrastructure with its equity goals. In doing so, the university helps ensure that students of all socio-economic backgrounds have not just a place to attend, but a place to belong.

References:

Atlantic City Campus Expansion Feasibility Assessment. (2024, July). Stockton University.

Data U.S.A. (n.d.). Stockton University.

Fry, C. (2023, May 15). Stockton University Opens New Residence Hall in Atlantic City. Jersey Digs.

Higher Educational Services Stockton University. (2025). Discussion Points. New Jersey Legislature.

The Office of Institutional Research. (2024). 2024 Institutional Profile. Stockton University.