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Montclair State University

Website:

www.montclair.edu/
Type:

Public research university
President:

Jonathan Koppell

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Montclair State University is a public research university in Montclair, New Jersey. It is a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution with a student body of 19,048 as of March 2026, of whom 41.93 percent identify as Hispanic and 13.54 identify as Black.  1  2 2  In fiscal year 2024, the university spent $43,798,000 on research, with the federal government contributing $7,489,000. 3

Montclair State University’s policies on campus speech have drawn criticism and lawsuits. In September 2021, the university settled a lawsuit filed against it by Young Americans for Liberty, which forced the university to eliminate some restrictions against campus speech and pay the group’s legal fees. 4 In 2024, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) wrote to the university in opposition to the university’s policies limiting outdoor speech to a “free speech zone.” 5

During the Gaza War, the campus had weekly anti-Israel protests that critics alleged were antisemitic. In November 2024, the university’s Muslim Student Association featured Ismail Hamdi, who has praised late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh as a “great leader” and a martyr. 6

History

Montclair State University was founded in 1908 as the New Jersey State Normal School. In 1910, the university graduated its first class with only 45 students. 1 The school focused primarily on educating future teachers. In 1927, the school was renamed Montclair State Teachers College and offered a four-year teaching degree. 1

In 1932, the college offered its first Master’s degrees. The college saw a spike in enrollment after the end of World War II as returning soldiers took advantage of their GI Bill benefits. 1

In 1952, the nation’s first educational television programs were broadcast from the Montclair State campus. The broadcasts reached New Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut. 1

In 1958, the college was renamed to Montclair State College. In 1966, the college admitted its first liberal arts students. In 1994, Montclair State College became Montclair State University. In 1998, Montclair State University offered its first doctoral degree program in pedagogy. 1

In 2009, Forbes magazine named the university “the best public university in New Jersey.” In 2014, the university became the first public university in New Jersey to offer an “SAT/ACT optional” policy for undergraduate admissions. 1

In 2016, the U.S. Department of Education recognized Montclair State University as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education also recognized the university as a research doctoral university. In 2017, the State of New Jersey designated the university as a public research university. 1

In 2020, Montclair State University went to all online classes in the spring semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The university’s fall semester featured both online and in person classes, and some classes were a hybrid of the two. 1

In 2023, Montclair State University merged with Bloomfield College, New Jersey’s only four-year predominantly Black education institution. This was the first merger between a public and a private college in New Jersey. 1

Campus Protests

Ukraine War

In April 2022, Montclair State University hosted a rally led by associate professor Jefferson Gatrall, the coordinator of the Russian program, which condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The rally featured support from students, faculty, staff, and their families. 7

Israel-Hamas War

Pro- and anti-Israel protests began at Montclair State University soon after the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. The university’s Hillel International chapter held a vigil on October 9, 2023 to remember the lives lost in the attack. Around 30 people attended the vigil. On October 12, 2023, the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine hosted a rally on campus with the chants, “Biden, Biden you will see, Palestine will be free. Free free Palestine. Long live Palestine. Palestine will never die. Free, Free Palestine. Free, Free Palestine.” 8

In November 2023, the pro-Israel group and antisemitism watchdog StandWithUs urged Montclair State University to suspend the university’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter for violating the university’s expressive activity policy after the group marched and chanted through campus during the group’s National Day of Action. The group urged students to shut down the university on behalf of Palestine. The letter to the university also featured complaints from Jewish students that they felt besieged, claiming, “It’s getting harder and harder to be a Jew on campus,” and “We are tired. There is no excuse for hatred.” 9

In March 2024, Montclair State University president Jonathan Koppell canceled the university’s approval of the “Palestine Lives” fundraising event for victims of the Gaza War. The event was originally proposed by the university’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, but was later taken over by New Jersey Students for Justice in Palestine, which described its mission as “eliminate Zionism on our campuses and in our communities.” The university canceled the event claiming, “Allowing such an organization to enjoy the privilege of using University resources – even for purposes that are positive – would not only contradict our stated purpose, it would lead other members of our community to question the institution’s commitment to their safety, their inclusion.” 10

By November 2024, the campus had weekly pro-Palestinian demonstrations, some of which critics argued had turned antisemitic, held by the Muslim Student Association for Palestine (MSU4Palestine), which was not a recognized university group but is led by Fawzia Afzal-Khan, an English professor. The regional Hillel chapter accused MSU4Palestine of spreading disinformation about the Gaza War. Also in November 2024, the university’s MSU group hosted Sheik Ismail Hamdi, who has praised the late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh as a “great leader” and as a martyr, for an event ostensibly to benefit Islamic Relief. 6

Speech Policies

In September 2021, Montclair State University settled a lawsuit filed against it by Young Americans for Liberty. The university agreed to scrap its two-week advanced permission requirement for campus protests and pay $42,000 in damages and fees to YAL. YAL sued the university after three of its members protested gun-free zones, and they were told to stop protesting by a university police officer. 4

In November 2023, Montclair State University decided to confine all protests to a small section of campus known as the Amphitheater. In September 2024, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) wrote a letter to the university claiming this policy infringes upon the First Amendment rights of students and faculty. In October 2024, the university codified the “free speech zone” and required pre-approval for all expressive activities on campus. FIRE wrote another letter in November 2024 urging the university to change what it called its problematic policies. 5

Immigration Protest

In March 2026, MSU4Palestine and the Coalition for Social Justice and Equity led a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The protesters walked around campus chanting and playing drums. The protesters also attacked the university for its refusal to oppose ICE and urged the university to alert students when ICE is on campus and bar them from stepping foot on campus. 11

Critical Race Theory and DEI

According to Critical Race Training in Education, as of February 2026, Montclair State University featured numerous diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs that featured the far-left concept of critical race theory. 12

Among the university’s admission policies, according to its 2025 Strategic Plan, was to “continue to refine the University’s student recruitment practices to attract and recruit applicants that are fully reflective of the diversity of New Jersey, including under-served socio-economic students [and] all racial and ethnic groups.” 12

In Spring 2024, the university’s Office for Social Justice and Diversity featured numerous workshops and trainings. 12

In September 2020, then university president Susan Cole said, “The College of Humanities and Social Science Dean’s Office and the College Working Group on Equity and Inclusion prepared for the fall semester by reminding the College of the commitment to social justice at the core of their mission, and asking every instructor to take one week this fall and dedicate it to focusing on Black Lives Matter, as related to the specific discipline. To assist with the implementation of this idea, the Working Group provided a highly accessible syllabus to members of the faculty.” 12

The university also featured a website that defined terms related to DEI as a resource to teachers. 12

Leadership

Jonathan Koppell has served as the president of Montclair State University since 2021. He was previously a dean at Arizona State University. 13

The university is governed by a 16-person board of trustees, which includes two student representatives. 14

Finances

In fiscal year 2025, Montclair State University’s revenues totaled around $657,227,000, with student tuition and fees funding the largest portion of it. The university received around $136,705,000 in appropriations from the state of New Jersey. The university received around $119,794,000 in grants and contracts. 15

In the 2025 to 2026 academic year, Montclair State University’s in-state tuition was $15,678 a year. 2

References

  1. “Timeline.” Montclair State University. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.montclair.edu/about-montclair/timeline/.
  2. “Montclair State University.” The Princeton Review College Rankings & Reviews. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.princetonreview.com/college/montclair-state-university-1023889.
  3. “Montclair State University Annual Institutional Profile Report.” New Jersey Board of Education. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.nj.gov/highereducation/IP/IP2025/pdf/Montclair25.pdf.
  4. Olivacce, Lynise. “Montclair State Revises Policies after Facing Lawsuit over Protest Regulations.” The Montclarion, September 30, 2021. https://themontclarion.org/news/montclair-state-revises-policies-after-facing-lawsuit-over-protest-regulations/.
  5. “Montclair State University: Speech Restrained to Free Speech Zone.” The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.fire.org/cases/montclair-state-university-speech-restrained-free-speech-zone.
  6. Rubin, Debra. “Montclair State Students Grapple with Weekly Anti-Israel Protests.” The Jewish Link, November 7, 2024. https://jewishlink.news/montclair-state-students-grapple-with-weekly-anti-israel-protests/.
  7. “Campus Shows Support for Ukraine .” Montclair State University, April 20, 2022. https://www.montclair.edu/newscenter/2022/04/20/campus-shows-support-for-ukraine/.
  8. “Montclair State University Students Call for Justice amid Israel-Hamas War.” The Montclarion, November 3, 2023. https://themontclarion.org/news/montclair-state-university-students-call-for-justice-amid-israel-hamas-war-3/.
  9. Holt, Faygie. “Standwithus Calls on Montclair State University to Suspend SJP Chapter.” StandWithUs, November 30, 2023. https://standwithus.com/news/standwithus-calls-on-montclair-state-university-to-suspend-sjp-chapter/.
  10. “Prioritizing Campus Safety and Mutual Respect.” Office of the President , March 7, 2024. https://www.montclair.edu/president/2024/03/07/message-from-the-president-2/.
  11. Ramirez, Emily. “Montclair State Students Rally in Protest of Ice.” The Montclarion, March 5, 2026. https://themontclarion.org/news/montclair-state-students-rally-in-protest-of-ice/.
  12. “Montclair State University.” Critical Race Training in Education, February 16, 2026. https://criticalrace.org/schools/montclair-state-university/.
  13. “Jonathan GS Koppell Biography.” – Office Of The President – Montclair State University. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.montclair.edu/president/jonathan-g-s-koppell-biography/.
  14. “Board of Trustees.” Montclair State University. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.montclair.edu/board-of-trustees/.
  15. “2025 Fiscal Year.” Montclair State University. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.montclair.edu/finance-and-treasury/wp-content/uploads/sites/158/2025/12/Montclair-State-University-FY25-FS-FINAL.pdf.
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