Colleges Build Better Facilities to Compete for Students

According to a recent American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) colleges and universities are building classrooms, dormitories, student centers and athletic centers at faster rates, in hopes of attracting students, who consider first-rate facilities more important than ever.

Montclair State University in New Jersey has spent $144 million since 1999 to more than double the space in its campus buildings, to 3 million square feet from 1.3 million. In January, the university opened a seven-story, $80 million University Hall, which increased classroom space by 40 percent. The university is now building a $28 million recreation center. “I don’t think there’s a lot you can do in higher education these days without state-of-the-art facilities,” said Susan Cole, president of Montclair. To read the entire article, click here.