My twin D’s were accepted into both Binghamton and TCNJ’s Accounting program. We reside in NJ. Any feedback on accounting program? There is a 7K price difference x2 children = 14K difference for the 1st year. Thxs
Rest assured TCNJ"s accounting program is one of the best in the nation. It is ranked #20 in the entire country.
Bing is ranked #49. http://www.accounting.com/rankings/best-bachelors-in-accounting-programs/
TCNJ business school is very very good and selective. Small campus , small classes and lots of personal attention like a small new England style school. Very competitive academics , is one of 75 most competitive schools as per Barrons. Good luck. Plus really good ties to industry.
Thank you for your quick response stones3 and the helpful link!
So that’s 14k for four years? Both are good options but for that price difference I’d go with TCNJ.
@stones3 that accounting.com website is not legit. Essentially it is a job board they are making money off of.
Their “ranking” is sort of kind of taking “ranked” schools with an accounting program and dropping them on a list.
For the OP do your kids want to get a job at a major firm out of school? In what market? See from what colleges those firms hire the most from. Bet you will be surprised with the results
Both have solid accounting programs but if you are a jersey resident TCNJ is just a better option. Plus the campus at TCNJ is nicer imo and socially it would be a better fit for an jersey resident. A lot of people like the smaller class sizes. Plus it’s cheaper.
ClarinetDad- with all due respect the ranking is an industry standard. You don’t seem to have a problem with the other 19 schools mentioned ahead. Further, TCNJ has direct ties to the big 4 accounting firms . They regularly are on campus and often interact with students in many capacities. Heck EY has directly sponsored and has the accounting lab named after them ! http://news.tcnj.edu/2014/02/20/ey-audit-lab-opens-at-school-of-business/
@Clarinet & @stones3 - Have either of you looked at the methodology behind the Accounting.Com rankings? The list is generated based on only 4 metrics. In fact, to be included on the list, a school only has to supply data for 2 of these: Acceptance Rate, Enrollment Rate, Retention Rate, and Graduation Rate. The rationale is that the lower the acceptance rate and the higher the rate of the other 3 metrics, the better the school. However, this is not only relative in the case of acceptance rate but only infers a high quality education based on the rates of students who accept admission and remain to graduation. So, for instance, a state school that may simply represent the most economical best game in town will receive a lot of applicants, lowering its acceptance rate. Those accepted to the best game in town will of course accept, raising the acceptance rate. Those who remain inclined to prioritize economics or other factors besides pure academics will remain, thereby increasing retention and, presumably will graduate. Of course these numbers are also all over the place. With so many schools in the US, despite what we may read about Stanford’s acceptance rate, the national average is about 55%. So schools like TCNJ and SUNY Binghamton, with acceptance rates hovering around 45-50% are considered “highly competitive.” Ironically, it appears that Binghamton lost out in the ratings a bit for supplying too much data. If the school had stuck solely to acceptance rate and enrollment rate, both of which are substantially lower/higher than TCNJ, the rankings might have looked quite different.
I’m sure you see that it is in fact all relative per each school being that the other 19 schools certainly don’t seem out of the ordinary I am not sure why you continue to infer TCNJ is. Fact is its a very very good school , top 75 as per recent money mag ranking , #3 overall usnews for north regional university(as its not as big as Bing or others yet beats out almost all other privates in cat.) Its got a top 20 accounting program and top biz program as per Bloomberg rankings, on and on. Given that its also the instate option it obviously makes great financial sense(which shouldn’t be held against it). Fact is both are good schools, just TCNJ is a bit stronger in accounting which is what the op is asking.
Frankly if such a large portion of TCNJ weren’t in Education then the average salaries from the school would be much higher and it would most definitely rank even higher on all these list. Having said that , both are excellent under appreciate schools.
You take this discussion way too personally, Stones. No one is ‘targeting’ TCNJ. The topic of this thread is the relative merits of TCNJ and SUNY Binghamton. All I am pointing out is that the metrics of the ranking survey to which you directed us are only loosely determinative of quality of school. This is true for EVERY school on the list, not just for TCNJ. This said, I have found no survey that ranks Binghamton ahead of TCNJ for accounting and, to the OP’s main point, therefore do not see the value in the additional $14k annually. This opinion relates solely to the narrow choice of an accounting program, having nothing to do with other criteria usually in play when choosing a college.
Thank you all for your feedback. It is much appreciated 
One matter of importance is a Hillel on campus. I understand Binghamton has a larger group than TCNJ. Any experience out there with Hillel for both schools??? Really confused…Thanks.
breaking news-
TCNJ biz school today was ranked#35 in the entire country 2016 by businessweek/Bloomberg that’s up from #63 in 2014!
@4green4 - You have an added an interesting wrinkle regarding an active Hillel. While both TCNJ and Binghamton offer an on-campus Hillel, there is really no comparison as far as active Jewish life. Binghamton is one of the top 60 schools for Jewish life in the U.S. with a more than 25% Jewish undergraduate population. The Jewish population at TCNJ is less than 10%. While it is all well and good and can, when taken in moderation, be useful to filter schools by “rank”, these metrics often do not take into account the breadth of experiences many of us seek for our college-bound children. TCNJ’s student body is composed of nearly 95% in-state New Jersey. While this may be great from an economic point of view, it hardly provides a great national, let alone worldly perspective. In addition, more than 40% of TCNJ students commute. Our niece started at TCNJ last fall in accounting. Her classes were fine, the campus was ok, but she said that the campus emptied out on the weekends with so many commuters off campus, she found herself lonely. No one can make the financial decision for you. With twins (I feel your pain!), Binghamton may cost upwards of $15-20k more per year. Just responding to your new question and perhaps broadening the criteria, beyond rankings in any narrow area, to clarify. Good luck!
Oh yeah, I cannot even begin to stress what it’s like to be a Jewish student at Binghamton (it’s awesome). Jewish life is extremely vibrant and active. Every week there are huge shabbat dinners with hundreds of people. There are a plethora of Jewish clubs and organizations (shoutout to Challah for Hunger), kosher food, holiday parties, it’s easy to take off class when necessary, and there’s honestly just something to be said for being on a campus that is loudly Jewish and pro-Israel.
obviously Bing has the larger population, it goes without saying. Mainly due to the fact that the campus enrolls nearly double the amount of students. It is not as intimate as TCNJ which also goes to average class size as well. Another statement made here is completely false, regarding commuters and the campus “emptying out” on weekends. My child is a current student and nothing could be further from the truth. In fact they have been opening up new dorms at a frantic rate to provide even more housing/ and they are completely FULL and demand for more is high. The school has literally hundreds of clubs and activities taking place constantly. While the Hillel chapter is not as large as a big university it is intimate. Personally I can tell you that an individual effort was made to reach out to our child. So this is a subject I am familiar with.
Rest assured TCNJ is a well respected FULL time institution with a top ranked #35 b-school (btw #20 in the country accounting department). I suggest you visit on a weekend and see for yourself, including the Hillel. Also with the brand new campus town addition just getting its retail operations going, the new STEM facilities, new dorms, newly renovated student union the school looks great.
good luck both are very good institutions.
@stones3 - Once again you almost seem to take these posts personally. It is not about the size of the school. Much as you like to cite statistics ad nauseam regarding TCNJ’s prowess as an undergraduate business school, the statistics regarding Jewish population are what they are. There is no comparison between the schools when it comes to a vibrant Jewish life. Characterizing TCNJ as “intimate” does not render it vibrant. Personally, I think @rebeccar 's post comes across loud and clear on this. As for the school emptying out, this is, in the first place, the observation of a student who spent the past year at TCNJ. Very happy your child has had a different experience, but this is not a true or false dichotomy. This is the way our niece perceived things. The statistics, however, are clear. More than 40% of TCNJ students live off campus. While there are many legitimate reasons for this (most of which have nothing to do with the availability of housing), it most certainly supports a personal perception that the campus “empties out” on weekends. More than 40% of the undergraduate population are going home! Since we are also on the subject of perception, I think it important to reiterate that, whatever its rank may be in any particular subject area, TCNJ affords one of the narrowest college social experiences in the country. With an undergraduate population of close to 95% in-state, TCNJ rivals Kean College (98%), NJCU (99%), NJIT (95%), and NJCU (99%), to name a few with comparable in-state populations.
BrooklynRye@ I take non of this personally. Why would anyone? I just have a thing about providing accurate data about the school I have first hand knowledge of. I am curious where that 40% number is coming from, perhaps you could site a source. And of that 40% how many are students that choose to live off campus housing. Off campus is a lot different than being a commuter, I know for a fact many older students rent nearby just like what happens at other schools, that doesn’t mean less activity on campus or some lack of vibrancy. Did you know that TCNJ was also voted one of the most happy campuses in America/ and most polite? It also has a extremely high freshman retention rate I believe of 94%.
Your Niece may have had a different experience, but from ours and our contact with many many students there ,what I have described is really the norm. Again, I strongly suggest a visit if in doubt and a visit to the hillel.
And I almost forgot 97% of freshman live on campus.
@stones3 - I have seen the 40% figure in several publications, most notably in US News & World Report where TCNJ is listed as #3 in the North Region. I believe the 40% figure is totally off-campus, as the 60% figure covers all college-owned, operated, and affiliated housing. D1 is at UVA where off-campus, as opposed to commuting, is very prevalent, so I understand the difference. Honestly, Stones, I am very leery of statistics and rankings. For me, as I am certain it is for you, it is about my kid first, whether the school offers what he/she needs, including a future career; whether he/she will be happy there, and my comfort with their safety and well being. There are as many choices derived from these criteria as their are parents and kids. But these exchanges are very healthy. For instance, I am very curious as to your child’s experiences at VCU, a school at which we looked really closely. Although I find the in-state population a bit insular, your posts about NJ state schools is definitely food for thought. Thank you for sharing!
BrooklynRye@As for TCNJ -can’t say enough good things about this school. Mind you I was dead set against it as S turned down several much more prestigious programs . But couldn’t be happier and his performance has been stellar.
where will your D be going? After considering all options and the fact that she ultimately wants to be in the creative business end of things, she felt VCU really offered her the most upside potential. Good luck to yours.
@stones3 - D2 chose RISD. Came down to Pratt & RISD. She got into all of the other top art schools in the NE including MICA, MassArt, Tyler, VCU, RIT, and SVA, but in the end, RISD was the choice for many reasons. D2 is a twin. S1 will be attending Columbia in the Fall. With D1 at UVA, this gives us 3 in undergrad for the next 4 years. Pray for us, Stones…lol