Fairleigh Dickinson University

Key Highlights

• MSCHE identifies 1000 River Road in Teaneck as FDU's accredited main campus.
• FDU is a private nonprofit, nonsectarian university founded in 1942.
• The university's Middle States accreditation was reaffirmed in 2025.
• FDU reports that Metropolitan attracts students from 63 countries.

Student Life & Environment

Metropolitan combines residential life with infrastructure designed for commuters. FDU says nearly 1,000 students live in its residence halls. Current housing choices include the Linden residence halls, University Court townhouses, and Northpointe. Freshmen generally live in the Lindens, subject to designated scholar and themed-community exceptions, while University Court serves upper-level and graduate students as well as selected first-year communities. Northpointe uses a corridor-style layout with predominantly double rooms and private bathrooms. The Greg Olsen Student Union is a central gathering point. It contains Student Life, Student Wellness Services, the main dining hall, an information desk, and the Knight Club game room. WFDU-FM broadcasts from the campus and offers students practical broadcasting experience. FDU also organizes campus programs and trips around the New York and New Jersey region. Commuters have a lounge near the North Lot with seating, lockers, vending machines, and Wi-Fi. The campus also has a Commuter Council, and student groups commonly schedule activities with commuting patterns in mind. Public buses serve the campus. Residential applicants should compare hall layouts and contract terms carefully, while commuters should factor travel time, parking, meals, and evening-event schedules into their decision.

Location & Surroundings

The Metropolitan Campus occupies 1000 River Road in Teaneck and extends across the Hackensack River into Hackensack, New Jersey. It offers a suburban setting within the wider New York metropolitan area rather than a dense urban-campus experience. The river runs through the campus, while nearby neighborhoods include homes, shops, restaurants, parks, malls, community organizations, and professional offices. Access to New York City broadens options for cultural activities, internships, and professional exploration, but students should not interpret proximity as being located in Manhattan. Travel time and convenience depend on the destination, traffic, and transit connections. Public bus service comes directly to campus, and FDU provides parking near its commuter facilities. The setting may suit students who want access to the employment and cultural resources of northern New Jersey and New York while studying in a quieter environment. Prospective commuters should test their actual route at the times they expect to attend classes. Residential students should consider how frequently they expect to travel off campus and include regional transportation costs in their budget.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For 2026–27, FDU's official Metropolitan Campus budget lists $38,600 in undergraduate tuition for 12–18 credits and $2,120 in standard fees. Its estimated total cost of attendance is $62,888 for an on-campus resident, $54,042 for a commuter, and $71,158 for a student living off campus. These totals include institutional charges plus estimated books, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses; the commuter and off-campus housing and meal estimates are not necessarily amounts billed by FDU. All published charges remain subject to university change. Housing prices vary by hall and room type. For example, published 2026–27 semester rates range from $4,744 for a Linden double to $6,730 for a Northpointe single among the standard options shown. The principal residential meal plans are listed at $6,120 annually, while eligibility and inclusions vary. Students should build a personal budget using their actual room, meal plan, enrollment, transportation, insurance, and aid offer rather than the database's older stored averages. FDU directs applicants to complete the FAFSA for federal and institutional aid consideration and offers scholarship consideration through admissions. Career Development provides free advising, individualized planning, workshops, CareerQuest, and CareerShift. Metropolitan students also have campus walk-in advising, and FDU describes internships as supervised employment connected to academic and career goals. No verified campus-specific salary or employment-rate outcome was found, so prospective students should request program-level outcomes directly.