Stevens Institute of Technology

Stevens Institute of Technology is a private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey. Founded in 1870, it is one of the oldest technological universities in the United States and was the first college in America solely dedicated to mechanical engineering. The 55-acre campus encompasses Castle Point, the highest point in Hoboken, a quad, and 43 academic, student and administrative buildings.

Established through an 1868 bequest from Edwin Augustus Stevens, enrollment at Stevens includes more than 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students representing 47 states and 60 countries throughout Asia, Europe and Latin America. Stevens comprises four schools that deliver technology-based STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degrees and degrees in business, arts, humanities and social sciences: The Charles V. Schaefer Jr., School of Engineering and Science, School of Business, School of Systems and Enterprises, and the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. For undergraduates, Stevens offers the Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). At the graduate level, Stevens offers programs in engineering, science, systems, engineering, management and the liberal arts. Graduate students can pursue advanced degrees in more than 50 different designations ranging from graduate certificates and master's degrees to Ph.D. levels.

Stevens is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity." The university is home to two national Centers of Excellence as designated by the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Two members of the Stevens community, as alumni or faculty, have been awarded the Nobel Prize: Frederick Reines (class of 1939), in physics, and Irving Langmuir (Chemistry faculty 1906–1909), in chemistry.

Establishment and the Stevens family
Stevens Institute of Technology is named for "America's First Family of inventors" – the Stevens family. The Stevenses influenced American engineering for decades, designing steamboats, locomotives, railroad tracks and a host of other technical innovations that powered the early United States.

In 1784, the land now occupied by Stevens Institute of Technology was purchased by John Stevens, who would later reverse-engineer the British steam locomotive to American standards for domestic manufacture. This innovation would be employed by ferries to Manhattan. Later generations of ferries still run from Hoboken's piers. Robert Stevens, one of John's sons, invented the flanged T rail, a form of railroad rail in prevalent use today, including from the Lackawanna Terminal of Hoboken whose docks are also in a style Robert designed. Along with his brother Edwin A. Stevens, Robert created America's first commercial railroad presently operating as a large portion of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.

John Cox Stevens, John Stevens' eldest son, was the first commodore of the New York Yacht Club. He and his brother Edwin built the yacht America and were aboard its 1851 regatta victory in England, later recognized as the first winner of the America's Cup; the competition bears the name of the Stevenses' yacht. The New York Yacht Club would defend its title until the 1983 race.

Edwin died in 1868. In his will, he left a bequest for the establishment of an "institution of learning," providing his trustees with land and funds. Edwin's will was executed by surviving wife, Martha Bayard Stevens, who would also serve as a lifetime Trustee of the institute that now bears the family's name. Martha Stevens oversaw much of the family's philanthropy toward the City of Hoboken, including founding of the Church of the Holy Innocents as a free Episcopal church; a foundling hospital and birthing center at St Mary's Hospital; the Robert L. Stevens Fund for Municipal Research; manual training schools for both boys and young girls in Hoboken; the Hoboken Public Library and Manual Training School.

Early years
Stevens Institute of Technology opened in 1870, offering a rigorous engineering curriculum grounded in scientific principles and the humanities. The original course of study was a single, rigorous curriculum based upon the European Polytechnic model of engineering science (following the French and German scientific and polytechnic schools), rather than the shop schools that were common at that time. The original degree offered was the mechanical engineer (M.E.), in addition to a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, chemistry and physics. Stevens granted several doctoral degrees between 1870 and 1900, making it one of the earliest Ph.D.-granting institutions in the United States. The broad-based interdisciplinary philosophy was put into practice by the founders from the first graduating class. Despite the title of the degree and concentration in mechanical engineering, the curriculum included courses in all engineering disciplines of the time: mechanical, civil, chemical and electrical. In 1880, Robert H. Thurston, professor of mechanical engineering, was nominated the first president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

The campus was situated at the periphery of the family estate at Castle Point in Hoboken. It occupied a single building now designated Edwin A. Stevens Hall, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Stone designs on the building's facade are believed to be derived from a pattern repeated in the floor mosaic of Hagia Sophia, the great cathedral in Istanbul, which Edwin Stevens is believed to have visited in the late 19th century.

1900–1999
In its first century, Stevens grew quickly, evolving from a small, four-year undergraduate engineering college into a comprehensive technological university with strengths in key fields such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence, resilience engineering, robotics, complex systems, healthcare, biomedical research, brain research and fintech. The university produced a Nobel Prize winner (Frederick Reines '39 M.S. '41) and thousands of new technologies, products, services and research insights.

In 1906, students, under the guidance of President A.C. Humphreys, created the honor system – a moral and ethical code governing the life of Stevens students and preaching equality and honest work. The student-run system still exists to this day, in which the accused are tried by their peers with a punishment recommended to the faculty. Stevens was the first technical school to implement such a system.

During World War II, Stevens Institute of Applied Science was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program which offered students a path to a Navy commission. During this time, the institute was also honored by the naming of the Victory Ship, SS Stevens Victory, a merchant cargo ship built by the Bethlehem Fairfield Shipyard at Baltimore. Launched on May 29, 1945, the ship was one of 150 named for U.S. colleges and universities.

In 1959, the undergraduate engineering degree was changed to the bachelor of engineering (B.E.) to reflect the broad-based interdisciplinary engineering curriculum (the M.E. degree of that time was a baccalaureate degree, not to be confused with the present Engineer's degree, which is a terminal professional graduate degree).

Also in 1959, the land occupied by the 40-room Victorian mansion, "Castle Stevens" or "Villa on the Hudson", was repurposed for the 14-story administration building completed in 1962, later renamed the Wesley J. Howe Building. Serving as a campus building since in 1911, it was used as a dormitory, cafeteria, and office space. The unsupported cantilevered staircase, with its elegant hand-carved balustrade, was one of only two such "floating staircases" in America.

Stevens' graduate program admitted women for the first time in 1967. Undergraduate women were first admitted in 1971. The Lore-El Center for Women's Leadership promotes the empowerment of women at Stevens.

In 1982, Stevens became the first institution in the U.S. to require all incoming first-year undergraduate students to purchase and use a personal computer. Around this time, an intranet was installed throughout campus, which placed Stevens among the first universities with a campus network.

WCPR: Castle Point Radio, the radio station of Stevens Institute of Technology since 1961, has over 10,000 LPs, one of the largest record collections in New Jersey.

2000 and beyond
Stevens has continued to grow since the turn of the millennium, expanding its enrollment, facilities, partnerships and research programs. The university's collaborations with industry and government include numerous grant awards, contracts and collaborative projects, as well as two National Centers of Excellence designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense.

Since 2010, undergraduate enrollment has increased 67 percent and full-time graduate enrollment has increased 73 percent. Stevens has adapted and expanded to accommodate that growth, with a focus on modernizing campus facilities and infrastructure. Under the 2012–22 university strategic plan, Stevens made AV and IT upgrades to 100 percent of its classrooms. Improvements also included two new anchor facilities. The Gateway Academic Center, an 89,500-square-foot teaching and research facility, opened in 2019. In 2022, Stevens opened the University Center Complex, providing residential housing for approximately 1,000 students, as well as a campus hub with meeting, collaboration, event spaces, a fitness center and dining facilities.

Stevens has also focused on increasing access and opportunity for students from underrepresented groups. Among undergraduates, there was a 98 percent increase in women and 149 percent increase in the number of underrepresented minorities between 2011 and 2021. Initiatives developed to provide financial, academic and professional development support for students – including the Accessing Careers in Engineering and Science (ACES), A. James Clark Scholars and Lawrence T. Babbio Pinnacle Scholars programs – have played a role in this growth.

In recognition of the progress Stevens made through its strategic plan, the American Council on Education presented the university with its 2018 ACE/Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation. The award is given to "institutions that have responded to higher education challenges in innovative and creative ways and achieved dramatic changes in a relatively brief period."

Stevens was named one of the healthiest campuses in the nation by Active Minds, a national nonprofit dedicated to student wellness. It has also been recognized for its commitments to environmental sustainability, including receiving the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) STARS Gold Rating in 2020. In 2021, Stevens announced it would source 100 percent of its electricity from renewable energy starting in that year's fall semester.

In April 2021, Stevens became one of the first higher education institutions in the United States to require COVID-19 vaccination not only for students, but also faculty and staff. In December 2021, the university announced it would require all students, faculty and staff to receive the COVID-19 booster vaccine to be compliant with the rule.

Attorney general matter
In 2009, after a two-year investigation by the New Jersey Attorney General, Stevens and the attorney general filed competing lawsuits against one another. The Stevens suit against the attorney general contended that she had overstepped her legal authority over a private institution and sought that any case be pursued by confidential arbitration. The attorney general suit against Stevens, its then-president, Harold J. Raveché, and chairman of the board of trustees, Lawrence Babbio Jr., now referred to as the attorney general matter or allegations of the attorney general. On January 15, 2010, a settlement was reached in which Raveché was ordered to repay the low-interest loans offered to him by the university and increased oversight by the state of New Jersey until 2016. The president and chairman stepped down shortly after - succecceded by Nariman Farvardin and Virginia P. Ruesterholz, respectively. It concluded with no admission of liability or unlawful conduct by any party.

Campus
Stevens Tech's 55 acre (22 ha) campus is in Hoboken, New Jersey, a city defined by its proximity to New York City and high density. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and is primarily along the waterfront of Hoboken, directly west of Manhattan. The area has a humid subtropical climate and consists of a prominent hill known as Castle Point, the highest point in Hoboken. There are 17 academic, 3 athletic, 11 administrative, and 9 non-Greek residential buildings. Also, there are 13 Greek residences and additional buildings associated with the university in Hoboken.

Of the 60+ buildings associated with the university, 3 are listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

Edwin A. Stevens Hall


When the institution opened in 1870 it consisted of a single building, Edwin A. Stevens Hall, named after its benefactor. The building was designed by renowned architect Richard Upjohn and featured a five-story, 80,000-square-foot hall in the High Victorian Gothic style adorned with heavy-stone masonry, brickwork, pointed arches, and intricately carved sculptures and ornaments. The majority of the building was finished in 1870, with the east wing being completed in 1872, and it functioned as the only building for the college until 1902. Notably, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers was chartered within the prominent main hall in 1880, now known as Debaun Auditorium. To celebrate the 125th anniversary of the institution a 40 ft spire was added atop the building, which is now featured as the logo of the university. Modernly, the building is home to the Charles V. Schaefer Jr. School of Engineering and Sciences, performing arts space, laboratories, offices, and lecture halls. The building was added to the NRHP in 1994 for its significance to education, architecture, and social history.

Carnegie Mechanical Laboratory
In 1900, trustee and benefactor Andrew Carnegie, offered a sum of $65,000 for the construction of a new engineering workshop, Carnegie Mechanical Laboratory. The architectural style of the building includes an arcade atop a cement basement with a Corinthian entablature. Structurally, a steel frame and cement make up the building, making it completely fireproof. The building is now home to labs, offices, and classroom space. Carnegie Laboratory is inter-linked with the Gateway Academic Center, which wraps around the north and east sides of the building.

Morton Memorial Laboratory of Chemistry


While Carnegie Laboratory was being constructed, President Henry Morton was developing plans for a suitable building to house a chemical laboratory, then known as the Alumni Chemical Hall. After Dr. Morton's death in 1902, the building was renamed to honor him and redesigned, as Jacobus said, to make it “look more imposing.” Construction began in 1905. In 1906, the building was opened as the Morton Memorial Laboratory of Chemistry. The building was designed by Ackerman & Partridge and featured three-stories, ten prominent brick chimneys rising high above its roofline, with limestone and copper trimings in a Classical Revival style. The building was added to the NRHP in 2022 for its significance to architecture.

William Hall Walker Gymnaisum


When William Hall Walker Gymnasium was completed in 1916 the student newspaper, The Stute, noted: "Stevens is now a real college, for we have a real place for college dances." The building was destinctive for its elliptical form (due to site conditions) and architects Ludlow & Peabody designed the structure in a classical revival style based on ancient Greek and Roman designs. The exterior of the building was made of variegated deep-toned brick with raked joints, lime and terracotta stone trim, and a green shingled tile roof. The second floor housed the main gymnasium under a trussed ceiling 27 feet above with a gallery running track. Modernly, the building's purpose is much the same, predominately as a space for athletics with occasional activities for student life. The building was added to the NRHP in 2019 for its significance to architecutre.

Distinct Buildings
In addition to the three buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, Stevens is also home to a few distinct features as part of its campus, whether at present or historically. This includes four sculptures, three historic plaques, an anchor, and the famous boat dorm.

S.S. Stevens (dorm boat)


The SS Stevens, a 473-foot, 14,893-ton ship, served as a floating dormitory from 1968 to 1975 for approximately 150 students. Moored on the Hudson River at the foot of campus across from New York City, this first collegiate floating dormitory became one of the best-known college landmarks in the country.



Purchased by the institute to fill a shortfall in student housing, the ship's operating costs during the initial years of service were comparable to conventional land-based dormitory housing. In later years, however, the ship's burgeoning operating and repair costs, combined with a more favorable housing outlook, forced the institute to sell Stevens in 1975. In tribute, one of her 6-ton anchors was prominently placed on the campus grounds by the graduating Class of 1975. In August 1975, the ship was towed to a shipyard in Chester, Pennsylvania, and she was subsequently scrapped in 1979. The anchor was briefly removed during the construction of the UCC Towers, but was brought back after student advocacy in April 2024.

S.C. Williams Library Archives
Stevens’ S.C. Williams Library houses the university's special collections, which contain the largest compendium of items relating to Frederick Winslow Taylor; prints, manuscripts in facsimile and books by and about Leonardo da Vinci; and artwork by Alexander Calder, who studied at Stevens. The other collection hallmark, the "Leonardo da Vinci Room," was donated by John W. Lieb, Class of 1880.

The library's archives also house Stevens family documents and artifacts from early American and New Jersey history dating to the American Revolutionary War. The Hoboken Historical Museum hosted a six-month exhibition on the Stevens Family and their contributions to American life and featured many of the library's contents.

Governance & Administration
The 7th and current president of Stevens is Nariman Farvardin, who was appointed by the institute's board of trustees in 2011 following the resignation of Harold J. Raveché and chairman of the board Lawrence Babbio Jr. The board is currently chaired by Stephen T. Boswell, the former President and CEO of Boswell Engineering. The board is responsible for the overall direction of the university. It consists of no fewer than 3 and no more than 42 members at any one time, with the president of the university serving as ex officio members. It approves the operating and capital budgets, supervises the investment of the university's endowment, and oversees campus real estate and long-range physical planning. The trustees also exercise prior review and approval concerning changes in major policies such as those in instructional programs and admission as well as tuition and fees and the hiring of faculty members.

The president also has a cabinet of 11 vice-presidents. Furthermore, the president and board are advised by a 21-member group known as the Presidents Leadership Council, including Marques Brownlee. The Provost is advised by 12-member Academic Council, including the deans for each of the schools and colleges.

Stevens is composed of four academic schools: the Charles V. Schaefer Jr. School of Engineering and Science, the School of Systems and Enterprises, the School of Business, and the School of Humanitis Arts and Social Sciences. Additionally, the university is home to the College of Online and Professional Education, which is focused on providing online education following a 25-year WebCampus program.

Academic Affiliations
Stevens is a member of National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and a founding-member of Association of Independent Technological Universities since 1957. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) serves as an acredidating body of Stevens since 1927. For Engineering and Computer Science, ABET provides further accredidation. In 1937, Stevens and Columbia were the first two engineering programs accredited. Furthermore, the chemistry program at Stevens is accredited by American Chemical Society (ACS){, undergraduate and graduate business programs are accredited by Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and project management programs are accredited by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Finances
Stevens Tech reports an endowment of $319 million (per 2023 figures) which, over the last five-years, has grown by $112 million - including $63 million in donations. According to Citizens Bank, the institute ranks as the 324th largest endowment in the United States with at least 100 undergraduates. The endowment is about $66,000 per undergraduate student or $32,400 per student (graduate and undergraduate). A portion of the endowment, $475,000 as of 2020, is managed by the students in the Stevens Student Managed Investment Fund.

Student Governance
Stevens Institute of Technology is home to a long tradition of student leadership. The Stevens Student Government Association (SGA) is an undergraduate governing body that retains complete control over the allocation of the funds raised by the student activity fee, which is about $800,000 per semester as of 2020. The SGA consists of a seven-person cabinet appointed by a president and vice-president of operations who are elected by the student body. The Senate of the SGA consists of senators per 75-undergraduates in each school.

The Honor Board is a student-run and student elected committee of the school, tasked with upholding the honor system and consulting on academic policies for the university. It is overseen by a faculty-student panel. The primary function of the board is to process academic conduct cases. The honor system was established in 1906 under the guidance of President Alexander Crombie Humphreys.

Colleges
Stevens is composed of four academic schools: the Charles V. Schaefer Jr. School of Engineering and Science, the School of Systems and Enterprises, the School of Business, and the School of Humanitis Arts and Social Sciences. Stevens offers 35 undergraduate majors and has a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Graduate offerings include 20 (plus three interdisciplinary) Ph.D. programs, 58 master's programs, 194 certificate programs and graduate-level offerings custom designed for corporations.



Stevens offers the Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) degree and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. At the graduate level, Stevens offers the Master of Engineering (M.Eng.), Master of Technology Management (M.T.M.), Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Engineer (E.E., M.E., Comp. E., C.E. and Ch. E.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees.

Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Sciences (SES)
In 1996, the school acquired its name from then chairman of the Board of Trustees, Charles V. Schaefer Jr., following a four-year $102 million fundrasing campaign. Jean Zu is the current Dean of the school. The Schaefer school offers 15 bachelor's, 29 master's and 16 doctoral degrees with a variety of certificates in engineering and scientific disciplines for full-time students and part-time professionals. As of 2022, the school is home to approximately 5,100 students and 194 faculty across 9 departments.

Stevens Institute of Technology had a dual degree program in engineering with New York University until NYU acquired the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 2008. Since then, the Schaefer school has also launched a number of dual-degree programs with institutions such as Drew University, Saint Peter's University, and Montclair State University. SES has joined nine NYC-area graduate engineering schools in Inter-University Engineering Doctoral Consortium (IUEDC) which beginning in Fall 2024 will allow students to take courses at each other's institutions without any additional tuition.



School of Business (SSB)
The School of Business offers certificates and undergraduate, master's, M.B.A. and doctoral degrees in a variety of technology management specialties. The Stevens undergraduate program emphasizes mathematical business models, applications of hard science to the concept and marketing of products, financial engineering (stochastic calculus, probability and statistics as descriptors of the dynamic behavior of financial markets) and the case-study method of business analysis. The capstone project in the business curriculum is the design of a technology-based business, including an accompanying business plan, operations research, market analysis, financial prospectus, and risk analysis. Several projects have been developed into real companies.

School of Systems and Enterprises (SSE)
The School of Systems and Enterprises (SSE) features faculty with industry and government experience to provide real-world applications to its students. SSE offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, along with a combined bachelor's and master's program and graduate certificates. SSE offers flexibility in its graduate course delivery. Options include on campus in Hoboken or online through StevensOnline. The school's education and research reaches across industries, including defense, homeland security, intelligence, nuclear weapons, communications, space, infrastructure, finance and business solutions. The school follows an open academic model, which emphasizes the interplay between academia, industry and government.

School of Humanities Arts & Social Sciences (HASS)
The College of Arts and Letters (CAL) approaches the humanities, social sciences and the arts from a science and technology perspective. While every undergraduate at Stevens is required to take a set of humanities courses, CAL offers B.A. degrees in literature, history, philosophy and the social sciences. CAL was established as a separate college in 2007 as part of a larger institutional realignment. CAL's formation followed a history of integrating humanities and liberal arts education, which dates back to the university's founding in 1870. In fall 2011, CAL began offering a new M.A. and graduate certificate in Technology, Policy and Ethics. CAL also offers an accelerated, six-year combined bachelor's/J.D. degree program in partnership with New York Law School and Seton Hall University School of Law. In July 2023, Stevens renamed CAL to the School of Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences.

Cooperative education and career placement
Undergraduate students may elect to follow the cooperative education program, usually extending their timeline from four to five years, to gain about 18 months of increasingly progressive work experience. The program helps students confirm their choice of major, and clarify their interests and career goals while working in full-time, paid positions. Approximately 30% of undergraduate students follow this path while the remaining engage in research, externships or internships.

The combination of rigorous coursework and real-world application allows 73% of students to finalize their path prior to graduation, with 97% securing their intended outcomes within six months after graduation. The average accepted salary across all majors for the Class of 2021 was $75,400, with a maximum of $90,600, from over 300 companies recruiting on campus. Majors among those ranking the highest were computer science, computer engineering and software engineering. The value of a Stevens degree is often quantified through return on investment, in which the university ranks among the top in the United States.

Research
The research enterprise at Stevens features three national Centers of Excellence designated by the U.S. government: the National Center for Secure and Resilient (CSR) Maritime Commerce and the National Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC).

Stevens also features the Center for the Advancement of Secure Systems and Information Assurance (CASSIA), dedicated to advancements in cybersecurity. The center was developed in response to Stevens' designations by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education for the academic years 2003 through 2014, and as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research for the years 2008 through 2013.

The Center for Maritime Systems at Stevens works to preserve and secure America's maritime resources and assets. The center includes the Davidson Laboratory, a research facility focused on physical modeling and computer simulation of marine craft designs. The lab houses a 313-foot-long wave tank capable of recreating a variety of wave types for maritime testing. Work at the lab was dedicated to the war effort during World War II. The facility is one of only two designated International Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks in the United States.

The Center for Maritime Systems contributed to the US Airways Flight 1549 Miracle on the Hudson recovery in 2009 by analyzing water currents to identify the best location to tow the plane and locate the plane's missing engine.

The Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education (CIESE), part of the Schaefer School, provides expertise to improve K–12 science, mathematics, engineering and technology education, with the goal to increase the number of students pursuing STEM majors and careers in technological fields. CIESE received the Presidential Award for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring in 2011.

The Center for Environmental Systems (CES) develops environmental technologies through collaboration between faculty in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering, the Department of Defense, and private enterprise. Principal research areas for CES include drinking water technologies, wastewater treatment, air pollution control, environmental systems modeling and monitoring, pollution prevention and minimization, and life-cycle assessment.

The Highly Filled Materials Institute (HfMI) develops the theoretical, experimental, and numerical analysis techniques for providing solutions for the problems of the industrial processing, especially with twin-screw extrusion, of highly filled materials. HfMI research areas include extrusion, die and extruder design, crystallization, surface science, particle size analysis and rheology.

The Center for Research toward Advancing Financial Technologies (CRAFT), co-led by Stevens and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, is the first NSF-backed industry-university cooperative research center devoted specifically to financial technology and science. CRAFT is designed to create a community for industry to engage with university researchers to advance fintech innovation.

Other research centers at Stevens are the Center for Complex Systems and Enterprises (CCSE), Center for Decision Technologies, Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, Center for Environmental Systems, MicroDevice Lab, Center for Healthcare Innovation, Center for Neuromechanics, Hanlon Financial Systems Center, Maritime Security Center, NJ Center for Microchemical Systems, STAR Center, Stevens Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and Systems Engineering Research Center.

The U.S. Department of Energy invited Stevens to compete in the 2015 Solar Decathlon held at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California, among 19 other universities. Stevens’ entry, SURE HOUSE, was inspired by Hurricane Sandy. A net-zero home resilient enough to withstand Hurricane-force winds and flooding, the entry won the competition. SURE HOUSE achieved a total score of 950.685, ranking first in architecture, market appeal, communications, appliances, engineering, commuting and home life. It also received second place in the comfort zone contest.

Stevens also competed as one of 20 teams in the 2013 Solar Decathlon, the first time the competition was held outside of Washington, D.C. Stevens' independent entry, "Ecohabit," placed fourth overall and second among United States entries.

Through a partnership with Parsons The New School for Design and Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy, Stevens designed an affordable green home as part of the 2011 Solar Decathlon. The entry, "Empowerhouse," won first place in affordability during the 2011 competition. The team partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C., to provide the home to a low-income family in the Deanwood section of Washington at the conclusion of the competition.

Entrepreneurship
Stevens embraces a culture of entrepreneurship instilled in the institute from its founding family, who transformed their inventions into a number of successful enterprises like the first steam-driven locomotive. More recently, there have been significant sales of Stevens intellectual property, including PlasmaSol and Hydroglobe. The university's Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship was established in 2008 to enhance scientific discoveries by facilitating technology transfer.

ISTEM@Stevens is a four-year entrepreneurship coaching program for incoming first-year students. The program focuses not only on technology and innovation, but also the process required to transform the idea into a fully developed company or nonprofit. The curriculum includes both classes and independent studies.

Launchpad@Stevens is a one-year program that gives undergraduate students the chance to learn about entrepreneurship and innovation alongside professionals who are building technology-based businesses. Participants learn how to identify ideas with potential commercial viability and work in teams to build those ideas into viable businesses.

Stevens' Innovation Expo, also referred to as "Senior Design Day" or simply "D-Day" by students, is an annual event at the end of the spring semester to feature capstone projects from undergraduate seniors of all schools and majors. Capstone projects take place over two semesters. The day of activities is also marked by the Project Plan Pitch and Elevator Pitch Competition in which students are judged on presentation of their idea and feasibility; many competitors spin-out companies and business ventures from their projects. The panel of judges typically consists of entrepreneurs, CEOs and venture capitalists.

Additionally, the institute hosts the "Thomas H. Scholl Lecture by Visiting Entrepreneurs." Guest lecturers include Paul R. Sanberg, Jeong H. Kim, Winslow Sargeant, and Ann Fandozzi. The campus is also home to monthly summits of "NJ Tech Meetup," branded as "NJ's largest technology and entrepreneurial community." It is composed of over 150 entrepreneurs and innovators.

Rankings

 * Stevens is ranked 14th nationally for Return on Investment for Students by PayScale's 2023 rankings
 * Stevens is ranked 13th nationally for Best Career Placement (Private Schools) by The Princeton Review in 2021
 * Stevens is ranked 4th in the U.S. for Best Value Private Colleges by PayScale in 2021
 * Stevens is ranked 36 nationally according to the Wall Street Journal in 2024

Athletics
The Stevens Ducks are composed of 25 NCAA Division III teams representing Stevens Institute of Technology in intercollegiate competition. The Ducks are members of the Middle Atlantic Conferences (MAC) and the MAC Freedom Conference for all sports except fencing. Men's fencing competes in the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Fencing Association (MACFA) and women's fencing competes in both the Eastern Women's Fencing Conference (EWFC) and the National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association (NIWFA).

Stevens rejoined the MAC in July 2019 after an absence of over 40 years, having most recently been in the Empire 8 conference. The Ducks spent 12 seasons as full members of the Empire 8 after a tenure in the Skyline Conference. Stevens competed as an associate member of the Empire 8 in field hockey during the 2006 season. The Ducks won a total of 62 team championships and 367 individual championships (429 total) during their time in the Empire 8.

The move to the MAC and the MAC Freedom brought 23 of the department's 25 teams under a single conference umbrella; wrestling had been competing in the Centennial Conference since 2004 and men's volleyball was a founding member of the United Volleyball Conference. Stevens has found success in the MAC, winning 23 team and 105 individual conference championships (128 total) through the Spring 2021 semester.

With an athletics lineage that dates back to 1872, Stevens was one of five schools (along with Rutgers, Princeton, Columbia and Yale) invited to establish the original set of collegiate football rules in 1873. Stevens dropped football after the 1924 season.

Stevens offers 14 club sports including ice hockey, which plays at the Barnabas Health Hockey House in Newark, New Jersey—the practice facility of the New Jersey Devils and home of the Metropolitan Riveters.

Baseball and softball
Baseball at Stevens dates back to 1873, although the first recognized season was in 1906. Stevens has had two players drafted in Major League Baseball's First Year Player Draft. David Garcia was selected by the Minnesota Twins in 1973 and Charlie Ruegger was selected by the New York Yankees in 2018.

Softball is Stevens' newest varsity sport. The team was established during the 2009–10 academic year.

Basketball
Stevens men's basketball has won two NCAA Division III statistical championships, leading the country in field-goal percentage defense during the 2007–2008 season. Spencer Cook led the country in three-point field goal percentage in 2020.

Cross-country and track & field
Doctoral student Gina Dello Russo won the NCAA Division III title in the 400-meter dash at the 2021 Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in Greensboro, N.C. Dello Russo, a 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 selection, was the first Stevens track & field champion since Amy Regan in 2017. Between cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field, Regan won six national championships for Stevens. She was the first cross-country runner in any NCAA division from New Jersey to win a national championship and later participated in the 2020 U.S. Olympic marathon team trials. Regan was also an NCAA Today Top 10 Award recipient.

Alina Duran competed at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials in the hammer throw, reaching the final and finishing 12th in the country.

Stevens has also won national championships in the high jump, with Gladys Njoku securing consecutive titles in 2015 and 2016.

Fencing
Women's fencing was the first female varsity sport at Stevens, and its coach, Linda Vollkommer-Lynch, was the first tenured female faculty member and first female coach at the university. In 2018, Stevens' women's fencing team did not lose to a Division III opponent all season and finished with a 32–3 overall record. That year, they established a new school record for winning percentage at .914, the first team to achieve a percentage over .900.

In 2009–10, the men's fencing team was led by head coach Stephen Kovacs who, after being accused of two sexual assaults, died in prison in 2022. The team is currently led by former Olympian Jim Carpenter.

Lacrosse
Stevens holds the distinction of having the oldest, continuously running lacrosse program in the United States. The program won a recognized national championship four times: 1892 and 1894 in the Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association, and in 1917 and 1918 in the United States Inter-Collegiate Lacrosse League. It has also won championships in the Skyline Conference, Empire 8 and MAC Freedom.

Players to come through the program have achieved All-America and Academic All-American Conference awards and North-South All-Star Game Invitations. Some of them include:


 * Brian Lalli: All-America and Academic All-America midfielder (2004)
 * Mark Beilicky: 3× All-American Midfielder (2005, 2006, 2007 ), 2007 pre-season midfielder of the year
 * JR (Oreskovich) Maehler: 3× All-America attackman (2006, 2007, 2009 ), 2009 pre-season attackman of the year
 * Shawn Coulter: USILA Short-Stick Defensive Midfielder of the Year, the first national individual award in program history.

Stevens hosted the 2006 NCAA Division III women's lacrosse national championship game.

Soccer
The 2008 men's soccer team reached the Division III NCAA championship game, losing to Messiah College (now University) on penalty kicks. They were the first Stevens team to compete in an NCAA national championship contest.

Soccer goalkeeper Zach Carr received All-American and Academic All-American honors in 2010. Carr led the nation in 2010 with a .927 save percentage and maintained a 3.92 grade-point average. One of the best goalkeepers in NCAA history, he set the Division III record and tied for the most shutouts in NCAA history (55), played the third-most minutes in Division III history and posted the sixth-lowest goals-against average. Carr was also a recipient of an NCAA Top VIII Award.

The women's team hosts an annual Engineering Cup and has one of the longest active consecutive postseason appearance streaks in Division III. The program was also the first in department history to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and post an NCAA victory with a 1–0 win over Johns Hopkins on November 13, 2002.

Swimming
In 2011, Laura Barito, a two-time All-American in swimming and track and a two-time, two-sport NCAA national champion (in 50-yard freestyle swimming and the 400-meter hurdles), was awarded the NCAA Woman of the Year. Barito, who was also named by CoSIDA/Capital One to the Academic All-America First Team, was only the second Division III athlete to win the NCAA Woman of the Year Award in its 21-year history.

In 2012, Stevens swimmer Brittany Geyer won the national women's 200-yard breaststroke title. Geyer came back in 2015 to win the national 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke titles, making her a three-time NCAA champion.

Stevens men's swimming has won 10 straight conference championships. Simas Jarasunas won the 100-yard Breaststroke in 2013 for the first national championship in program history.

Tennis
Men's tennis is recognized as one of the top teams in the region. The Ducks have won 12 straight conference championships.

Volleyball
Both the varsity men's and women's volleyball programs were started by legendary head coach Patrick Dorywalski. Dorywalski coached 37 years at Stevens, including 31 with the men's volleyball program. His 635 victories are the most by any varsity coach at Stevens and were the fourth-most by any men's volleyball coach in NCAA at the time of his retirement in 2020.

On April 26, 2015, Stevens won the NCAA Division III men's championship on its home court of Canavan Arena, the first NCAA team championship in Stevens' history.

Women's team alumna Eva Kwan is tied for the most digs (62) in any single match in Division III history and the second-most in NCAA history.

Wrestling
Brett Kaliner posted a 29–0 season and became the first national champion in program history in 2022, winning the title at 149 pounds.

Football
Stevens was one of the first five college football teams. In 1873, representatives of Princeton, Yale, Columbia, and Rutgers met in New York City to establish the first American intercollegiate rules for football on the model of the London Football Association. As the game developed in the United States, it became progressively more violent. The alumni magazine commented that the style of the game became too difficult and required an enormous amount of time and training, which could be afforded by larger colleges but would add too much work to the already difficult academic coursework at Stevens. Stevens holds a disputed victory over the University of Michigan.

Equestrian
Kerri Rettig won an IHSA National Championship in Intermediate Flat in 2005. Stevens ceased fielding an equestrian team as of July 1, 2019.

Awards and recognition
Stevens was named ECAC Institution of the Year in 2008 and again in 2013, an honor that measures a combination of athletics success and classroom academic performance at more than 300 Division I, II and III colleges and universities. Stevens is one of only three institutions to win the award multiple times.

The athletic department's highest finish in the annual Division III Director's Cup is 13th, recorded in 2011 and 2016. The department has received an NADIIIAA Community Service Award eight times, most recently in 2022. Stevens has also won seven College Athletic Administrators of New Jersey (CAANJ) Cups as the Top Division III institution in New Jersey.

Facilities
Varsity teams compete in one of three facilities, two of which are on campus. The Schaefer Athletics and Recreation Center houses Canavan Arena, Walker Gymnasium, the DeBaun Aquatic Center, the Athletic Training Center, and the Wrestling Complex. The Schaefer Center construction was part of a $23 million investment in new facilities that also included renovations to Walker Gym and installation of a new turf field.

Field sports (soccer, field hockey, baseball, lacrosse) compete at DeBaun Athletic Complex. Softball competes at Waterfront Park in Weehawken, N.J.

Greek organizations
Stevens Institute of Technology hosts chapters of 15 social and academic fraternities and sororities, many of which were founded on campus over a century ago. In 2013, 25% of Stevens students were members of these organizations. All but one of Stevens' Greek organizations are chapters of national fraternities or sororities.

Notable faculty

 * Carlos Alomar, professional guitarist, longtime collaborator with David Bowie, Artist in Residence and Director of the Sound Synthesis Research Center at Stevens
 * John Horgan, science journalist at Scientific American, author of the controversial book The End of Science (1996), director of the Center for Science Writings at Stevens
 * Jon Jaques, professional basketball player, assistant basketball coach (Cornell University)
 * Wunibald Kamm, professor
 * Victor B. Lawrence, inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his many contributions in digital signal processing in communications
 * Deborah Sinnreich-Levi, professor of literature, specialist on Eustache Deschamps
 * Alex Wellerstein, historian of science, specialist on history of nuclear weapons
 * Jean Zu, mechanical engineer, dean of the Charles Schaefer School of Engineering & Science