Andrés Acebo, who has led New Jersey City University through the most critical period in its 98-year history, orchestrating a remarkable financial and academic recovery, had the word ‘interim’ removed from his title by the board of trustees on Wednesday, becoming the school’s 13th president.
The vote from the board was unanimous — and represents perhaps long overdue recognition for Acebo, who agreed to become president during the school’s darkest hour, Jan. 17, 2023, when it was seemingly days and weeks away from going bankrupt.
NJCU Board Chair Luke Visconti acknowledged all this and more while making the announcement.
“President Acebo and his management team have provided exceptional leadership during the most critical period in our university’s history, and while he may have carried an interim title, the transformative work he has accomplished alongside our campus community has been anything but temporary,” he said.
“Under his leadership, our campus has experienced unprecedented change — he reduced institutional debt by tens of millions of dollars, drove three consecutive semesters of double-digit transfer enrollment growth, secured the first positive financial outlook in NJCU’s history from Moody’s, and established numerous academic and community partnerships that have strengthened our campus connections throughout the region.
“In recognition of these demonstrated results, the board determined he has earned the permanent title, and his vision has helped secure the future of our campus for generations to come.”
Acebo was humble while accepting the honor.
As is always his way, he made sure so many others at the school were recognized for their contributions.
“Thank you to the NJCU community for carrying me over the last two and a half years,” he said. “None of this is ever done alone. Nothing meaningful and impactful is ever accomplished alone and I will forever honor and cherish this beautiful and beloved community that is New Jersey City University.”
Acebo’s efforts are beyond impressive.
Since taking office during a financial emergency, Acebo’s leadership resulted in Moody’s Ratings upgrading NJCU’s outlook from “negative” to “stable” in February 2024, followed by Fitch Ratings doing the same in November 2024.
In May 2025, Moody’s upgraded NJCU’s outlook from stable to positive — the first time Moody’s has ever assigned a positive outlook to the university.
During the same month, the school announced it had signed a Letter of Intent advancing a proposed historic merger that would integrate NJCU into Kean and enhance access to innovative and inclusive higher education across New Jersey.
The campus will plan a formal investiture for President Acebo during the Fall 2025 semester. There will be plenty of reasons to celebrate.
Under Acebo’s leadership, NJCU has achieved numerous historic milestones.
The university was ranked No. 1 in New Jersey and 10th nationally in CollegeNET’s 2023 Social Mobility Index, maintaining its No. 1 state ranking and Top 20 national position in 2024. The university graduated 1,667 students in Spring 2024 — an 8.2 percent increase in bachelor’s degrees from 2023, and an additional 1,544 in 2025.
Under his leadership, NJCU introduced the most significant overhaul of its general education curriculum in decades, allowing every course on the approved New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) list, including those without direct equivalencies, to be accepted at NJCU for general education credit.
The NJCU University Senate, with 95 percent in favor, overwhelmingly voted in favor of the reforms to the General Education program — thus making NJCU the most-transfer friendly institution in the State of New Jersey.
In Spring 2024, NJCU continued making transformative changes to higher ed, dismantling systemic barriers that students face in their degree completions, as the university introduced a pledge of guaranteed schedules for its students. Additionally, NJCU announced plans to absorb the cost of books into the price of tuition beginning in Fall 2024, which will eliminate the uncertainty about the cost of college.
Acebo, who became only the third Hispanic to serve as leader of a four-year public institution in New Jersey and is the youngest known president to lead a public university in the state, has been widely recognized for his transformational leadership.
In May 2024, ROI-NJ named him the No. 1 ranked Influencer in New Jersey Higher Education, and he ranked No. 4 overall in the 2024 NJBIZ Education Power 50 List — the highest ranking of any college or university president in New Jersey.
The Hudson County native and proud first-generation son of Cuban exiles has implemented four major strategic initiatives during his tenure:
- The NJCU Recovery and Revitalization Plan (April 2023),
- The university’s first Academic Master Plan (February 2024),
- The institution’s first Strategic Enrollment Plan (April 2024),
- The first-ever Student Development and Community Engagement Strategic Plan (December 2024).
Acebo also has strengthened community partnerships, including the groundbreaking Hudson Connect Program with Hudson County Community College and similar agreements with Essex County College and Mercer County Community College.
The university’s relationship with local communities has flourished under Acebo’s leadership, including enhanced partnerships with Jersey City Public Schools and the creation of the NJCU President’s Community Advisory Council in August 2024.
Acebo holds a B.A. from Brown University and a Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School.
A North Jersey resident, he is a proud product of Union City public schools in Hudson County. He’s the proud father to three young children and husband to an extraordinarily dedicated educator — an NJCU alumnae — who proudly celebrate and champion their community and their roots together.
