Acebo Named 13th President of NJCU Following Unanimous Board Vote

The New Jersey City University (NJCU) Board of Trustees unanimously voted on July 23 to appoint Andrés Acebo as the institution’s 13th president, officially lifting his interim title after more than two years in the role.

Acebo has served as interim president since January 17, 2023, leading NJCU through a historic financial recovery. “President Acebo and his management team have provided exceptional leadership during the most critical period in our university’s history,” said Luke Visconti, Chair of the NJCU Board of Trustees. “Under his leadership, our campus has experienced unprecedented change.”

During Acebo’s tenure, NJCU achieved back-to-back credit outlook upgrades from Moody’s and Fitch, with Moody’s assigning a “positive” outlook for the first time in the university’s history in May 2025. He also spearheaded efforts leading to NJCU’s planned merger with Kean University, forming Kean Jersey City.

Under his leadership, NJCU was ranked No. 1 in New Jersey and 10th nationally in CollegeNET’s 2023 Social Mobility Index and graduated more than 3,200 students between 2024 and 2025. Acebo launched several strategic initiatives including NJCU’s first Academic Master Plan and Student Development and Community Engagement Strategic Plan.

A first-generation son of Cuban exiles, Acebo is the youngest known president of a public university in New Jersey and only the third Hispanic to lead a four-year public institution in the state. He has been recognized as the No. 1 Influencer in New Jersey Higher Education by ROI-NJ and holds a J.D. from Rutgers Law School and a B.A. from Brown University.

A formal investiture is planned for Fall 2025.