Stockton University, located in Galloway Township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, is a public undergraduate and graduate university of the arts, sciences and professional studies of the New Jersey state system of higher education. The university was named for Richard Stockton, one of the New Jersey signers of the Declaration of Independence. Founded in 1969, Stockton accepted its charter class in 1971. At its opening in 1971, classes were held at the Mayflower Hotel in Atlantic City; the campus in Galloway Township began operating late in 1971. Some 8,728 students are enrolled at Stockton, which provides distinctive traditional and alternative approaches to education.