Best Colleges in New Jersey

The best colleges in New Jersey are Princeton University and New Jersey Institute of Technology according to our economic score metric. New Jersey is home to 2 of the 9 colleges founded before the American Revolution: Princeton University and Rutgers University. The state has a lot to offer, with the iconic Jersey Shore, Atlantic City, and Liberty State Park drawing people in from around the country.

Studying in New Jersey

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Best Colleges in New Jersey

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#1 in New Jersey | #2 in National Universities

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey

Economic score 0.41

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $8,143

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $110,066

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 98%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#3 in New Jersey | #86 in National Universities
Economic score 2.26

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $38,104

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $108,772

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 87%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#2 in New Jersey | #47 in National Universities
Economic score 1.75

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $17,955

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $84,276

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 84%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#4 in New Jersey | #103 in National Universities

Rutgers University, New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey

Economic score 2.63

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $22,675

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $74,479

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 85%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#5 in New Jersey

The College of New Jersey

Ewing, New Jersey

Economic score 2.73

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $24,659

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $73,323

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 87%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#13 in New Jersey | #207 in National Universities

Seton Hall University

South Orange, New Jersey

Economic score 3.78

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $30,732

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $70,196

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 68%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#14 in New Jersey

Monmouth University

West Long Branch, New Jersey

Economic score 3.98

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $30,005

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $67,991

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 76%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#7 in New Jersey
Economic score 2.92

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $19,333

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $67,541

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 73%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#15 in New Jersey | #61 in Liberal Arts

Drew University

Madison, New Jersey

Economic score 3.99

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $24,892

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $63,646

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 70%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#16 in New Jersey

Rider University

Lawrenceville, New Jersey

Economic score 4.19

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $23,153

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $62,208

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 66%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#10 in New Jersey | #175 in National Universities

Montclair State University

Montclair, New Jersey

Economic score 3.41

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $15,677

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $61,415

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 72%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#18 in New Jersey | #276 in National Universities

Rowan University

Glassboro, New Jersey

Economic score 4.82

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $21,344

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $59,988

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 73%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#8 in New Jersey

Saint Peter's University

Jersey City, New Jersey

Economic score 2.98

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $11,293

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $57,815

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 59%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#11 in New Jersey
Economic score 3.43

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $12,946

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $57,780

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 63%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#9 in New Jersey

Felician University

Lodi, New Jersey

Economic score 3.32

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $13,540

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $57,602

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 65%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#17 in New Jersey | #264 in National Universities

Stockton University

Galloway, New Jersey

Economic score 4.59

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $17,764

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $57,602

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 76%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#12 in New Jersey
Economic score 3.61

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $14,684

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $57,273

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 59%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#6 in New Jersey | #125 in National Universities

Kean University

Union, New Jersey

Economic score 2.87

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $10,406

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $57,237

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 62%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#19 in New Jersey

Caldwell University

Caldwell, New Jersey

Economic score 6.18

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $19,811

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $53,843

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 62%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#21 in New Jersey

Centenary University

Hackettstown, New Jersey

Economic score 6.38

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $20,285

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $53,726

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 66%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

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Average income based on education level

The following figures are the average salaries in New Jersey for each level of education.  

Average Income

The average income of people in this state with a high-school diploma, certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree, 10 years after enrollment, based on 2021-2022 CSC data.

HS Diploma $40,193
Certificate $48,211
Associate $63,658
Bachelor $59,835
Master $69,720

Cost of attending college in New Jersey

In-state-tuition $20,729

The average in-state tuition, before financial aid, of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.

Out-of-state-tuition $23,315

The average tuition for out-of-state students, before financial aid of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.

Most popular degrees in New Jersey

In New Jersey the most popular degrees are Business Administration, Registered Nursing, and General Psychology. To create this list, we complied and analyzed data from IPEDS and College Scorecard. 

They both provide information on how many graduates each program has annually. The list below is both undergraduate- and graduate-level programs.

Fastest growing careers

New Jersey job growth 11.1%

Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors
68.2%
Nurse Practitioners
61.3%
Massage Therapists
47.9%
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
41%
Occupational Therapy Assistants
40.9%
Physical Therapist Assistants
39.4%
Physician Assistants
39.1%
Statisticians
35%
Medical and Health Services Managers
33.4%
Aerospace Engineers
32.4%

Best bachelor’s degrees in New Jersey

These majors are most likely to pay off economically after graduation.

Best colleges for social mobility in New Jersey

Higher education is supposed to act as an economic elevator that lifts students from low-income households into the middle class. But not all colleges do this: unfortunately, many of the nation’s most “prestigious” schools accept very few students from low-income backgrounds. 

To determine what colleges are doing the best job at lifting students out of poverty, we have devised a Social Mobility Index (SMI).  

The best colleges for social mobility in New Jersey are shown below. 

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