Best Colleges in New Jersey of 2023
According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a worker with a bachelor's degree generally earns about $1,334 per week, while an employee with only a high school diploma makes around $809. We've compiled a list of the best colleges in New Jersey to help you bridge that earnings gap.
Why This Matters
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59 COLLEGES IN NEW JERSEY
Students have plenty of choices when it comes to institutions of higher education. According to College Navigator, New Jersey boasts 59 four-year colleges.
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$14,960 AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION & FEES
The average student will pay $14,960 in in-state tuition and fees during the 2021-22 school year, based on data from College Board.
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$14,800 FINANCIAL AID PER U.S. STUDENT
Federal, state, and institutional aid to help full-time undergraduate students pay for college in the 2020-21 school year totaled about $14,800 per student.
Our Research
This list features some of the best brick-and-mortar schools in New Jersey. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions. We included liberal arts colleges and research universities as well as small, midsize, and large institutions. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications like the U.S. News & World Report among others to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
The colleges on our list are accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), a reputable organization that examines the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of education programs in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States.
We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the student resources provided for on-campus students. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
The Top 50 Colleges in New Jersey
What You Should Know About Graduating From College in New Jersey
New Jersey’s thriving economy means graduates will have their pick of fulfilling careers. Recent data shows that many of New Jersey’s hardworking residents are employed in trade, transportation, and utilities positions. These positions account for 872,200 jobs, but there are many other employment options. Professional and business careers, health and education services, government jobs, and retail positions comprise the other four spots in New Jersey’s top five industries.
For workers with bachelor’s degrees, the list of growing careers is a diverse one. The number of positions for animal scientists, for example, is expected to increase by 100% by 2030. Other careers that should see rapid growth include agents and talent managers, coaches and scouts, athletic trainers, and museum technicians and conservators.
Employers in New Jersey are looking for graduates from all disciplines. Some of New Jersey’s largest employers include the research department at the New Jersey Medical School, United Airlines, Samsung Electronics, Resorts Casino Hotel, and Princeton University.
What’s Next?
Many students turn to financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships, and loans to pay for college. If you’re considering calling one of New Jersey’s universities home for the next four years, you need to know what aid the state provides.
- New Jersey’s Higher Education State Assistance Authority (HESAA). HESAA helps direct students to grants and scholarships they may be eligible for and breaks down filing deadlines. It also provides students with the New Jersey Financial Aid Management System (NJFAMS).
- Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Many universities require students to fill out the federal government’s financial aid form, known as FAFSA, before they can decide your eligibility for aid. You can also determine your own eligibility with the FAFSA4caster. There are numerous FAFSA deadlines, so be sure to fill out their online form early in your college search.
- CareerOneStop. Through CareerOneStop, the U.S. Department of Labor provides a comprehensive list of local, state, and federal aid awards for students. Students can filter the results by degree type, state, and the type of award — scholarship, grant, loan, prize, or fellowship.