State Rankings

Best Colleges in New Jersey

Top colleges in New Jersey ranked by national standing and graduate outcomes — updated 2026.

Colleges listed: 50

Avg grad earnings: $57,712

Public / Private: 32 / 18

Top Colleges in New Jersey

Nationally ranked schools appear first. Remaining schools are ordered by median graduate earnings.

State #	School	Type	Grad Earnings	Admit Rate	SAT Avg	Grad Rate	Out-of-State
1	Princeton University Princeton#1 national	Private	$110,066	4.5%	1,535	97.1%	$59,710
2	Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken#46 national	Private	$108,772	43.4%	1,447	89.9%	$60,952
3	The College of New Jersey Ewing#114 national	Public	$73,323	62.1%	1,247	85.2%	$24,568
4	New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark#122 national	Public	$84,276	66.9%	1,336	73.1%	$35,934
5	Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah#176 national	Public	$67,541	73.2%	1,190	71.9%	$26,388
6	Rutgers University New Brunswick#203 national	Public	$74,479	65.3%	1,383	85.0%	$36,001
7	Seton Hall University South Orange#224 national	Private	$70,196	78.9%	1,308	71.5%	$51,370
8	Rutgers University-Newark Newark#331 national	Public	$74,479	78.7%	N/A	67.6%	$35,348
9	Rowan University Glassboro#370 national	Public	$59,988	77.8%	1,216	68.3%	$25,564
10	Montclair State University Montclair#377 national	Public	$61,415	87.4%	1,080	64.3%	$24,126
11	Rutgers University-Camden Camden#384 national	Public	$74,479	77.8%	1,118	66.5%	$35,841
12	Monmouth University West Long Branch#395 national	Private	$67,991	89.5%	1,204	70.3%	$44,850
13	Rider University Lawrenceville#419 national	Private	$62,208	79.4%	1,219	63.3%	$38,900
14	Drew University Madison#425 national	Private	$63,646	69.4%	1,247	72.4%	$45,360
15	Stockton University Galloway#432 national	Public	$57,602	88.2%	1,171	72.0%	$23,420
16	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus Madison#567 national	Private	$57,273	95.3%	N/A	72.3%	$35,822
17	Saint Peter's University Jersey City#587 national	Private	$57,815	90.5%	N/A	63.1%	$41,054
18	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus Teaneck#646 national	Private	$57,273	95.9%	N/A	61.7%	$35,822
19	Caldwell University Caldwell#718 national	Private	$53,843	65.4%	N/A	58.7%	$39,450
20	Middlesex College Edison#741 national	Public	$46,861	N/A	N/A	N/A	$7,068
21	County College of Morris Randolph#752 national	Public	$50,243	N/A	N/A	N/A	$14,310
22	Raritan Valley Community College Branchburg#759 national	Public	$48,145	N/A	N/A	N/A	$7,440
23	Kean University Union#787 national	Public	$57,237	76.9%	1,150	43.4%	$21,076
24	Georgian Court University Lakewood#790 national	Private	$53,096	70.5%	N/A	55.1%	$37,110
25	JFK Muhlenberg Harold B. and Dorothy A. Snyder Schools Plainfield#855 national	Private	$73,894	96.2%	N/A	N/A	$31,336
26	Bergen Community College Paramus#890 national	Public	$46,624	N/A	N/A	N/A	$9,005
27	Mercer County Community College West Windsor#969 national	Public	$43,264	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,942
28	Sussex County Community College Newton#982 national	Public	$44,664	N/A	N/A	N/A	$9,024
29	Warren County Community College Washington#989 national	Public	$43,359	N/A	N/A	N/A	$5,910
30	Brookdale Community College Lincroft#998 national	Public	$44,379	N/A	N/A	N/A	$9,806
31	Rowan College at Burlington County Mount Laurel#1020 national	Public	$44,745	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,936
32	William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne#1035 national	Public	$57,780	92.5%	N/A	47.7%	$24,464
33	UCNJ Union College of Union County New Jersey Cranford#1038 national	Public	$41,595	N/A	N/A	N/A	$9,500
34	Camden County College Blackwood#1125 national	Public	$41,212	N/A	N/A	N/A	$4,056
35	Ocean County College Toms River#1134 national	Public	$45,210	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,850
36	Centenary University Hackettstown#1175 national	Private	$53,726	96.7%	N/A	56.6%	$37,732
37	Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland Campus Vineland#1207 national	Public	$41,751	N/A	N/A	N/A	$5,820
38	Saint Elizabeth University Morristown#1241 national	Private	$53,038	77.2%	N/A	40.2%	$35,942
39	Felician University Lodi#1289 national	Private	$57,602	94.0%	1,020	49.7%	$37,830
40	Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester Campus Sewell#1419 national	Public	$41,751	N/A	N/A	N/A	$5,820
41	New Jersey City University Jersey City#1460 national	Public	$52,745	89.2%	N/A	38.7%	$24,888
42	Essex County College Newark#1478 national	Public	$37,230	N/A	N/A	N/A	$9,318
43	Passaic County Community College Paterson#1561 national	Public	$36,972	N/A	N/A	N/A	$9,690
44	Hudson County Community College Jersey City#1813 national	Public	$34,333	N/A	N/A	N/A	$12,280
45	Salem Community College Carneys Point#1816 national	Public	$38,020	N/A	N/A	N/A	$9,900
46	Atlantic Cape Community College Mays Landing#2000 national	Public	$34,241	N/A	N/A	N/A	$7,263
47	Bloomfield College of Montclair State University Bloomfield#2228 national	Private	$45,902	67.2%	N/A	31.1%	$30,680
48	Holy Name Medical Center-Sister Claire Tynan School of Nursing Englewood Cliffs	Private	$87,408	25.0%	N/A	N/A	$23,489
49	Yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok Elizabeth	Private	$82,560	100.0%	N/A	14.3%	$11,450
50	Thomas Edison State University Trenton	Public	$69,331	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,598

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Excludes for-profit institutions.

Compare any two colleges

Use CollegeBound's interactive compare tool to see admissions, costs, and outcome data side by side for any schools in New Jersey or beyond.

Open Compare Tool

Best Colleges in Other States

Alabama→Alaska→Arizona→Arkansas→California→Colorado→Connecticut→Delaware→

← National Rankings