PlainCollege

State profile · 157 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Colleges in New Jersey

Colleges in New Jersey from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.

157
Colleges
$48,744
Avg 10-yr earnings (110 of 157)
73.5%
Avg acceptance

Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

New Jersey · the picture in one line

New Jersey's 110 of 157 colleges that report earnings average $48,744 in 10-year former-student earnings - 11th highest of 56 states and territories that report.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

#11
of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
$110,066
top earnings - Princeton University
73.5%
avg acceptance (58 reporting)
40 / 55 / 62
public / nonprofit / for-profit

Best earnings-to-cost value among New Jersey colleges with reported figures: Princeton University.

New Jersey · enrollment ≠ earnings

In New Jersey, Rutgers University-New Brunswick leads by undergraduate enrollment (37,751 students, #1 of 106) but ranks #8 of 106 on 10-year median earnings ($74,479), while Princeton University tops earnings at $110,066 (#1 of 106) with 5,709 students (#20 of 106). The biggest campus is not always the highest-paying outcome.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

37,751
Rutgers University-New enrollment #1
$110,066
Princeton University earnings #1
#1
Enrollment rank of earnings leader
#8
Earnings rank of enrollment leader

Enrollment is IPEDS fall headcount; earnings are Scorecard 10-year medians for federally aided former students. Different populations, not one ROI ratio.

Enrollment of New Jersey's #1 campuses by size vs earnings

Same unit (undergraduate students) for both named leaders.

students

What this shows Rutgers University-New Brunswick is largest by enrollment; Princeton University leads on 10-year earnings at $110,066.

Source IPEDS via College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

This page aggregates colleges and universities in New Jersey returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.

The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in New Jersey as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.

The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.

Largest Colleges in New Jersey by Enrollment

IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.

students

What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.

Source IPEDS As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: New Jersey

U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.

USD

What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.

Source College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

The ROI lens

New Jersey colleges: earnings vs. cost

New Jersey colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 14 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. New Jersey colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $29K $88K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $2K $29K Avg Net Price ($) Rutgers University-New Brunswick: $74K earn · $24K net · 84% grad Rutgers University… Montclair State University: $61K earn · $16K net · 64% grad Montclair State Un… Rowan University: $60K earn · $22K net · 68% grad Rowan University Kean University: $57K earn · $12K net · 45% grad Kean University Bergen Community College: $47K earn · $10K net · 22% grad Bergen Community C… New Jersey Institute of Technology: $84K earn · $17K net · 73% grad New Jersey Institu… Middlesex College: $47K earn · $2K net · 34% grad UCNJ Union College of Union County New Jersey: $42K earn · $8K net · 35% grad Brookdale Community College: $44K earn · $11K net · 29% grad Rutgers University-Newark: $74K earn · $20K net · 66% grad Stockton University: $58K earn · $21K net · 70% grad The College of New Jersey: $73K earn · $28K net · 86% grad Camden County College: $41K earn · $6K net · 32% grad Hudson County Community College: $34K earn · $7K net · 24% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

National context

How New Jersey ranks among the states

New Jersey's average 10-year earnings of $48,744 place it in the 80th percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.

New Jersey: average former-student earnings vs. every state

State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$48,744 Top 20% higher than 80% of 56 states & territories

$24,000–$28,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $28,000–$32,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $32,000–$36,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $36,000–$40,000: 12 states & territories (21%). Below this entry. $40,000–$44,000: 14 states & territories (25%). Below this entry. $44,000–$48,000: 10 states & territories (18%). Below this entry. $48,000–$52,000: 7 states & territories (13%). This entry sits in this band. $52,000–$56,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. $56,000–$60,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. NJ $24,000 $60,000 every state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

New Jersey vs. every state, at a glance
EarningsAffordabilityOptionsAccess

Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.

School type matters

How school type shapes earnings in New Jersey

Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.

Average former-student earnings by school type - New Jersey

Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

avg earnings

What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
157
Total Schools
$17,507
Avg In-State Tuition (84 of 157)
73.5%
Avg Acceptance Rate (58 of 157)
$48,744
Avg Median Earnings (110 of 157)
40 Public 55 Private NP 62 For-Profit
Ownership Breakdown

What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in New Jersey

PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 157 postsecondary institutions in New Jersey. The ownership mix is 40 public institutions, 55 private nonprofits, and 62 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.

Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 84 of 157 New Jersey institutions that report one is $17,507, and the average admission rate among the 58 that report one sits at 73.5%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.

Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 110 of 157 New Jersey colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $48,744, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.

All Schools in New Jersey

School Name City Type Enrollment Acceptance Rate 10yr Earnings
Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick Public 37,751 58.1% $74,479
Montclair State University Montclair Public 18,376 87.9% $61,415
Rowan University Glassboro Public 15,841 77.7% $59,988
Kean University Union Public 11,433 75.9% $57,237
Bergen Community College Paramus Public 10,557 - $46,624
New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark Public 9,019 65.1% $84,276
Middlesex College Edison Public 8,469 - $46,861
UCNJ Union College of Union County New Jersey Cranford Public 7,939 - $41,595
Brookdale Community College Lincroft Public 7,901 - $44,379
Rutgers University-Newark Newark Public 7,709 71.4% $74,479
Stockton University Galloway Public 7,537 88.9% $57,602
The College of New Jersey Ewing Public 7,105 62.3% $73,323
Thomas Edison State University Trenton Public 6,707 - $69,331
Camden County College Blackwood Public 6,636 - $41,212
Hudson County Community College Jersey City Public 6,626 - $34,333
William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne Public 6,614 90.1% $57,780
Rowan College at Burlington County Mount Laurel Public 6,267 - $44,745
Seton Hall University South Orange Private NP 6,036 73.3% $70,196
Essex County College Newark Public 5,855 - $37,230
Princeton University Princeton Private NP 5,709 4.6% $110,066
Ocean County College Toms River Public 5,424 - $45,210
Raritan Valley Community College Branchburg Public 5,416 - $48,145
Mercer County Community College West Windsor Public 5,404 - $43,264
County College of Morris Randolph Public 5,360 - $50,243
Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah Public 4,898 70.6% $67,541
Jersey College Teterboro For-Profit 4,478 67.6% $66,087
Passaic County Community College Paterson Public 4,260 - $36,972
Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester Campus Sewell Public 4,234 - $41,751
Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken Private NP 4,222 47.6% $108,772
Beth Medrash Govoha Lakewood Private NP 4,027 - $47,544
Atlantic Cape Community College Mays Landing Public 3,755 - $34,241
Rutgers University-Camden Camden Public 3,753 66.3% $74,479
Monmouth University West Long Branch Private NP 3,684 89.0% $67,991
New Jersey City University Jersey City Public 3,681 98.4% $52,745
Rider University Lawrenceville Private NP 3,106 78.6% $62,208
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus Teaneck Private NP 2,627 90.7% $57,273
Saint Peter's University Jersey City Private NP 2,135 90.3% $57,815
Sussex County Community College Newton Public 2,086 - $44,664
Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland Campus Vineland Public 2,074 - $41,751
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus Madison Private NP 1,990 95.2% $57,273
Lincoln Technical Institute-Union Union For-Profit 1,785 - $46,396
Berkeley College-Woodland Park Woodland Park For-Profit 1,778 - $40,251
Felician University Lodi Private NP 1,774 - $57,602
Caldwell University Caldwell Private NP 1,575 71.3% $53,843
Drew University Madison Private NP 1,533 67.8% $63,646
Universal Technical Institute-Bloomfield Bloomfield For-Profit 1,428 - $51,222
Chamberlain University-New Jersey North Brunswick For-Profit 1,226 100.0% $92,405
Eastwick College-Ramsey Ramsey For-Profit 1,203 - $51,725
Georgian Court University Lakewood Private NP 1,195 78.8% $53,096
Eastwick College-Hackensack Hackensack For-Profit 1,171 - $39,762
Lincoln Technical Institute-Mahwah Mahwah For-Profit 1,080 - $46,396
Garden State Science and Technology Institute Jersey City For-Profit 917 - -
Centenary University Hackettstown Private NP 910 83.1% $53,726
Salem Community College Carneys Point Public 910 - $38,020
Pennco Tech-Blackwood Blackwood For-Profit 875 - $42,013
Warren County Community College Washington Public 836 - $43,359
Lincoln Technical Institute-Moorestown Moorestown For-Profit 782 - $31,914
Bloomfield College of Montclair State University Bloomfield Public 781 69.7% $61,415
American Institute-Clifton CLIFTON For-Profit 778 - $28,710
Strayer University-New Jersey Piscataway For-Profit 702 - $40,092
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Teterboro Hasbrouck Heights For-Profit 695 - $73,971
Mosdos Yaakov V'Yisroel Lakewood Private NP 679 89.3% -
Lincoln Technical Institute-Iselin Iselin For-Profit 638 - $31,914
Eastwick College-Nutley Nutley For-Profit 618 - $42,827
Saint Elizabeth University Morristown Private NP 557 71.0% $53,038
Fortis Institute-Wayne Wayne For-Profit 502 - $36,920
Pillar College Newark Private NP 498 - $45,577
Ocean County Vocational-Technical School Toms River Public 497 - $47,122
Eastern International College-Jersey City Jersey City For-Profit 495 69.6% $35,008
Lincoln Technical Institute-Paramus Paramus For-Profit 495 - $31,914
American Institute-Toms River Toms River For-Profit 484 - $28,710
American Institute of Medical Sciences & Education Piscataway For-Profit 450 - $40,407
Parisian Beauty School Hackensack For-Profit 441 - $27,767
American Institute-Cherry Hill Cherry Hill For-Profit 390 - $28,710
Fortis Institute-Lawrenceville Lawrenceville For-Profit 373 - $36,920
American Institute-Somerset Somerset For-Profit 364 - $28,710
Christine Valmy International School of Esthetics & Cosmetology Wayne For-Profit 353 - -
Rizzieri Aveda School for Beauty and Wellness Voorhees For-Profit 346 - $29,601
Lincoln Technical Institute-South Plainfield South Plainfield For-Profit 335 - $46,396
Innovate Salon Academy South Plainfield For-Profit 288 - -
Robert Fiance Beauty Schools-West New York West New York For-Profit 271 - $18,123
Prism Career Institute-Cherry Hill Cherry Hill For-Profit 269 - $32,473
National Career Institute East Orange For-Profit 249 - $26,415
Salon Professional Academy Howell For-Profit 237 - -
Prism Career Institute-West Atlantic City West Atlantic City For-Profit 235 - $32,473
Yeshiva Toras Chaim Lakewood Private NP 227 44.3% $62,526
Innovate Salon Academy Brick Township For-Profit 219 - -
Total Image Beauty Academy Union City For-Profit 204 - $18,720
Robert Fiance Beauty Schools-North Plainfield North Plainfield For-Profit 190 - $24,509
JFK Muhlenberg Harold B. and Dorothy A. Snyder Schools Plainfield Private NP 188 58.6% $73,894
Shore Beauty School Egg Harbor Township For-Profit 188 - $21,377
Seminary Bnos Chaim Lakewood Private NP 182 43.6% -
Rabbinical College of America Morristown Private NP 181 95.2% $34,990
Yeshiva Gedolah Keren Hatorah Lakewood Private NP 181 85.7% -
Holy Name Medical Center-Sister Claire Tynan School of Nursing Englewood Cliffs Private NP 178 20.0% $87,408
Yeshiva Gedola Tiferes Yerachmiel Lakewood Private NP 177 51.5% -
Innovate Salon Academy Ewing For-Profit 174 - -
Empire Beauty School-Bloomfield Bloomfield For-Profit 164 - $23,925
Advantage Career Institute Eatontown For-Profit 161 - -
Universal Training Institute Perth Amboy For-Profit 158 - -
MCI Institute of NJ Ocean For-Profit 150 - -
Yeshiva Gedolah Shaarei Shmuel Lakewood Private NP 150 54.2% -
Hohokus School of Trade and Technical Sciences Paterson For-Profit 146 - $43,917
Empire Beauty School-Cherry Hill Cherry Hill For-Profit 139 - $24,397
Bais Medrash Toras Chesed Lakewood Private NP 132 57.6% -
Beth Medrash of Asbury Park Lakewood Private NP 124 53.8% -
P B Cosmetology Education Center Gloucester For-Profit 120 - $26,800
Rabbi Jacob Joseph School Edison Private NP 115 91.7% -
Adult and Continuing Education-BCTS Hackensack Public 106 - $49,739
P C Age-Jersey City Jersey City For-Profit 106 - $54,323
Empire Beauty School-Union Union For-Profit 103 - $23,925
Cutting Edge Academy Succasunna For-Profit 99 - -
Rabbinical Seminary Mkor Chaim Lakewood Private NP 96 90.6% -
Burlington County Institute of Technology-Adult Education Westampton Public 96 - -
Yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok Elizabeth Private NP 90 86.2% $82,560
Yeshivas Emek Hatorah Howell Private NP 90 100.0% -
Artistic Academy of Hair Design Morris Plains For-Profit 88 - $34,266
Union County Vocational Technical School Scotch Plains Public 88 - $37,590
Yeshiva Gedolah of Woodlake Village Lakewood Private NP 87 83.7% -
Yeshiva Gedolah Tiferes Boruch North Plainfield Private NP 81 89.3% -
Yeshiva Yesodei Hatorah Lakewood Private NP 75 85.2% -
Talmudical Academy-New Jersey Adelphia Private NP 72 43.5% $40,344
Yeshiva Chemdas Hatorah Lakewood Private NP 72 80.0% -
Yeshiva Gedola Tiferes Yaakov Yitzchok Lakewood Private NP 71 76.7% -
MCVSD Freehold Public 67 - $45,062
Pro Beauty Academy Edison For-Profit 67 - -
Capital Health School of Nursing Trenton Private NP 66 - -
ASI Career Institute Turnersville For-Profit 62 - -
DeVry University-New Jersey Iselin For-Profit 62 100.0% $45,987
Keser Torah-Mayan Hatalmud Lakewood Private NP 57 100.0% -
Healthcare Training Institute Union For-Profit 48 41.7% $37,571
Yeshiva Gedolah Zichron Leyma Union Private NP 47 56.7% -
PC AGE-Metropark Iselin For-Profit 46 - $54,323
Best Care College East Orange For-Profit 44 - $64,311
Center for the Healing Arts Voorhees For-Profit 39 - -
Morris County Vocational School District Denville Public 36 100.0% $47,174
Bais Medrash Mayan Hatorah Lakewood Private NP 36 68.4% -
Mobile Technical Training South Hackensack For-Profit 31 - -
Assumption College for Sisters Denville Private NP 30 - -
Yeshiva Gedolah of Cliffwood Keyport Private NP 30 70.0% -
Yeshiva Bais Aharon Lakewood Private NP 25 81.8% -
Capital Health School of Radiologic Technology Trenton Private NP 16 - -
New Community Career & Technical Institute Newark Private NP 11 - $40,200
Eastern School of Acupuncture and Traditional Medicine Bloomfield For-Profit 2 - $48,962
New Brunswick Theological Seminary New Brunswick Private NP - - -
Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Private NP - - -
Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Nutley Private NP - - -
Ideal Institute of Technology Pleasantville Private NP - - -
Bet Midrash Ohel Torah Lakewood Private NP - - -
American Institute Clifton For-Profit - - $28,710
Monmouth University - Monmouth Park Corporate Center West Long Branch Private NP - - $67,991
Bard College - BHSEC Newark Newark Private NP - - $46,543
Jersey College - Ewing Ewing For-Profit - - $66,087
Relay Graduate School of Education - Newark Newark Private NP - - -
Virginia University of Integrative Medicine - New Jersey Ridgefield Private NP - - -
Pro Beauty Academy (The) - Kenilworth Kenilworth For-Profit - - -
Burlington County Institute of Technology - Adult Education - Medford Public - - -

Featured Colleges in New Jersey

Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side

Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ
37,751 students
Montclair State University
Montclair, NJ
18,376 students
Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ
15,841 students
Kean University
Union, NJ
11,433 students
Bergen Community College
Paramus, NJ
10,557 students
Compare Rutgers University-New Brunswick vs Montclair State University →

Explore more New Jersey data

Highest-earning colleges → Best value colleges → ROI calculator → Compare states →

Guides & Resources

Is College Worth It?

A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.

How to Compare Colleges

A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.

Financial Aid & Net Price

How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.

Understanding College Earnings Data

How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.

About This Data

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for New Jersey applicants

  • New Jersey has 157 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
  • Average reported admission rate across New Jersey colleges is 73.5% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
  • State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.