Top Ranked Colleges: Universities | Public Universities | Liberal Arts Colleges | Engineering | Business | Women's | Most Selective
New Jersey has wide ranging options for higher education. Princeton is the most prestigious of the group, but the list includes public, private, large, small, women's and Catholic institutions. The 15 top New Jersey colleges listed below vary so much in size and type of school that I have simply listed them alphabetically rather than force them into any sort of artificial ranking. The schools were chosen based on a variety of factors such as academic reputation, curricular innovations, first-year retention rates, graduation rates, selectivity, financial aid and student engagement.
Compare Top New Jersey Colleges: New Jersey SAT Comparison chart
The College of New Jersey
Iggynelix / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Ewing, New Jersey
- Enrollment: 6,949 (6,244 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public liberal arts college
- Distinctions: one of the top public liberal arts colleges in the country; easy train access to Philadelphia and New York City; over 50 degree programs; high retention and graduation rates; excellent value
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit The College of New Jersey profile
Drew University
Fingfox / Flickr
- Location: Madison, New Jersey
- Enrollment: 2,581 (1,640 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: small private university with a liberal arts focus
- Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio and an average class size of about 20; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; close proximity to New York City; high four-year graduation rate
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Drew University profile
Georgian Court University
Daderot / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Lakewood, New Jersey
- Enrollment: 3,189 (2,067 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private catholic women's college (with co-ed evening and graduate programs)
- Distinctions: attractive park-like campus; 14 to 1 student / faculty ratio and small classes; test-optional admissions; located just 10 miles from the Jersey shore; good financial aid
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Georgian Court University profile
Monmouth University
Sister72 / Flickr
- Location: Long Branch, New Jersey
- Enrollment: 6,442 (4,711 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private comprehensive university
- Distinctions: six colleges and strong professional programs; 15 to 1 student / faculty ratio; located just one mile from the shore; Honors School for high-achieving students; member of the NCAA Division I Northeast Conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Monmouth University profile
New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
Andrew Maiman / Flickr
- Location: Newark, New Jersey
- Enrollment: 8,398 (5,576 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public university with a science and engineering focus
- Distinctions: 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio; 44 bachelor's degree programs; easy access to New York City; member of the NCAA Division I Great West Conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the NJIT profile
Princeton University
_Gene_ / Flickr
- Location: Princeton, New Jersey
- Enrollment: 7,330 (4,878 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private comprehensive university
- Distinctions: member of the Ivy League; one of the top universities in the country; 5 to 1 student / faculty ratio; attractive 500-acre campus; membership in the Association of American Universities for research strengths; chapter of of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; excellent retention and graduation rates
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Princeton University profile
Ramapo College of New Jersey
Copyright Ramapo College
- Location: Mahwah, New Jersey
- Enrollment: 5,847 (5,561 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public liberal arts college
- Distinctions: average class size of 23; 40 academic programs; interdisciplinary academic structure; highly rated among master's-level colleges in the North; many new facilities; easy access to New York City; good value
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Ramapo College profile
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
Paul Lowry / Flickr
- Location: Pomona, New Jersey
- Enrollment: 7,307 (6,671 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public liberal arts college
- Distinctions: highly ranked among public master's universities in the North; strong environmental studies and marine science programs; 1,600-acre campus features an art gallery, observatory, a large outdoor research lab, and a laboratory, field station and marina for marine science; good value
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Richard Stockton College profile
Rider University
Photo by Jeff Golden / Getty Images
- Location: Lawrenceville, New Jersey
- Enrollment: 5,974 (4,760 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: comprehensive private university
- Distinctions: 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio; 60 degree programs across four academic colleges; easy access to New York City and Philadelphia; strong business programs; member of the NCAA Division I Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Rider University profile
Rowan University
Wasted Time R / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Glassboro, New Jersey
- Enrollment: 10,270 (9,036 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: comprehensive public university
- Distinctions: average class size of 20; 15 to 1 student / faculty ratio; 87 undergraduate majors across eight academic colleges; strong music education and business administration programs
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Rowan University profile
