by our College Data Analytics TeamIt's not easy to decide which school to attend when you have so many options available. College Factual has developed its Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking as one thing you can use to help make this decision.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
Our analysis looked at 44 schools in New Jersey to determine which ones have the best value programs. To come up with this ranking of the best value schools, we look at factors that are all objective measurements. We explain more about what we look at and why we do so below.
To determine the value of a school in our Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking, we first add average tuition, fees, and room and board costs (without aid) together. But, a school that excels in providing value for your money must also be a great school overall as well.
To account for this we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
We go into more detail on these factors on our best value ranking methodology page.
Keep scrolling for the top schools in this ranking or select one of the other rankings methods below.
If you know what major you want to study, check out our list of the best value schools by major. If you're interested in other degree levels, you can view one of the lists below.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Thomas Edison State University tops this year’s ranking as the best value (no aid) school in New Jersey for overall quality. TESU is a public institution located in Trenton, New Jersey.
Not only is Thomas Edison State University a great value, but it is also ranked #8 in New Jersey for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $12,285 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $17,127 per year for graduate students.
Out of the 44 schools in New Jersey that were part of this year’s ranking, Bergen Community College landed the #2 spot on the list. Bergen Community College is located in Paramus, New Jersey and has a fairly large student population. It is a public school.
Bergen Community College has the honor of being ranked #11 in New Jersey for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $21,061 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $12,780 a year.
A rank of #3 on our Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey list means Essex County College is a great place for students working on their degree. Newark, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Essex County College has the honor of being ranked #18 in New Jersey for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $16,424 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $7,458 per year for graduate students.
Out of the 44 schools in New Jersey that were part of this year’s ranking, Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #4 spot on the list. New Brunswick, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is Rutgers University - New Brunswick a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in New Jersey for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $29,206 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $33,897 per year for graduate students.
Learn More About Value at Rutgers University - New Brunswick
A rank of #5 on our Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey list means Rowan College at Burlington County is a great place for students working on their degree. RCBC is a public institution located in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.
Rowan College at Burlington County has the honor of being ranked #26 in New Jersey for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $15,159 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $10,000 a year.
Learn More About Value at Rowan College at Burlington County
Camden County College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking, coming in at #6. Camden County College is a medium-sized public school situated in Blackwood, New Jersey.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Camden County College is ranked #38 for quality in the state of New Jersey. The average cost without aid for the school is $10,494 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $6,750 a year.
The College of New Jersey ranked #7 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey list. TCNJ is located in Ewing, New Jersey and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
Not only is The College of New Jersey a great value, but it is also ranked #5 in New Jersey for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $31,039 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $28,783 a year.
Raritan Valley Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking, coming in at #8. RVCC is a public institution located in Branchburg, New Jersey.
Raritan Valley Community College has the honor of being ranked #34 in New Jersey for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $16,912 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $10,000 per year for graduate students.
New Jersey Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large public school is located in Newark, New Jersey.
Not only is New Jersey Institute of Technology a great value, but it is also ranked #4 in New Jersey for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $32,216 a year for undergraduates. The average cost without aid for the school is $38,746 per year for graduate students.
Learn More About Value at New Jersey Institute of Technology
Montclair State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking. Montclair State is located in Montclair, New Jersey and has a large student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Montclair State University a great value, but it is also ranked #7 in New Jersey for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $29,686 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $29,907 a year.
Rutgers University - Newark did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking, coming in at #11. This fairly large public school is located in Newark, New Jersey.
Not only is Rutgers University - Newark a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in New Jersey for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $29,138 a year for undergraduates. The average cost without aid for the school is $34,396 per year for graduate students.
Stockton University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking, coming in at #12. Stockton State is a public institution located in Galloway, New Jersey.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Stockton University is ranked #12 for quality in the state of New Jersey. The average cost without aid for the school is $27,551 a year for undergraduates. The average cost without aid for the school is $28,471 per year for graduate students.
Rowan University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey list. Rowan is a public institution located in Glassboro, New Jersey.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Rowan University is ranked #10 for quality in the state of New Jersey. The average cost without aid for the school is $29,860 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $31,630 a year.
Union County College landed the #14 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking. Located in Cranford, New Jersey, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
Union County College has the honor of being ranked #22 in New Jersey for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $23,240 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $12,678 per year for graduate students.
Middlesex County College landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking. Edison, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Middlesex County College has the honor of being ranked #16 in New Jersey for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $25,635 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $17,643 a year.
Sussex County Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking, coming in at #16. Sussex County Community College is a small public school located in Newton, New Jersey.
Not only is Sussex County Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #41 in New Jersey for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $12,422 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $5,342 a year.
County College of Morris did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking, coming in at #16. County College of Morris is located in Randolph, New Jersey and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
County College of Morris has the honor of being ranked #31 in New Jersey for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $20,640 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $10,800 a year.
Rutgers University - Camden landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking. This medium-sized public school is located in Camden, New Jersey.
Rutgers University - Camden has the honor of being ranked #15 in New Jersey for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $28,309 a year for undergraduates. The average cost without aid for the school is $33,301 per year for graduate students.
Kean University landed the #19 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking. This fairly large public school is located in Union, New Jersey.
Kean University has the honor of being ranked #20 in New Jersey for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $27,429 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $32,310 a year.
William Paterson University of New Jersey landed the #20 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking. William Paterson University of New Jersey is a medium-sized public school located in Wayne, New Jersey.
Not only is William Paterson University of New Jersey a great value, but it is also ranked #23 in New Jersey for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $27,229 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $27,071 a year.
Read full value report on William Paterson University of New Jersey
Ramapo College of New Jersey landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking. This medium-sized public school is located in Mahwah, New Jersey.
Not only is Ramapo College of New Jersey a great value, but it is also ranked #19 in New Jersey for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $29,430 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $33,563 a year.
With a ranking of #22, Brookdale Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey list. Lincroft, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Brookdale Community College is ranked #40 for quality in the state of New Jersey. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $19,946 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $11,142 per year for graduate students.
Ocean County College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking. Ocean County College is a medium-sized public school located in Toms River, New Jersey.
Not only is Ocean County College a great value, but it is also ranked #24 in New Jersey for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $28,650 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $22,860 a year.
Atlantic Cape Community College landed the #24 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey ranking. This small public school is located in Mays Landing, New Jersey.
Not only is Atlantic Cape Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #33 in New Jersey for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $26,440 a year for undergraduates. The average cost without aid for the school is $19,600 per year for graduate students.
With a ranking of #25, Passaic County Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in New Jersey list. PCCC is a public institution located in Paterson, New Jersey.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Passaic County Community College is ranked #39 for quality in the state of New Jersey. The average cost without aid for the school is $20,850 a year for undergraduates. The average cost without aid for the school is $13,500 per year for graduate students.
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.