Is a research university right for me?–

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students. Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines. Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you? If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel. Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well. Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Is an online college right for me?–

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available. Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online. Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whether you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college. Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands. Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain. Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords them the chance to attend a better school without moving. If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are asynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc. The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions. If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in New Jersey 2024

Q: Is a liberal arts college right for me?–

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students. Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom). Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships and make walks across campus more fun. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers. Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Badge for BEST IN NEW JERSEY LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES

By Dr. James Barham

Published: Mar 24, 2021
Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Liberal arts colleges are a great option for students seeking a well-rounded education in an intimate campus setting. The best liberal arts colleges in New Jersey offer a diverse selection of degree programs with opportunities for a highly individualized educational experience.

10 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in New Jersey

Fairleigh Dickinson University
Drew University
The College of New Jersey
Monmouth University
Rider University
Kean University
Stockton University
William Paterson University
New Jersey City University
Ramapo College

Fairleigh Dickinson University
Drew University
The College of New Jersey
Monmouth University
Saint Peter's University
Rider University
Kean University
William Paterson University
Ramapo College
Stockton University

Centenary University 97%
William Paterson University 92%
Monmouth University 91%
New Jersey City University 90%
Saint Peter's University 89%
Felician University 89%
Stockton University 86%
Rider University 84%
Fairleigh Dickinson University 84%
Kean University 83%

Kean University 16 to 1
Stockton University 16 to 1
Ramapo College 16 to 1
New Jersey City University 15 to 1
Thomas Edison State University 15 to 1
William Paterson University 15 to 1
Berkeley College 14 to 1
Felician University 13 to 1
Bloomfield College 13 to 1
Caldwell University 13 to 1

Drew University $44,174
Monmouth University $43,216
Saint Peter's University $39,890
Caldwell University $38,050
Rider University $37,200
Felician University $36,410
Centenary University $35,934
Georgian Court University $35,516
Saint Elizabeth University $34,930
Fairleigh Dickinson University $34,404

Monmouth University $32,352
Drew University $24,318
Fairleigh Dickinson University $21,278
Felician University $19,890
Berkeley College $19,716
Ramapo College $19,657
Rider University $18,234
Centenary University $18,180
Saint Elizabeth University $18,018
Georgian Court University $16,956

Saint Elizabeth University
Centenary University
Caldwell University
Bloomfield College
Felician University
Georgian Court University
Thomas Edison State University
Saint Peter's University
Berkeley College
Ramapo College

Saint Elizabeth University
Centenary University
Felician University
Caldwell University
Bloomfield College
Georgian Court University
Thomas Edison State University
Berkeley College
New Jersey City University
Stockton University

The College of New Jersey 64%
Caldwell University 66%
Ramapo College 70%
Saint Elizabeth University 72%
Drew University 73%
Georgian Court University 76%
Bloomfield College 78%
Kean University 83%
Fairleigh Dickinson University 84%
Rider University 84%

Rider University 10 to 1
Georgian Court University 10 to 1
Saint Peter's University 11 to 1
Saint Elizabeth University 11 to 1
Monmouth University 12 to 1
Drew University 12 to 1
Felician University 13 to 1
Bloomfield College 13 to 1
Caldwell University 13 to 1
The College of New Jersey 13 to 1

Thomas Edison State University $7,372
Kean University $10,758
Stockton University $12,740
New Jersey City University $13,384
The College of New Jersey $14,140
William Paterson University $14,192
Ramapo College $15,363
Berkeley College $28,600
Bloomfield College $30,680
Fairleigh Dickinson University $34,404

Bloomfield College $11,760
Thomas Edison State University $12,150
New Jersey City University $14,346
Stockton University $14,346
Saint Peter's University $14,670
William Paterson University $15,411
The College of New Jersey $15,545
Caldwell University $15,966
Kean University $16,225
Georgian Court University $16,956

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in New Jersey

Nearly half of the colleges and universities in this state are private, and tuition rates range from $6,000 to $52,000. With a graduation rate of 97% and a student population of just over 7,000, Princeton University is the state’s most esteemed institution. Narrowing in on the sciences and arts, this Ivy League school offers unique areas of study, including robotics, intelligent systems, and public life. The remaining 31 public colleges and universities range in tuition from $4,000 to $17,000.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

The state’s largest and top-ranked public research institution is Rutgers University. With campuses in New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden as well as smaller locations across the state, Rutgers awards degrees in physics, economics, criminal justice, and psychology. New Jersey also has 11 religiously affiliated colleges and universities, including the oldest diocesan university in the United States, Seton Hall University. This Roman Catholic university has a tuition rate of $42,000 and a student population of over 8,000.

New Jersey, known for its sandy shores and busy expressways, also has more diners than any other state in the U.S., as well as the world’s longest boardwalk, located in Atlantic City. Many influential people, including Buzz Aldrin, Frank Sinatra, and Thomas Edison, have called The Garden State home. Visitors can even peek at some of Edison’s early light bulbs at the Menlo Park Museum. And with 50 higher learning institutions to choose from, students can find a school that suits their career path and budget.

Learn more about earning your degree from one of New Jersey’s highly regarded colleges and universities.

What are New Jersey’s Colleges & Universities?

New Jersey’s Best Overall

How do we determine New Jersey's best colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

A liberal arts college is a school that puts a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. We’ve identified 19 liberal arts colleges in New Jersey. To be ranked among the best liberal arts colleges in New Jersey, schools must fully accredited institutions.

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in New Jersey 2023

Build your own college rankings

New Jersey’s Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Your Area of Interest

Frequently Asked Questions About Research Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Online Colleges

In pursuing a bachelor’s degree, you will need to choose between three kinds of schools: research universities, liberal arts colleges, and online colleges.

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students.

Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines.

Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you? If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel.

Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well.
Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Learn more about research universities by reading about the best research universities in the US.

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree.

Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students.

Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom).

Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships and make walks across campus more fun. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers.

Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Learn more about liberal arts colleges by reading about the best liberal arts colleges in the US.

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available.

Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online.

Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whether you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college.

Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands.

Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain.

Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords them the chance to attend a better school without moving.

If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are asynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc.

The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors.

Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions.

If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Check out our directory of liberal arts colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top liberal arts schools in every state.

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in New Jersey 2024

10 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in New Jersey

Colleges and Universities in New Jersey

What are New Jersey’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in New Jersey 2023

Career Outlook for degree at Fairleigh Dickinson University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Drew University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at The College of New Jersey

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Monmouth University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Rider University

Most Influential Alumni

Rider University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Kean University

Most Influential Alumni

Kean University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Stockton University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at William Paterson University

Most Influential Alumni

William Paterson University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at New Jersey City University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Ramapo College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Berkeley College

Career Outlook for degree at Saint Peter's University

Most Influential Alumni

Saint Peter's University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Thomas Edison State University

Most Influential Alumni

Thomas Edison State University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Georgian Court University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Felician University

Felician University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Bloomfield College

Career Outlook for degree at Caldwell University

Career Outlook for degree at Centenary University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Saint Elizabeth University

New Jersey’s Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Your Area of Interest