Private colleges, unlike large public institutions, can be a great option for students wanting a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Here is our list of the best private colleges 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.
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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.
Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.
Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.
This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 15 private universities in New Jersey. To be included in the list below of the best private universities in New Jersey, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
6%
Graduation
98%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1515/34
Princeton University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$47K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
72%
Student body
9K
Median SAT/ACT
1240/26
Seton Hall University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$57K
Acceptance
53%
Graduation
88%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1420/32
Stevens Institute of Technology’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$33K
Acceptance
89%
Graduation
53%
Student body
4K
Fairleigh Dickinson University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$43K
Acceptance
73%
Graduation
69%
Student body
2K
Drew University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$42K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
74%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1145/24
Monmouth University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
76%
Graduation
65%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1115/22
Rider University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$28K
Graduation
48%
Student body
3K
Berkeley College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$39K
Acceptance
85%
Graduation
55%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1015/20
Saint Peter's University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$34K
Acceptance
81%
Graduation
57%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1059/22
Georgian Court University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
94%
Graduation
54%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
990/17
Felician University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$31K
Acceptance
85%
Graduation
33%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
965/17
Bloomfield College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$37K
Acceptance
92%
Graduation
64%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1045/20
Caldwell University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$34K
Acceptance
93%
Graduation
62%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1043/20
Centenary University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$35K
Acceptance
75%
Graduation
51%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
993/17
Saint Elizabeth University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utiulized 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 private colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top private schools in every state.
