Best Small Colleges in New Jersey 2024

Badge for BEST IN NEW JERSEY SMALL COLLEGES

Published: Mar 25, 2021
Updated: Mar 25, 2024

Small colleges in New Jersey are a great option for students interested in a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Whether the focus is on the technical or on the liberal arts, small colleges give you the chance to pursue a well-rounded education while working closely with classmates and professors in a dynamic community atmosphere.

10 Best Small Colleges in New Jersey 2024

Fairleigh Dickinson University
Drew University
Rider University
Berkeley College
Saint Peter's University
Thomas Edison State University
Georgian Court University
Felician University
Bloomfield College
Caldwell University

Fairleigh Dickinson University
Drew University
Saint Peter's University
Rider University
Berkeley College
Thomas Edison State University
Georgian Court University
Bloomfield College
Caldwell University
Felician University

Centenary University 97%
Saint Peter's University 89%
Felician University 89%
Rider University 84%
Fairleigh Dickinson University 84%
Bloomfield College 78%
Georgian Court University 76%
Drew University 73%
Saint Elizabeth University 72%
Caldwell University 66%

Thomas Edison State University 15 to 1
Berkeley College 14 to 1
Fairleigh Dickinson University 13 to 1
Felician University 13 to 1
Bloomfield College 13 to 1
Caldwell University 13 to 1
Centenary University 13 to 1
Drew University 12 to 1
Saint Peter's University 11 to 1
Saint Elizabeth University 11 to 1

Drew University $44,174
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
Bloomfield College $30,680

Drew University $24,318
Fairleigh Dickinson University $21,278
Felician University $19,890
Berkeley College $19,716
Rider University $18,234
Centenary University $18,180
Saint Elizabeth University $18,018
Georgian Court University $16,956
Caldwell University $15,966
Saint Peter's University $14,670

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

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

Caldwell University 66%
Saint Elizabeth University 72%
Drew University 73%
Georgian Court University 76%
Bloomfield College 78%
Fairleigh Dickinson University 84%
Rider University 84%
Felician University 89%
Saint Peter's University 89%
Centenary University 97%

Rider University 10 to 1
Georgian Court University 10 to 1
Saint Peter's University 11 to 1
Saint Elizabeth University 11 to 1
Drew University 12 to 1
Fairleigh Dickinson University 13 to 1
Felician University 13 to 1
Bloomfield College 13 to 1
Caldwell University 13 to 1
Centenary University 13 to 1

Thomas Edison State University $7,372
Berkeley College $28,600
Bloomfield College $30,680
Fairleigh Dickinson University $34,404
Saint Elizabeth University $34,930
Georgian Court University $35,516
Centenary University $35,934
Felician University $36,410
Rider University $37,200
Caldwell University $38,050

Bloomfield College $11,760
Thomas Edison State University $12,150
Saint Peter's University $14,670
Caldwell University $15,966
Georgian Court University $16,956
Saint Elizabeth University $18,018
Centenary University $18,180
Rider University $18,234
Berkeley College $19,716
Felician University $19,890

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

The following list of the best small colleges and universities in New Jersey is composed mainly of four-year undergraduate schools (though a handful also offer graduate programs). We’ve identified 12 small colleges in New Jersey. To be included schools must fully accredited, and must have student body populations below 5,000 students.

How do we determine New Jersey's best small 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.

Best Small Colleges in New Jersey 2023

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New Jersey’s Best Small College in Your Area of Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 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.

Many states have great small colleges. If you’re interested in looking into what other states have to offer, check out the best small colleges in Illinois and Vermont.

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Best Small Colleges in New Jersey 2024

10 Best Small Colleges in New Jersey 2024

Colleges and Universities in New Jersey

What are New Jersey’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Small 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 Rider University

Most Influential Alumni

Rider University’s Online Degrees

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 Small College in Your Area of Interest