The best colleges in New Jersey for 2027 are Princeton University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, and Stevens Institute of Technology. New Jersey has small liberal arts colleges, midsize schools, and large research universities, and Rutgers-New Brunswick alone enrolls tens of thousands of undergraduates.

Newark and Trenton, the state capital, are home to several public schools, and the state also has some famous private universities like Princeton. This guide will help you compare them. Read the University Magazine rankings methodology, see our university rankings, and, if you are weighing other states, check out our Best Colleges in Mississippi guide for a comparison.

The Best Colleges In New Jersey 2027

 

1. Princeton University

Princeton University was founded in 1746 as the College of New Jersey and took its current name in 1896. In fall 2024, it enrolled 9,137 students, 5,813 of them undergraduates, and the Class of 2030 admit rate was 4.0 percent. It is an R1 research university with a $36.4 billion endowment.

Seven residential colleges shape daily life on campus. Since 1923, the A.B. degree has required a senior thesis, so undergraduates gain real research experience before they graduate. U.S. News ranked Princeton first among national universities for the ninth year in a row in 2024. The Tigers compete in NCAA Division I in the Ivy League.

 

2. Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Rutgers University-New Brunswick began as Queen’s College, chartered on November 10, 1766, making it one of the country’s oldest colleges. The flagship of the Rutgers system enrolls about 43,859 students across five New Brunswick campuses: Busch, College Avenue, Livingston, Cook, and Douglass. It is an R1 research university.

Nineteen schools cover everything from engineering and pharmacy to the arts, so students can change direction without changing universities. The Scarlet Knights play NCAA Division I football in the Big Ten Conference. Rutgers also owns a piece of sports history: it beat Princeton 6-4 on November 6, 1869, in the first college football game.

 

3. Stevens Institute of Technology

Stevens Institute of Technology was founded in 1870 and sits in Hoboken, across the Hudson River from New York City. In fall 2025, it enrolled 8,367 students, 4,206 of them undergraduates. It is classified R2 for research and has four academic schools plus a College of Online and Professional Education.

Stevens offers an optional cooperative education program that adds about 18 months of paid work experience, usually stretching a degree from four years to five. About 30 percent of undergraduates take it. PayScale ranked Stevens 18th for return on investment in 2024, and The Princeton Review ranked it 12th among private schools for career placements. The Ducks compete in NCAA Division III.

 

4. New Jersey Institute of Technology

New Jersey Institute of Technology was established on February 9, 1881, and began classes in 1885 as the Newark Technical School. Today it is an R1 public research university in Newark with 12,309 students in fall 2025, including 9,827 undergraduates. A satellite site in Jersey City hosts graduate degrees.

Computing and design stand out through the Ying Wu College of Computing Sciences and the College of Architecture and Design. The Albert Dorman Honours College, established in 1994, serves high-achieving students. TIME ranked NJIT 38th among public colleges in August 2026, and U.S. News tied it for 80th among national universities in 2025. The Highlanders compete in NCAA Division I in the America East Conference.

 

5. Rutgers University-Camden

Rutgers University-Camden traces its roots to the South Jersey Law School, founded on March 21, 1926. It serves 6,158 students, 4,497 of them undergraduates, in a smaller setting than the New Brunswick flagship. Professional programs include Rutgers Law School, an AACSB-accredited business school, and a School of Nursing.

Alumni include two New Jersey governors, William T. Cahill and James Florio, and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gregory Pardlo. In 2024, U.S. News ranked Camden 48th among top public universities and 98th among national universities. The Scarlet Raptors field 17 varsity sports in NCAA Division III, mostly in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

 

6. Kean University

Kean University started in April 1855 as the Newark Normal School and has been based in Union since 1958. In fall 202,4 it enrolled 13,905 students, 11,758 of them undergraduates. Its six colleges include the Michael Graves College of Architecture and Design and the College of Health Professions and Human Services.

Kean also runs Wenzhou-Kean University in China, a joint venture formally established on March 31, 2014, where classes are taught in English. A merger with New Jersey City University was set to take effect July 1, 2026, turning the Jersey City campus into Kean Jersey City. The Cougars compete in 14 NCAA Division III sports, and the baseball team won the 2007 Division III World Series.

 

7. The College of New Jersey

The College of New Jersey dates to 1855 and sits in Ewing Township. It enrolls about 7,340 students, 6,653 of them undergraduates, across seven schools, including engineering, nursing, business, and education. Before 1996, it was known as Trenton State College.

TCNJ offers a public education at a small-college scale. U.S. News ranked it fifth among Regional Universities North and first among top public schools in the Northeast in 2022, and The Princeton Review put it 47th for best value in 2021. The Lions field 22 varsity teams in NCAA Division III and compete in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

 

8. Rutgers University – Newark

Rutgers University-Newark grew out of the New Jersey Law School, which opened in 1908. It enrolls 12,321 students, 8,170 of them undergraduates, in Newark. Its seven degree-granting schools include the Newark College of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers Business School, and the School of Criminal Justice.

U.S. News has named Rutgers-Newark the nation’s most diverse university every year since 1997. 2022 program rankings put its criminology program ninth and supply chain and logistics sixth nationally. A 391-bed honours residence is under construction. The Scarlet Raiders compete in NCAA Division III in the NJAC, and Rutgers Law School in Newark is described as the oldest in the state.

 

9. Seton Hall University

Seton Hall University was founded on September 1, 1856, by Newark Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and remains a Catholic university in South Orange. In fall 202,3 it enrolled 9,529 students, 6,109 of them undergraduates, across nine academic units. Those include the Stillman School of Business and Seton Hall Law in Newark.

In 20,15 Seton Hall partnered with Hackensack Meridian Health to start a medical school, which became the independent Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in 2020. U.S. News ranked the university 165th among national universities in 2025. The Pirates compete in NCAA Division I in the Big East Conference.

 

10. Rowan University

Rowan University opened on September 24, 1923, as Glassboro Normal School. It has grown into a public research university with 14 colleges and schools and is classified R2. Campuses in Glassboro, Camden, and Stratford give it a large health sciences footprint, including Cooper Medical School and the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine.

The school is named for industrialist Henry M. Rowan, whose $100 million gift, the largest ever to a public college at the time, required the creation of a College of Engineering. Reported enrollment runs from about 19,600 to 22,900 students. U.S. News ranked Rowan 88th among top public schools in 2024. The Profs compete in NCAA Division III in the NJAC.

 

11. Montclair State University

Montclair State University was founded on September 28, 1908, and now enrolls about 22,570 students, 18,062 of them undergraduates (June 2024). Seven colleges and six schools share a campus that reaches into Clifton and Little Falls, so the range of majors is wide.

Montclair State earned the R2 research designation in 2019 and was named a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education in 2016. U.S. News placed it 152nd among national universities in 2025, and Washington Monthly ranked it 57th among 438 national universities in 2024. The Red Hawks compete in NCAA Division III in the NJAC. U.S. News also ranked its online Master of Arts in Educational Leadership 25th in 2020.

 

12. William Paterson University of New Jersey

William Paterson University began in 1855 as the Paterson City Normal School, making it the state’s third-oldest public institution. About 9,426 students (fall 2023) study on a 370-acre campus in Wayne. The four colleges include the Cotsakos College of Business and a School of Nursing that opened in fall 2023.

Jazz is a particular point of pride. The Jazz Room Series, started in 1978, is described as the longest-running campus-based jazz concert series in the country. The school gained university status in June 1997. The Pioneers field 13 teams in NCAA Division III, and the baseball team won national titles in 1992 and 1996.

 

13. Drew University

Drew University began in 1867 as Drew Theological Seminary and became a university in 1928 when Brothers College was added. It is a small school with United Methodist roots in Madison, about 25 miles west of New York City, and nicknamed University in the Forest.

U.S. News tied Drew for 84th among national liberal arts colleges in 2026 and ranked it seventh for social mobility. The Princeton Review has placed its theatre program in the top 20 since 2011. The Caspersen School of Graduate Studies, named in 1999 after a $5 million pledge, offers graduate degrees. The Rangers compete in NCAA Division III and field 20 teams.

 

14. Stockton University

Stockton University was founded in 1969 and welcomed its first class in 1971. The main campus covers 1,600 acres of the Pine Barrens in Galloway Township, with a second campus in Atlantic City. In fall 2025, it enrolled 8,626 students, 7,583 of them undergraduates.

It was Stockton State College, then Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, before becoming Stockton University on February 18, 2015. In 2025, U.S. News ranked it 84th among public universities and 158th among national universities, and placed it in the top 40 for social mobility. The Ospreys compete in NCAA Division III in the NJAC.

 

15. Fairleigh Dickinson University – Metropolitan Campus

Fairleigh Dickinson University opened in 1942 as a junior college in Rutherford. This entry covers its Metropolitan Campus in Teaneck and Hackensack, the home of its Division I teams. The university serves more than 10,000 students across its campuses.

FDU is organized around two colleges, Maxwell Becton College of Arts and Sciences and Silberman College of Business, plus independent schools for nursing and allied health, pharmacy and health sciences, computer sciences and engineering, and public and global affairs. Alumni include columnist Peggy Noonan and Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf. Former T-Mobile chief executive John Legere is another graduate. The Knights, whose mascot is Knightro, compete in the Northeast Conference.

 

16. Caldwell University

The Sisters of St. Dominic founded Caldwell University in 1939, and it remains a Catholic school on a 70-acre campus in Caldwell, about 20 miles from Manhattan. It enrolled 2,005 students in fall 2024, 1,617 of them undergraduates.

It offers 25 undergraduate and 30 graduate programs, including doctoral, master’s, and certificate options, with online learning available. Caldwell was Caldwell College for Women until 1986 and became Caldwell University on July 1, 2014. Alumni include actress Beth Fowler and former New Jersey Secretary of State Jane Burgio. The Cougars compete in NCAA Division II, and the university began an eSports program in fall 2019.

 

17. Rider University

Rider University opened on October 1, 1865, as Trenton Business College and became Rider University on April 13, 1994. The campus is in Lawrenceville, and about 3,693 students attend. Its three colleges are the Norm Brodsky College of Business, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the College of Education and Human Services.

Westminster Choir College, which merged with Rider in 1991 to 1992, sits inside the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and gives the university a serious music program in Princeton. Rider’s colours are cranberry and grey, and the Broncs compete in NCAA Division I. The wrestling team competes in the Mid-American Conference.

 

18. Berkeley College – Woodland Park

Berkeley College was founded in 1931 as The Berkeley School and is headquartered in Woodland Park. It is a private, for-profit college with campuses in Midtown Manhattan, Newark, Woodbridge, and Woodland Park, plus Berkeley College Online. It enrolled 4,128 students in 2025.

Business programs run through the Larry L. Luing School of Business, and health programs run through the School of Health Studies, created after the 2013 merger with Dover Business College. Students can earn certificates, associate, bachelor’s, and graduate degrees. Berkeley has offered distance education since 1998 and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The Paramus campus was consolidated into Woodland Park in 2022.

 

19. Monmouth University

Monmouth University opened on November 21, 1933, as Monmouth Junior College and gained university status in 1995. Its 159-acre campus in West Long Branch centers on Shadow Lawn, a mansion purchased in 1955 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985. Its main building has been called the Great Hall since 2020.

About 6,167 students attend, and seven schools include the Leon Hess Business School and the Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies. Monmouth is home to the Monmouth University Polling Institute and the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music. The Hawks compete in NCAA Division I and joined the Colonial Athletic Association on July 1, 2022.

 

20. Eastwick College – Ramsey

Eastwick College is a private career college whose Ramsey campus sits about twenty minutes from Manhattan. It also operates campuses in Hackensack and Nutley, and the HoHoKus School of Trade and Technical Sciences in Paterson. The focus is hands-on training, with nursing and health programs at the center.

Ramsey offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, associate programs in registered nursing, surgical technology, occupational therapy assistant, and diagnostic cardiovascular sonography, plus practical nursing and patient care technician training. Other campuses offer business, cybersecurity, and HVACR programs, and not every program is available at every location. Hackensack adds associate degrees in culinary arts and funeral service.

 

21. Ramapo College of New Jersey

Ramapo College of New Jersey was founded in 1968 and sits on 300 acres in Mahwah, in Bergen County. It enrolled 5,732 students in fall 2021, 5,145 of them undergraduates. The college is a founding member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges and has been accredited by Middle States since 1975.

Its main schools are the Anisfield School of Business and the schools of Arts, Humanities, and Education; Science, Nursing, and Health; and Social Sciences and Social Work. U.S. News ranked it 27th among Regional Universities North and 10th among top public colleges in 2025. The Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center opened there in December 2022. The Roadrunners compete in NCAA Division III.

 

22. Saint Peter’s University The Society of Jesus founded 

Saint Peter’s University in 1872, and it became a university in 2012. It is a Jesuit school on a 30-acre urban campus in Jersey City, with 3,572 students in fall 2024, 2,263 of them undergraduates.

The Caulfield School of Education, the Frank J. Guarini School of Business, and the School of Nursing sit beside the College of Arts and Sciences. U.S. News ranked it sixth in best value and 11th for social mobility in 2023. In 2022, the Peacocks, a No. 15 seed, beat Kentucky, Murray State, and Purdue to become the first 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight. They play NCAA Division I in the MAAC.

 

23. Saint Elizabeth University. The Sisters of Charity of The Sisters of Charity of 

Saint Elizabeth founded Saint Elizabeth University on September 11, 1899, as the College of Saint Elizabeth. It was among the first Catholic colleges in the country to award degrees to women. The 200-acre wooded campus in Morris Township includes a classical Greek amphitheatre.

The school became a university on July 1, 2020, and offers 25 undergraduate, 16 master’s, and two doctoral programs to 1,141 students. It began admitting men with the 2016 freshman class, and the last all-female class graduated in 2019. The Eagles compete in NCAA Division III and joined the United East Conference in 2023-24.

 

24. New Jersey City University

New Jersey City University was chartered in 1927 as the New Jersey State Normal School at Jersey City and took its current name in 1998. It serves a diverse student body, with Hispanic students making up 48 percent of undergraduates in fall 2023.

Four colleges, Business, Arts and Sciences, Education, and Professional Studies, served about 6,800 undergraduates and 2,350 graduate students. Under legislation signed on January 12, 2026, the university was set to merge with Kean on July 1, 2026, with the Jersey City campus becoming Kean Jersey City. The men’s basketball team reached the NCAA Final Four in 1986 and 1992.

 

25. Fairleigh Dickinson University – Florham Campus

Fairleigh Dickinson University runs a second New Jersey campus in Madison and Florham Park, known as the Florham Campus. Teams here are the Devils, who compete in NCAA Division III in the MAC Freedom conference, a different athletic path from the Division I Knights in Teaneck.

The university also operates a Vancouver campus in British Columbia, opened in 2007, and has announced the sale of Wroxton College in Oxfordshire, England, in November 2025. Specialty schools include the International School of Hospitality, Sports, and Tourism Management; the Peter Sammartino School of Education; and the School of Psychology and Counselling. The Devils’ mascot is Ian the Devil.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best colleges in New Jersey in 2027?

Princeton University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Rutgers University-Camden lead this University Magazine list for 2027.

What is the largest university in New Jersey?

Rutgers University-New Brunswick is the largest on this list, with about 43,859 students. Montclair State had 22,570 students in June 2024; Rowan reported roughly 19,600 to 22,900; and Kean had 13,905 in fall 2024.

Which New Jersey college is the most selective?

Princeton University is the most selective school on this list, with a 4.0 percent admit rate for the Class of 2030.

Which New Jersey college plays in the Big Ten?

Rutgers University-New Brunswick. The Scarlet Knights compete in NCAA Division I football in the Big Ten Conference.

Which New Jersey colleges are Catholic?

Seton Hall University, Caldwell University, Saint Peter’s University (Jesuit), and Saint Elizabeth University are Catholic schools on this list.

Which New Jersey college has a co-op program?

Stevens Institute of Technology offers an optional co-op that adds about 18 months of paid work experience. About 30 percent of undergraduates take it.

Top 25 Best Colleges in New Jersey 2027: Ranked List

1. Princeton University
2. Rutgers University-New Brunswick
3. Stevens Institute of Technology
4. New Jersey Institute of Technology
5. Rutgers University-Camden
6. Kean University
7. The College of New Jersey
8. Rutgers University – Newark
9. Seton Hall University
10. Rowan University
11. Montclair State University
12. William Paterson University of New Jersey
13. Drew University
14. Stockton University
15. Fairleigh Dickinson University – Metropolitan Campus
16. Caldwell University
17. Rider University
18. Berkeley College – Woodland Park
19. Monmouth University
20. Eastwick College – Ramsey
21. Ramapo College of New Jersey
22. Saint Peter’s University
23. Saint Elizabeth University
24. New Jersey City University
25. Fairleigh Dickinson University – Florham Campus

 

Read more about UM World University Rankings