2025 Best Colleges in New Jersey

New Jersey — also known as The Garden State — has a wide variety of higher education experiences and is home to some of the most well-known colleges in the United States.

New Jersey spans from the New York metropolitan area to what some consider the start of the American south. With a significantly lower crime rate than other American states, New Jersey also offers a safe experience for college students.

The Ivy League Experience in New Jersey

Princeton University, located in Princeton, New Jersey, is one of eight prestigious Ivy League colleges in the United States. Princeton is a private research university with extra-competitive admissions and extremely rigorous academics. Top Princeton majors include chemistry, history, and public policy. The university offers numerous undergraduate programs and 42 graduate programs.

Large New Jersey Universities

Rutgers is the largest college in the state, with around 45,000 undergraduate students and 20,000 graduate students. This public university has four campuses in New Jersey:

• Rutgers University - New Brunswick
• Rutgers University - Newark
• Rutgers University - Camden
• Rutgers University Biomedical and Health Sciences

Rutgers also has facilities elsewhere in New Jersey to facilitate ocean research. Many consider the New Brunswick campus a “public ivy,” meaning the school offers a similar experience to those of private Ivy League colleges.

Montclair State University has less than half the number of students as Rutgers — just over 20,000 — but is still one of the state's larger colleges. This public university is just 12 miles from New York City. Students benefit from internship opportunities at New York companies and metropolitan cultural experiences while living on a traditional college campus outside of the city. Montclair State has 300 plus programs to choose from and a high teacher-to-student ratio, meaning greater individual attention.

Farleigh Dickinson is the largest private university in the state. The school has two campuses in New Jersey, one in Vancouver, Canada, and another in the UK. The Metropolitan Campus in Teaneck, New Jersey is the largest and is just across the Hudson from New York City, offering students big-city opportunities. The other campus is in Florham Park, NJ.

Why Attend College in New Jersey?

New Jersey offers the unique experience of being close to two major metropolitan areas: New York City and Philadelphia. Both are prime locations for jobs, internships, learning experiences, and more — during college and after graduation. New Jersey residents tend to make more than the national average median income, making it a great place to begin life once you’ve finished college.

In addition to several great four-year colleges, New Jersey also has a strong network of two-year community colleges and trade school options. Many New Jersey community colleges offer a 3+1 opportunity to help college students save money. These programs allow students to spend two years getting an associate’s degree and an extra year in community college completing university coursework before transferring to a four-year institution for their last year to get a bachelor’s degree.

Here at Niche, we can help you connect with the New Jersey college that best fits your needs and future career goals.