State Hub

Colleges in New Jersey

CampusPin tracks 85 colleges in New Jersey, 58 universities and 27 community colleges. Compare tuition, acceptance, size, and setting to build a shortlist that fits.

Colleges tracked

85

Universities

58

Community colleges

27

Avg. in-state tuition

$18k

About college search in New Jersey

How New Jersey's higher-education landscape shapes a search

New Jersey’s higher-education landscape is anchored by Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, which operates three regional campuses (New Brunswick, Newark, Camden) and is one of the older public universities in the country. Beyond Rutgers, the state operates a tier of comprehensive public universities (TCNJ, Montclair State, William Paterson, Rowan, Kean, Stockton, NJCU, Ramapo, Thomas Edison State, NJIT), one Ivy League private (Princeton), one private research university focused on engineering and technology (Stevens), and 19 county colleges that form one of the most coordinated CC networks in the Northeast.

New Jersey’s position between Philadelphia and New York City means a meaningful share of in-state college search is cross-shop with Pennsylvania and New York institutions. The NJ STARS program covers full tuition at any county college for eligible top-percentile high school graduates; NJ STARS II then provides funding for transfer to a New Jersey four-year public. These pathways materially change the affordability math for in-state students.

Rutgers as multi-campus flagship

Rutgers operates three campuses, New Brunswick (largest, primary research), Newark, and Camden, each with its own academic profile and admissions.

Princeton University

Princeton, in Princeton, NJ, is one of the smallest Ivy League universities by enrollment and one of the oldest in the U.S.

19 county colleges

New Jersey operates 19 county colleges with formal transfer agreements to Rutgers and the state’s comprehensive public universities.

NJ STARS affordability

NJ STARS covers county-college tuition for eligible top-percentile NJ high school graduates; NJ STARS II extends funding to a four-year public transfer. Verify eligibility with the institution.

Public university system

Rutgers + New Jersey state colleges and universities

New Jersey’s public four-year sector includes Rutgers (multi-campus), New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), and the state comprehensive universities: TCNJ, Montclair State, Rowan, Kean, William Paterson, Stockton, Ramapo, NJCU, and Thomas Edison State. Each is governed by its own board.

Community college network

New Jersey’s 19 county colleges

Each of New Jersey’s 21 counties is served by one of 19 county colleges (some serve more than one county). The NJ Council of County Colleges coordinates statewide transfer policy and the NJ STARS program.

In-state vs. out-of-state tuition

New Jersey in-state public tuition is in the higher half of the national range. NJ STARS can reduce or eliminate community-college tuition for eligible in-state students and extend partial funding to public four-year transfer. Verify current eligibility and award amounts with the institution.

Top metros for college search

Where New Jersey's higher-education density concentrates

  • New Brunswick / Central New Jersey

    New Brunswick is the home of Rutgers–New Brunswick (the largest Rutgers campus) and Middlesex College.

  • Newark

    Newark hosts Rutgers–Newark, NJIT, Seton Hall (in nearby South Orange), and Essex County College.

  • Princeton

    Princeton is built around Princeton University; the area also includes The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in nearby Ewing.

  • Camden / South Jersey

    Camden hosts Rutgers–Camden and Rowan University in nearby Glassboro, plus several county colleges in the South Jersey region.

  • North Jersey

    North Jersey hosts Montclair State, William Paterson, Ramapo (Mahwah), Fairleigh Dickinson, and Bergen Community College.

What New Jersey actually costs

Median net price after grants
$11,842 for families under $30,000
$24,003 at $110,000 or more
Across 52 New Jersey colleges reporting the full series. All five income bands
Median federal debt at graduation
$20,960 with 39.7% borrowing
Debt without the borrower share is misleading, so CampusPin never shows one alone. Debt by college
Studying entirely online
15% of New Jersey students
Federal enrolment collection, weighted by students rather than campuses. Where they study

Every college we track

Colleges and universities in New Jersey

Filter all New Jersey schools

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Northeast region overview

What students weigh when searching colleges in New Jersey

Across New Jersey (NJ), CampusPin currently indexes 85 institutions: 33 public and 52 private, split between 58 universities and 27 community colleges. Students often need to weigh dense geography, cost variation, and the difference between urban access and residential campus feel.

Compare commute realities, housing expectations, and total cost, not just sticker price.
Separate highly selective options from practical-fit schools so shortlist decisions stay grounded.
Use public-system and transfer routes when you want flexibility without abandoning strong outcomes.

Browse by major

New Jersey colleges by program

Jump straight to New Jersey colleges and universities that offer a specific major. Each page compares tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment for that program across New Jersey.

Fields with a distinct set of New Jersey colleges

88 fields where the colleges that awarded credentials in New Jersey are a materially different set from those of any closely related field, based on federal completions data. Showing the 36 with the most colleges. The number is how many colleges awarded credentials.

How to use the New Jersey hub

Start with CampusPin results filtered to New Jersey so your first pass stays geographically focused.
Use school profiles to compare tuition, admissions, program format, and campus fit before building a shortlist.
If you are looking for lower-cost or transfer-first options, compare community colleges and four-year destinations separately.
Use blog guides and help-center content when you need stronger decision frameworks, not just more schools.

Next actions for New Jersey

Explore all colleges in New JerseyView community colleges in New JerseyView online programs in New JerseyRead planning guides before you compare

Frequently asked questions

Questions families ask about colleges in New Jersey

Which is the public flagship university in New Jersey?
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is the state’s public flagship. Rutgers operates three regional campuses, New Brunswick (largest), Newark, and Camden, each with its own admissions and academic profile.
How does the NJ STARS program work?
NJ STARS covers full county-college tuition for eligible high school graduates in the top percentile of their NJ high school class. NJ STARS II then provides funding toward transfer to a four-year New Jersey public university after the student completes an associate degree. Eligibility, GPA, and award details should be verified directly with the institution.
Is Princeton University in the Ivy League?
Yes. Princeton University, located in Princeton, NJ, is one of the eight Ivy League universities. It is private, not part of the state system.
How many HBCUs are in New Jersey?
New Jersey has no federally designated HBCUs.
Can New Jersey students compare colleges in New York and Pennsylvania on CampusPin?
Yes. NJ’s position between the NYC and Philadelphia metros makes cross-state college search common. Pin schools across NY, NJ, and PA, then open /compare to see them side by side on tuition, acceptance rate, enrollment, and programs.
How many New Jersey colleges are flagged for lower earnings on the FAFSA?
20 schools in the Department of Education's March 2026 release, the list the 2027-28 FAFSA uses, out of 113 New Jersey schools with an earnings figure. The December 2025 release flagged 24: 9 came off and 5 were added. Every one is named in the New Jersey section of CampusPin's FAFSA lower earnings list. The notice is informational and does not affect financial aid, and it describes a whole school, not a program.
How many New Jersey colleges cost more than a family can borrow from the federal government?
For families earning under $30,000, 5 of the 52 New Jersey colleges reporting the complete federal net-price series charge more after grants than the $25,500 a first-year dependent student and their parents can borrow federally from 1 July 2026; the median college there charges $11,842. For families earning $48,001–$75,000 it is 6 (median $15,061). Net prices are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any family, and Parent PLUS requires no adverse credit history.

Related blog clusters

Guides that pair well with a New Jersey search

Cost and Financial Aid

College affordability, net price, aid interpretation, borrowing decisions, and budgeting guidance for students and families using CampusPin to compare higher-ed options with more discipline.

Community College

Community-college strategy, affordability, transfer readiness, and credential pathway content for students exploring two-year options through CampusPin.

College Search Strategy

Filter-first search strategy, shortlist building, and planning content for students and parents using CampusPin to discover best-fit colleges and universities.

Help Center

Workflow guides for students searching in New Jersey

Getting Started With CampusPin

A fast orientation to the CampusPin workflow, from your first search through profile review, pins, and next-step planning.

How to Use Filters to Narrow Your College List

A practical help article on how to use CampusPin filters without over-filtering or locking yourself into the wrong criteria too early.

How to Read a CampusPin School Profile

A guide to the major sections inside a CampusPin institution profile and how to interpret them effectively. Each page connects to clearer next steps, related guides, and the CampusPin tools that help you decide.

CampusPin research

National analyses with New Jersey in the data

Each report is built from a checksum-verified snapshot, with full methodology and a downloadable CSV that includes New Jersey.

Comparing schools on price? See our national analysis of how college cost relates to graduation and earnings, an association driven by selectivity and sector, not evidence that a pricier college pays off.

Explore New Jersey

More ways to explore New Jersey colleges

By city

Colleges in New Jersey cities

CampusPin publishes a directory for 1 city in New Jersey, every one where federal data reports at least five colleges.

Browse colleges by city nationwide

What this count of 85 includes

Other sites publish very different totals for New Jersey, and most do not say what they are counting. Here is exactly what this one counts, so you can check it against anyone else's.

By level
58 listed as universities and 27 as community colleges. CampusPin records this as an institution type, and uses it as an approximation of four-year versus two-year; it is not a separately reported degree-level field.
By control
33 public and 52 private. CampusPin records control as public or private only, so private nonprofit and private for-profit institutions are not separated here.
  • Every institution counted has its own CampusPin profile listing the figures behind it and where each one came from, so the total can be checked against its parts rather than taken on trust.
  • This is CampusPin's directory of 3,798 institutions nationwide, not the full federal universe. NCES counted 5,829 Title IV institutions, administrative offices, and U.S. service academies nationwide for 2024-25. That figure includes entities a student would never apply to, which is one reason published totals differ so widely.
  • Figures come from federal sources on a reporting lag, so a very new or very recently closed institution may not be reflected yet. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.
Full data methodologyCoverage and data quality

Data sources & methodology

College listings for New Jersey are compiled from federal datasets and each institution's own published information.

Sources used across this page

Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.

  • IPEDS / NCES College Navigator

    Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.

  • U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

    Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.

  • Institutional websites

    Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.

Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.

Methodology Data dictionary Report a correction

Suggested citation

CampusPin. Colleges in New Jersey. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/colleges-by-state/new-jersey