Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Schools are assigned a value from 1-100, where 100 is best for students from households earning up to $30,000. This value is multiplied by the percentage of the school’s student body that received a Pell Grant, to calculate the economic mobility score. A higher score is better. Read the full explanation
The percentage of a school’s student body that has received a Pell Grant.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
The total debt accrued by the median student at the time of graduation.
The debt-to-earnings ratio is calculated by dividing student debt upon graduation by the annual salary. A debt to earnings ratio of 1 means that annual educational debt is the same as annual earnings.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
The best colleges in New Jersey are Princeton University and New Jersey Institute of Technology according to our economic score metric. New Jersey is home to 2 of the 9 colleges founded before the American Revolution: Princeton University and Rutgers University. The state has a lot to offer, with the iconic Jersey Shore, Atlantic City, and Liberty State Park drawing people in from around the country.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$8,143
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$110,066
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate98%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$17,955
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$84,276
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate84%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$38,104
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$108,772
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate87%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$22,675
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$74,479
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate85%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$24,659
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$73,323
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate87%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$10,406
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$57,237
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate62%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$19,333
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$67,541
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate73%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$11,293
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$57,815
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate59%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$13,540
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$57,602
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate65%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$15,677
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$61,415
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate72%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$12,946
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$57,780
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate63%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$14,684
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$57,273
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate59%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$30,732
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$70,196
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate68%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$30,005
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$67,991
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate76%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$24,892
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$63,646
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate70%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$23,153
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$62,208
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate66%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$17,764
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$57,602
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate76%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$21,344
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$59,988
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate73%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$19,811
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$53,843
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate62%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$19,311
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$53,096
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate67%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
www.degreechoices.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate
us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
Average income based on education level
The following figures are the average salaries in New Jersey for each level of education.
Average Income
The average income of people in this state with a high-school diploma, certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree, 10 years after enrollment, based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
HS Diploma$40,193
Certificate$48,211
Associate$63,658
Bachelor$59,835
Master$69,720
Cost of attending college in New Jersey
In-state-tuition$20,729
The average in-state tuition, before financial aid, of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Out-of-state-tuition$23,315
The average tuition for out-of-state students, before financial aid of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Most popular degrees in New Jersey
In New Jersey the most popular degrees are Business Administration, Registered Nursing, and General Psychology. To create this list, we complied and analyzed data from IPEDS and College Scorecard.
They both provide information on how many graduates each program has annually. The list below is both undergraduate- and graduate-level programs.
Popular degrees
1Business Administration 6,653graduates
2Registered Nursing 3,570graduates
3General Psychology 3,075graduates
4Biology 2,807graduates
5Computer and Information Sciences 2,462graduates
6Accounting 1,787graduates
7Criminal Justice 1,654graduates
8Social Work 1,569graduates
9Finance 1,486graduates
10Comms & Media Studies 1,401graduates
Fastest growing careers
New Jersey job growth
11.1%
Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors
68.2%
Nurse Practitioners
61.3%
Massage Therapists
47.9%
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
41%
Occupational Therapy Assistants
40.9%
Physical Therapist Assistants
39.4%
Physician Assistants
39.1%
Statisticians
35%
Medical and Health Services Managers
33.4%
Aerospace Engineers
32.4%
Best bachelor’s degrees in New Jersey
These majors are most likely to pay off economically after graduation.
Program NamesEconomic Score
1Public Policy Analysis 1.42
2General Marketing Operations 1.81
3Registered Nursing 1.95
4Engineering technology 2.05
5Electrical Engineering 2.08
6Computer Science 2.22
7Engineering Science 2.29
8Medical Allied Professions 2.3
9Chemical Engineering 2.37
10Electric Engr. Tech 2.49
11Mechanical Engineering 2.6
12Computer Systems Analysis 2.61
13Managerial Econ. 2.65
14Finance 2.71
15Electromechanical Engr. Tech 2.79
16Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology 2.9
Higher education is supposed to act as an economic elevator that lifts students from low-income households into the middle class. But not all colleges do this: unfortunately, many of the nation’s most “prestigious” schools accept very few students from low-income backgrounds.
To determine what colleges are doing the best job at lifting students out of poverty, we have devised a Social Mobility Index (SMI).
The best colleges for social mobility in New Jersey are shown below.
Bachelor's degree holders or higher
40.9%
Filters
New Jersey
11.1%
