Best Colleges in New Jersey by Salary Potential

Before you enroll in a New Jersey university, find out which of the state’s schools are the best four-year colleges by earning potential.

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Bachelor's Only
All Alumni
RankSchool NameSchool TypeEarly Career Pay
Mid-Career Pay
% High Meaning
% STEM Degrees
Rank:1School Name:Princeton UniversitySchool Type:Ivy League, Private School, Research University, For Sports FansEarly Career Pay:$81,800Mid-Career Pay:$161,500% High Meaning:48%% STEM Degrees:49%
Rank:2School Name:Stevens Institute of TechnologySchool Type:Engineering, Private School, Research UniversityEarly Career Pay:$80,400Mid-Career Pay:$150,900% High Meaning:48%% STEM Degrees:76%
Rank:3School Name:New Jersey Institute of TechnologySchool Type:Engineering, Research University, For Sports Fans, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$69,200Mid-Career Pay:$129,600% High Meaning:52%% STEM Degrees:76%
Rank:4School Name:Rutgers University-New BrunswickSchool Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$64,600Mid-Career Pay:$122,000% High Meaning:42%% STEM Degrees:31%
Rank:5School Name:Seton Hall UniversitySchool Type:Private School, Religious, Research University, For Sports FansEarly Career Pay:$61,700Mid-Career Pay:$110,000% High Meaning:47%% STEM Degrees:9%
Rank:6School Name:Rutgers University-NewarkSchool Type:Research University, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$62,200Mid-Career Pay:$109,100% High Meaning:47%% STEM Degrees:14%
Rank:7School Name:The College of New JerseySchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$63,700Mid-Career Pay:$106,200% High Meaning:46%% STEM Degrees:17%
Rank:8School Name:Rider UniversitySchool Type:Private School, For Sports FansEarly Career Pay:$54,600Mid-Career Pay:$106,100% High Meaning:47%% STEM Degrees:4%
Rank:9School Name:Montclair State UniversitySchool Type:Research University, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$53,700Mid-Career Pay:$106,000% High Meaning:42%% STEM Degrees:10%
Rank:10School Name:Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham CampusSchool Type:Private School, For Sports FansEarly Career Pay:$57,300Mid-Career Pay:$105,500% High Meaning:47%% STEM Degrees:11%
Rank:10School Name:Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham CampusSchool Type:Private School, For Sports FansEarly Career Pay:$57,300Mid-Career Pay:$105,500% High Meaning:47%% STEM Degrees:11%
Rank:12School Name:Felician UniversitySchool Type:Private School, ReligiousEarly Career Pay:$54,800Mid-Career Pay:$104,000% High Meaning:49%% STEM Degrees:15%
Rank:13School Name:Saint Peter's UniversitySchool Type:Private School, Religious, For Sports FansEarly Career Pay:$55,000Mid-Career Pay:$103,900% High Meaning:37%% STEM Degrees:19%
Rank:14School Name:Drew UniversitySchool Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, ReligiousEarly Career Pay:$57,800Mid-Career Pay:$103,400% High Meaning:40%% STEM Degrees:16%
Rank:15School Name:Ramapo College of New JerseySchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$54,700Mid-Career Pay:$102,300% High Meaning:43%% STEM Degrees:13%
Rank:16School Name:Monmouth UniversitySchool Type:Private School, For Sports FansEarly Career Pay:$55,700Mid-Career Pay:$100,400% High Meaning:39%% STEM Degrees:11%
Rank:17School Name:Rutgers University-CamdenSchool Type:For Sports Fans, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$55,000Mid-Career Pay:$99,800% High Meaning:48%% STEM Degrees:8%
Rank:18School Name:Thomas Edison State UniversitySchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$57,100Mid-Career Pay:$99,400% High Meaning:57%% STEM Degrees:1%
Rank:19School Name:Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan CampusSchool Type:Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$56,200Mid-Career Pay:$99,300% High Meaning:46%% STEM Degrees:12%
Rank:20School Name:Rowan UniversitySchool Type:Research University, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$54,600Mid-Career Pay:$96,600% High Meaning:42%% STEM Degrees:22%
Rank:21School Name:William Paterson University of New JerseySchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$53,600Mid-Career Pay:$95,500% High Meaning:45%% STEM Degrees:9%
Rank:22School Name:Kean UniversitySchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$52,100Mid-Career Pay:$92,500% High Meaning:52%% STEM Degrees:11%
Rank:23School Name:Bloomfield CollegeSchool Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, ReligiousEarly Career Pay:$51,100Mid-Career Pay:$92,100% High Meaning:58%% STEM Degrees:10%
Rank:24School Name:Stockton UniversitySchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$50,600Mid-Career Pay:$91,100% High Meaning:50%% STEM Degrees:15%
Rank:25School Name:Centenary UniversitySchool Type:Private School, ReligiousEarly Career Pay:$49,300Mid-Career Pay:$87,800% High Meaning:42%% STEM Degrees:2%

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College Student

Of the colleges and universities in New Jersey included in Payscale’s College Salary Report, the most prestigious names are Princeton, Rutgers, and the Stevens Institute of Technology.

Stevens Institute of Technology, located in Hoboken, is the among top colleges in New Jersey as far as the highest-paid graduates for early career, second only to Ivy-League Princeton.

Other top schools for grads with great salaries include, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Rutgers.

Princeton is the most highly recommended college in the state with most alumni indicating that they would recommend the school to others. The smallest school is Drew University, with an undergrad enrollment of about 1,500.

Alan Ginsberg is just one of the famous alumni from New Jersey colleges and universities. Other notables include: Bruce Willis, Paul Robeson, Kristin Davis, Jane Krakowski, Roy Scheider, James Gandolfini, Mario Batali, Ozzie Nelson, Sherilyn McCoy, Terry Hart, and Clark Poling. But before you look into your career on the stage, you may want to consider the path many other Jersey alum took: Professor, or Engineer.