Best Colleges for Social Mobility in New Jersey (2026)
Updated
Best Colleges for Social Mobility in New Jersey lists 27 four-year institutions in New Jersey. Schools are ordered by Azimuth's mobility pillar for New Jersey, highest first.
The pillar measures historical low-income earnings relative to peers, the scale of Pell enrollment and Pell completion, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. Rutgers University-New Brunswick ranks 1st on this list and reports median earnings of $77,933 for its graduates four years after completing. The list includes 11 public and 16 private nonprofit schools.
Princeton University posts the lowest average net price at $6,128, and Princeton University reports the highest six-year completion rate at 98%. New Jersey City University has the highest admission rate, admitting 98% of applicants.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years after completion | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick · New Brunswick, NJ | $77,933 | $24,406 | $16,343 | 58.2% |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick ranks 1st on this list and reports median earnings of $77,933 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | Montclair State University · Montclair, NJ | $61,351 | $15,566 | $10,880 | 87.9% |
| Montclair State University posts a six-year completion rate of 65% and an average net price of $15,566. | |||||
| 3 | Rowan University · Glassboro, NJ | $62,686 | $22,408 | $15,305 | 77.7% |
| Rowan University admits 78% of applicants and its graduates earn a median of $62,686 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | New Jersey Institute of Technology · Newark, NJ | $91,874 | $16,504 | $10,138 | 65.1% |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology ranks 84th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $91,874 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Stockton University · Galloway, NJ | $58,872 | $20,670 | $15,135 | 88.9% |
| Stockton University has an average net price of $15,135 for families earning under $30,000 and a six-year completion rate of 69%. | |||||
| 6 | Kean University · Union, NJ | $59,472 | $12,447 | $7,374 | 75.9% |
| Kean University reports an average net price of $12,447 and median earnings of $59,472 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | William Paterson University of New Jersey · Wayne, NJ | $59,272 | $18,745 | $16,171 | 90.1% |
| William Paterson University of New Jersey admits 90% of applicants and ranks 287th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 8 | Beth Medrash Govoha · Lakewood, NJ | $53,524 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Beth Medrash Govoha reports median earnings of $53,524 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | The College of New Jersey · Ewing, NJ | $72,068 | $27,646 | $7,908 | 62.3% |
| The College of New Jersey has a six-year completion rate of 86% and an average net price of $7,908 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 10 | Ramapo College of New Jersey · Mahwah, NJ | $67,266 | $18,173 | $9,008 | 70.6% |
| Ramapo College of New Jersey ranks 433rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its graduates earn a median of $67,266 four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | New Jersey City University · Jersey City, NJ | $60,965 | $16,053 | $14,005 | 98.4% |
| New Jersey City University admits 98% of applicants and reports an average net price of $16,053. | |||||
| 12 | Princeton University · Princeton, NJ | $108,590 | $6,128 | $41 | 4.6% |
| Princeton University reports median earnings of $108,590 for its graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $41 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 13 | Seton Hall University · South Orange, NJ | $76,919 | $31,446 | $19,623 | 73.3% |
| Seton Hall University reports median earnings of $76,919 for its graduates four years after completing, and its six-year completion rate is 69%. | |||||
| 14 | Stevens Institute of Technology · Hoboken, NJ | $112,538 | $41,346 | $27,221 | 47.6% |
| Stevens Institute of Technology admits 48% of applicants and posts a six-year completion rate of 87%. | |||||
| 15 | Yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok · Elizabeth, NJ | $95,988 | $28,599 | $27,764 | 86.2% |
| Graduates of Yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok earn a median of $95,988 four years after completing, and the school admits 86% of applicants. | |||||
| 16 | Pillar College · Newark, NJ | $44,376 | $8,470 | $15,139 | Not reported |
| Pillar College carries an average net price of $8,470, and its graduates earn a median of $44,376 four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Thomas Edison State University · Trenton, NJ | $85,816 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Thomas Edison State University, a public university in Trenton, reports median earnings of $85,816 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | Monmouth University · West Long Branch, NJ | $68,968 | $30,988 | $18,924 | 89.0% |
| Monmouth University ranks 18th on this list, with a six-year completion rate of 72% and an admission rate of 89%. | |||||
| 19 | Felician University · Lodi, NJ | $78,605 | $40,045 | $39,626 | Not reported |
| Felician University posts an average net price of $39,626 for families earning under $30,000, and its graduates earn a median of $78,605 four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Drew University · Madison, NJ | $59,259 | $24,280 | $15,224 | 67.8% |
| Drew University admits 68% of applicants, and its graduates earn a median of $59,259 four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Rider University · Lawrenceville, NJ | $63,250 | $24,792 | $15,824 | 78.6% |
| Rider University reports median earnings of $63,250 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 61%. | |||||
| 22 | Caldwell University · Caldwell, NJ | $64,716 | $24,691 | $18,059 | 71.3% |
| Caldwell University ranks 595th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its graduates earn a median of $64,716 four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Georgian Court University · Lakewood, NJ | $62,671 | $19,285 | $12,683 | 78.8% |
| Georgian Court University carries an average net price of $12,683 for families earning under $30,000, and its six-year completion rate is 54%. | |||||
| 24 | Saint Peter's University · Jersey City, NJ | $64,352 | $12,199 | $10,783 | 90.3% |
| Saint Peter's University admits 90% of applicants and reports median earnings of $64,352 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Centenary University · Hackettstown, NJ | $63,207 | $20,503 | $13,329 | 83.1% |
| Centenary University, a private nonprofit university in Hackettstown, reports median earnings of $63,207 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 26 | Saint Elizabeth University · Morristown, NJ | $66,386 | $23,125 | $20,379 | 71.0% |
| Saint Elizabeth University admits 71% of applicants and shows a six-year completion rate of 51%. | |||||
| 27 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus · Teaneck, NJ | $68,049 | $15,404 | $10,218 | 90.7% |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus carries an average net price of $15,404 and ranks 834th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by Azimuth's mobility pillar for New Jersey, highest first. The pillar measures historical low-income earnings relative to peers, the scale of Pell enrollment and Pell completion, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The pillar draws on the median earnings of federally aided completers four years after completing, among those working and not enrolled, alongside Pell enrollment and completion metrics. It does not measure earnings in any single major or teaching quality. The list includes 11 public and 16 private institutions.