New Jersey has 153 colleges including 65 four-year colleges, 39 community colleges, and 49 trade schools. By control type, 40 schools are public and 113 schools are private. 411,702 students enrolled in New Jersey colleges according to IPEDS.

For 4-year colleges, commonly said to as colleges, there are 65 schools are active in New Jersey (14 public and 51 private). 268,558 students enrolled in the schools, by gender, 125,728 men and 142,830 women students.

These colleges have an average acceptance rate of 73.17% and an average SAT score of 1,240. The average tuition & fees for in-state students is $16,092 and for out-of-state students is $26,944. The average enrollment is about 4,132 students per college. On average, each college offers about 58 programs.

14 Prominent New Jersey Colleges

The following table lists major colleges in New Jersey that have high enrollment, good academic reputation, and recognized by New Jersey residents. It includes 7 public institutions and 7 private institutions.

New Jersey Major Colleges by Region
RegionProminent Institutions
Northern New JerseyStevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken), Montclair State University (Montclair), Seton Hall University (South Orange)
Central New JerseyPrinceton University (Princeton), Rutgers University-New Brunswick (New Brunswick)
Southern New JerseyRowan University (Glassboro), Stockton University (Galloway)

Rutgers University-New Brunswick, located in New Brunswick, is generally considered the flagship institution in New Jersey. It offers wide range of programs in both undergraduate and graduate levels, including 242 graduate programs and 9 online programs. Its total enrollment is approximately 52,269 including 3,953 online students.

Rutgers University-New Brunswick has the highest enrollment among these colleges, with a student population of 52,269 students. It offers the largest number of programs of 399.

Of the major colleges in New Jersey, 2 law schools and 2 medical schools are affiliated with these colleges. You can check the law schools and medical schools in the table below.

Notable public institutions

Prominent private institutions

  • Princeton University: Most selective New Jersey College, with an admission rate of 4.62% and an average SAT score of 1,550
  • Stevens Institute of Technology: Offering offering 154 programs; $63,462 tuition & fees; 47.58% acceptance rate; and 8,469 student population.
  • Rider University: Offering offering 200 programs; $41,120 tuition & fees; 78.64% acceptance rate; and 4,003 student population.
Comparison of New Jersey Major Colleges
NameGraduate ProgramsDistance LearningTuition & FeesAdm. RateSAT ScoreEnrollOffered ProgramsLaw SchoolMedical School
Princeton University
Princeton		YesNo$62,6884.62%15509,137129
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick		YesYes$37,44158.15%141052,269399Visit
Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken		YesYes$63,46247.58%14408,469154
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Newark		YesYes$37,66465.07%133013,247142
Rowan University
Glassboro		YesYes$26,93277.66%121021,026297Visit
The College of New Jersey
Ewing		YesYes$25,75262.29%12408,141111
Rutgers University-Newark
Newark		YesYes$36,76271.36%11,315105
Rider University
Lawrenceville		YesYes$41,12078.64%12004,003200
Rutgers University-Camden
Camden		YesYes$37,27666.29%11855,67580Visit
Drew University
Madison		YesYes$47,10067.83%12252,23291
Seton Hall University
South Orange		YesYes$53,17073.26%13109,571125Visit
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus
Teaneck		YesYes$37,01090.71%8,045122
Ramapo College of New Jersey
Mahwah		YesYes$27,70870.64%12105,98168
Saint Peter's University
Jersey City		YesYes$42,55290.30%3,572117