Ocean County College
- Graduation Rate
- 40% D+
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $45,210 C+
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $11,411 B
- 33% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 5,424
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 26.1× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $26.1 over 20 years.
Every $1 spent returns $26.1 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,146,792.
What The Data Says
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A C+ overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Graduation of 40% — 30% below the national average.
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Every $1 invested returns $26.1 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Ocean County College Matters
Ocean County College is a public community college in Toms River, NJ and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public Community College
- Carnegie Class
- Associate's College
- Enrollment
- 5,424
- Setting
- Suburban
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Visual & Performing Arts
Why students choose Ocean County College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
This school does not report a competitive admit rate — most qualified applicants are admitted.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $11,411 a year after grants and scholarships — 33% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $45,210 ten years after enrolling — 11% above the typical college, against $11,150 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.4% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 54% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.40 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Ocean County College is a good option for students looking for a community-focused environment with a variety of programs. With around 5,424 students, it offers a chance to connect closely with peers and faculty. Many students dive into fields like Humanities, Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Visual & Performing Arts, and Criminal Justice. This diversity allows individuals to pursue their passions while gaining practical skills that can lead to rewarding careers.
After graduation, students here can expect to earn around $45,210 within ten years. That’s a solid starting point for those entering the workforce. A significant portion of students—27%—receive Pell Grants, which can help make education more accessible. While the graduation rate is around 40%, those who complete their programs can often move up in their careers and find opportunities that align with their studies.
In terms of affordability, the net price after aid is about $11,411, which is manageable for many families. The median debt sits at $11,150, suggesting that graduates are leaving with a reasonable financial burden. Students who tend to thrive here are those seeking a supportive community and a practical education that prepares them for real-world challenges.
Rankings
- #16 Best Criminal Justice Colleges in New Jersey
- #17 Best Online Colleges in New Jersey
- #18 Best Computer Science Colleges in New Jersey
- #18 Best Data Science Colleges in New Jersey
- #19 Best Colleges in New Jersey
- #21 Most Affordable Colleges in New Jersey
- #25 Best Business Colleges in New Jersey
- #27 Best Nursing Colleges in New Jersey
Can I Get In?
How selective Ocean County College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Ocean County College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
As a public institution in Toms River, New Jersey, Ocean County College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 40%.
- Retention Rate
- 69%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 100%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $7,182
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 18:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.54
- First-Gen Students
- 52%
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Ocean County College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Ocean County College is $6,970, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $11,411. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $9,833 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $11,150 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $4,906
- Out-of-State
- $6,970
- Avg Net Price
- $11,411
- Median Debt
- $11,150
- Pell Grant Rate
- 27%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 6%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $9,833
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $9,876
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $11,965
- Family Income $110K+
- $17,869
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Ocean County College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Ocean County College earn a median of $45,210, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $36,382
- 8 Years
- $42,110
- 10 Years
- $45,210
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.25x
- Earning > $25K
- 53%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (380)
- 23%
- 100% (380)
- 23%
- 100% (380)
- 23%
- 100% (380)
- 23%
How Ocean Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Ocean County College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Ocean County College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $11,411/year ($45,644 total). Graduates earn $45,210 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,192,436 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,146,792 (26.1× your investment). The median debt is $11,150, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 40% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $45,644
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,192,436
- Net Return
- $1,146,792
- ROI Multiple
- 26.1×
- Cost Per Year
- $11,411
- Median Debt
- $11,150
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 40%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Ocean County College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Ocean County College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.40%, well above the typical college. About 8.8% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 15.9% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $81,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.40%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 15.9%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 8.8%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $81,600
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Endowment
- $7,999,473
- Federal Grants
- $3,563,684
- Investment Income
- $-1,417,821
Top Programs
The fields Ocean County College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Each links to its degree guide — with salary, growth, and the schools with the strongest outcomes.
- Humanities 57%
- Business & Marketing 14%
- Health Professions 12%
- Visual & Performing Arts 5%
- Criminal Justice 3%
- Computer Science & IT 3%
- Communications 1%
- Engineering 1%
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Ocean County College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Marketing Manager$156,580 · 8% growthAdaptable 64
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CAdvertising Manager$138,730 · 6% growthAdaptable 64
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Ocean County College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
As a public institution in Toms River, New Jersey, Ocean County College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 40%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Ocean County College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Ocean County College is $6,970, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $11,411. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $9,833 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $11,150 in federal student loans.
Is Ocean County College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Ocean County College earn a median of $45,210, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
Does Ocean County College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Ocean County College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.40%, well above the typical college. About 8.8% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 15.9% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $81,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Ocean County College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Ocean County College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.40, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Ocean County College.
- Waubonsee Community CollegeSugar Grove, IL · Close peer40% grad $44,788 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Monterey Peninsula CollegeMonterey, CA · Close peer35% grad $42,176 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Century CollegeWhite Bear Lake, MN · Close peer27% grad $46,424 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
- Southern Maine Community CollegeSouth Portland, ME · Close peer24% grad $41,661 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
- College of Southern MarylandLa Plata, MD · Close peer33% grad $44,435 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Brookdale Community CollegeLincroft, NJ · Close peer29% grad $44,379 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Ocean County College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Ocean County College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.40, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note