Passaic County Community College
#4 Best Criminal Justice Colleges in New Jersey- Graduation Rate
- 17% F
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $36,972 C-
- Below average for college graduates
- Net Price
- $7,761 A-
- 55% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 4,260
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 29.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $29.2 over 20 years. Ranked #4 in Best Criminal Justice Colleges in New Jersey.
Every $1 spent returns $29.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $875,064.
What The Data Says
-
A C+ overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
-
Graduation of 17% — 70% below the national average.
-
Social mobility rate of 2.93% — an engine of upward economic mobility.
-
Every $1 invested returns $29.2 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Passaic County Community College Matters
Passaic County Community College is a public community college in Paterson, NJ and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: durable upward mobility for the students it enrolls.
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
- 4,260
- Setting
- Suburban
- Designations
- HSI
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Criminal Justice, Health Professions, Business & Marketing
Why students choose Passaic County Community 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 $7,761 a year after grants and scholarships — 55% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $36,972 ten years after enrolling — 9% below the typical college, against $7,536 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 2.9% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 11% nationally for mobility. High social capital (0.70 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
With around 4,260 students, Passaic County Community College in Paterson, NJ, is a solid choice for those looking to dive into practical fields like Humanities, Criminal Justice, Education, Business & Marketing, or Health Professions. This college is a good fit for individuals who want to kickstart their careers with hands-on experience and a supportive environment. The focus on accessible education means that many students here are looking to balance school with work and family commitments.
Life after graduation can be promising, especially considering that former students earn an average of $36,972 within ten years of completing their studies. This figure is a helpful benchmark, suggesting that those who invest their time at Passaic County Community College have the potential to secure stable employment in their chosen fields. It’s worth noting that 61% of students receive Pell Grants, which can significantly ease financial burdens, making the path to employment a bit more manageable.
When it comes to finances, the net price after aid stands at $7,761, which is quite affordable compared to many other options. With a median debt of $7,536, students generally leave with a reasonable financial load, allowing them to focus on building their careers rather than being weighed down by debt. Those who thrive here often have a clear sense of their goals and are motivated to make the most of the practical programs available.
Rankings
- #4 Best Criminal Justice Colleges in New Jersey
- #9 Most Affordable Colleges in New Jersey
- #17 Best Education Colleges in New Jersey
- #22 Best Computer Science Colleges in New Jersey
- #22 Best Data Science Colleges in New Jersey
- #27 Best Nursing Colleges in New Jersey
- #29 Best Online Colleges in New Jersey
- #32 Best Colleges in New Jersey
Can I Get In?
How selective Passaic County Community 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 Passaic County Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Passaic County Community College, located in Paterson, New Jersey, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 17%.
- Retention Rate
- 60%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 100%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $8,769
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 15:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.54
- First-Gen Students
- 61%
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 Passaic County Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Passaic County Community College is $10,560, 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 $7,761. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $7,686 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $7,536 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $6,300
- Out-of-State
- $10,560
- Avg Net Price
- $7,761
- Median Debt
- $7,536
- Pell Grant Rate
- 61%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 11%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $7,686
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $6,088
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $7,694
- Family Income $110K+
- $12,816
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Passaic County Community College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Passaic County Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Passaic County Community College report median earnings of $36,972, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $31,276
- 8 Years
- $34,704
- 10 Years
- $36,972
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.2x
- Earning > $25K
- 41%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (34)
- 6%
- 100% (34)
- 6%
- 100% (34)
- 6%
- 100% (34)
- 6%
How Passaic 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 Passaic County Community College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Passaic County Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $7,761/year ($31,044 total). Graduates earn $36,972 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $906,108 in total earnings — a net gain of $875,064 (29.2× your investment). The median debt is $7,536, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 17% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $31,044
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $906,108
- Net Return
- $875,064
- ROI Multiple
- 29.2×
- Cost Per Year
- $7,761
- Median Debt
- $7,536
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 17%
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 Passaic County Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Passaic County Community 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 2.93%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 32.6% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 9% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $36,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 2.93%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 9.0%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 32.6%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $49,455
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Endowment
- $78,594
Top Programs
The fields Passaic County Community College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Humanities 25%
- Criminal Justice 20% $36,562 early-career
- Health Professions 12% $87,866 early-career
- Business & Marketing 12% $35,917 early-career
- Education 8%
- Computer Science & IT 8% $27,327 early-career
- Engineering 2%
- Culinary & Personal Services 2%
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Passaic County Community 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+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPetroleum Engineer$135,690 · 2% growthResilient 72
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Passaic County Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Passaic County Community College, located in Paterson, New Jersey, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 17%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Passaic County Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Passaic County Community College is $10,560, 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 $7,761. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $7,686 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $7,536 in federal student loans.
Is Passaic County Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Passaic County Community College report median earnings of $36,972, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Passaic County Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Passaic County Community 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 2.93%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 32.6% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 9% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $36,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Passaic County Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs below average at Passaic County Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.70, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias runs higher (0.22), suggesting students tend to form ties within their own economic group. Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Passaic County Community College.
- City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington CollegeChicago, IL · Close peer27% grad $36,531 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
- Virginia Peninsula Community CollegeHampton, VA · Close peer34% grad $37,996 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
- New Mexico State University-Dona AnaLas Cruces, NM · Close peer17% grad $39,067 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- College of the RedwoodsEureka, CA · Close peer30% grad $36,243 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size
- Holyoke Community CollegeHolyoke, MA · Close peer31% grad $37,277 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
- Louisiana State University-EuniceEunice, LA · Close peer16% grad $36,498 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Passaic County Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs below average at Passaic County Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.70, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias runs higher (0.22), suggesting students tend to form ties within their own economic group. Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note