Higher Education Outcome Report · Northeast

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New Jersey Higher Education Outcome Report

Updated continuously · 86 degree-granting institutions graded

New Jersey's higher education system is a above-average mobility and higher earnings system. Median 10-year earnings sit at $55,241, +7% vs the national median.

pharmaceuticals
finance
logistics

149
INSTITUTIONS: $55,241
MEDIAN EARNINGS: ▲ 7% vs natl; $16,403
AVG NET PRICE: 39 / 51
PUBLIC / PRIVATE

OUTCOME GRADE

78/100 · #2 of 50

New Jersey At A Glance

State-Level Intelligence

Institutions

86

297,450 students enrolled
Graduates / Year

~38,913

Estimated annual completers
Median Earnings
74th pct

$52,892

13th of 50 states
Mobility Score
91st pct

2.5%

4th of 46 states
Talent Retention
42nd pct

75%

First-year retention rate
Value Ratio
88th pct

3.8x

Earnings per net-price dollar

Top Industries Hiring Graduates:

Business
Healthcare
Humanities

Executive Summary

New Jersey graduates earn a median of $52,892 a decade after entry, 8% above the national state average, ranking 13th of 50 states.
Upward mobility is a defining strength: the state's institutions move bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 2.5% rate, in the 91st percentile nationally.
Degree production is led by Business and Healthcare, which together account for 38% of graduates. That diversified mix sets what the state's labor pipeline can supply.
Sciences is the standout sector: graduates earn $63,450, +23% versus the national median. That premium points to a real wage advantage rather than sheer volume.
Humanities shows oversupply pressure: graduate earnings run 8.2% below the national median, suggesting the field produces more graduates than the local market rewards.
On value, New Jersey returns 3.8x earnings per dollar of net price, among the strongest cost-to-outcome efficiency in the country.

Key Insights

Earnings vs National

+10.9%

Median graduate earnings in New Jersey are above the national average by 11%.
Cost vs National

+5.6%

Net price in New Jersey is higher than the national average by 6%.
Mobility Rate

+0.78pp

Upward mobility rate is 0.8 percentage points above the national average.
Completion Rate

+0.1pp

New Jersey's graduation rate is 0.1 percentage points above the national average.
Best Value

20.5x

Top value school: Middlesex College ($46,861 earnings vs $2,288 net price).
Low-Income Access

11.3%

11% of students come from bottom-quintile households, a measure of how open the state's colleges are to low-income students.

Education Output Profile

Business (20% of graduates) and Healthcare (17% of graduates) dominate New Jersey's higher education output. Graduates in the top field earn a weighted average of $53,872.

Business

20%

$53,872 avg
Healthcare

17%

$52,676 avg
Humanities

15%

$47,508 avg
Social Sciences

10%

$61,781 avg
Technology

9%

$62,020 avg

Concentration: diversified HHI: 13

Outcome Performance

New Jersey's highest-ROI degree cluster is Trades (Transportation), where graduates average $47,549 against a net cost of $6,466, a 7.4x return. That's -7.8% vs the national median. At the other end, Health Professions produces $53,376 at a 3.0x return, less than half what the top cluster delivers.

Transportation
7.4x

$47,549 earnings $6,466 net -7.8% vs natl
Mechanic & Repair Tech
4.7x

$46,738 earnings $9,958 net -9.4% vs natl
Culinary & Personal Services
4.5x

$42,372 earnings $9,508 net -17.8% vs natl
Precision Production
4.5x

$43,103 earnings $9,673 net -16.4% vs natl
Legal Studies
4.4x

$50,614 earnings $11,384 net -1.9% vs natl
Engineering
3.9x

$56,581 earnings $14,516 net +9.7% vs natl

State Talent Profile

Three lenses on New Jersey's talent pipeline: which fields produce the most graduates, which command the highest earnings, and where high-pay demand outruns local supply.

Dominant Fields

Business & Marketing 20%
Health Professions 17%
Humanities 14%
Computer Science & IT 9%
Psychology 6%

Highest-Earning Fields

Engineering $83,872
Social Sciences $66,149
Biology & Biomedical $62,871
Communications $61,099
Computer Science & IT $60,739

Opportunity Gaps

High earnings, low local production — fields where demand may outrun New Jersey's graduate supply.

Engineering $83,872 5% of grads
Social Sciences $66,149 4% of grads
Biology & Biomedical $62,871 5% of grads
Communications $61,099 3% of grads

Mobility & Retention

Opportunity Insights

New Jersey's colleges post an average mobility rate of 2.5%, which puts the state in the 91st percentile nationally. 11% of students arrive from bottom-quintile households, a larger share than most states enroll. Cross-class social connectedness averages 1.52, a proxy for the networks that help graduates convert a degree into mobility.

MOBILITY RATE

2.5%

▲ +0.85pp vs natl

Bottom 20% → Top 20%
LOW-INCOME ACCESS

11%

From bottom quintile
SUCCESS RATE

28%

If bottom 20% enroll
FIRST-GENERATION

44%

First-gen students
TALENT RETENTION

75%

First-year retention
SOCIAL CAPITAL

1.52

Economic connectedness

Mobility Leaders — Institutions Driving Upward Movement

Labor Market Alignment

New Jersey's Sciences programs produce graduates earning $63,450, +23% relative to the national median. Humanities graduates, however, earn 8.2% below the national median, a possible sign the state produces more of these degrees than its labor market absorbs.

Business
20% of enrollment

$54,020 +4.7% vs natl

51 schools
Healthcare
17% of enrollment

$52,320 +1.4% vs natl

46 schools
Humanities
15% of enrollment

$47,352 -8.2% vs natl

29 schools
Social Sciences
10% of enrollment

$59,079 +14.6% vs natl

31 schools
Technology
9% of enrollment

$57,318 +11.1% vs natl

25 schools
Sciences
6% of enrollment

$63,450 +23% vs natl

21 schools

Overperforming Sectors

Sciences: +23% vs national earnings ($63,450)

Social Sciences: +14.6% vs national earnings ($59,079)

Technology: +11.1% vs national earnings ($57,318)

Potential Oversupply Signals

Humanities: -8.2% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Institutional Landscape

New Jersey's higher education system includes 3 research-oriented, 13 specialized, 26 access-oriented, 44 regional institutions. Each group plays a different role in the state's outcomes.

3

Research Universities
44

Regional Universities
26

Access-Oriented Institutions
13

Specialized Institutions

Research Universities

Access-Oriented Institutions

Cost & Access Corridors

53% of New Jersey's colleges charge under $15K net. Graduates of those schools average $47,127 at 10 years. At the premium end, 3 schools charge over $40K, with graduates averaging $77,487.

NET PRICE UNDER $15K

40

53% of schools
Avg earnings: $47,127
NET PRICE $15K–$25K

23

30% of schools
Avg earnings: $58,653
NET PRICE $25K–$40K

10

13% of schools
Avg earnings: $62,562
NET PRICE OVER $40K

3

4% of schools
Avg earnings: $77,487

Top Earners

Schools ranked by median graduate earnings 10 years after enrolling.

Higher education in New Jersey

New Jersey is home to 149 colleges and universities, from 39 public institutions to 51 private nonprofits. Rutgers University-New Brunswick anchors the public system, and graduates across the state earn a median of about $48,609 ten years after enrolling.

Higher education clusters around Lakewood, Jersey City and Newark, and the strongest programs by enrollment are Health Professions, Business & Marketing and Computer Science & IT. We rank every school here by what its graduates actually earn and how far they move up — not by reputation or sticker price.

What college costs in New Jersey

The average net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — runs about $19,083 a year across New Jersey. Princeton University stands out on return: strong graduate earnings against a comparatively low net price. Public universities and in-state tuition remain the clearest path to a low-debt degree, while need-based aid can make selective private schools surprisingly competitive.

Most Affordable Schools

Jobs & industries

New Jersey's economy leans on pharmaceuticals, finance and logistics, which shapes which degrees pay off fastest in-state. Programs in Health Professions, Business & Marketing and Computer Science & IT feed directly into those employers, and graduates who stay in-region benefit from established hiring pipelines and alumni networks.

Licensure & transfer

Licensure and articulation are state-specific: nursing, teaching, law, and the health professions are regulated at the New Jersey level, so an in-state program is often the most direct route to practicing here. Community-college transfer agreements with public universities can also cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.

Cost vs Return

What graduates in New Jersey earn relative to what they pay for college.

MEDIAN EARNINGS (10YR)

$48,609

▲ +$4,772 vs natl

AVG NET PRICE

$19,083

▼ +$1,007 vs natl

EARNINGS / COST RATIO

2.5x

Return per dollar invested

Best Value Schools

Is New Jersey Right for You?

New Jersey is a strong fit if you want to build a career in pharmaceuticals and finance, value in-state tuition, or plan to work in the region after graduation. Use the rankings and filters below to weigh earnings, cost, and mobility for every school in the state.

Every figure on this page is derived from public federal data and read within its regional and economic context. Information Gain Policy →

Related Rankings

Top Schools

Princeton University · NJ Stevens Institute of Technology · NJ Chamberlain University-New Jersey · NJ Holy Name Medical Center-Sister Claire Tynan School of Nursing · NJ New Jersey Institute of Technology · NJ Yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok · NJ

FAQ

How many colleges are in New Jersey?

There are 149 colleges and universities in New Jersey in our dataset — 39 public, 51 private nonprofit.

What is the highest-earning college in New Jersey?

By median graduate earnings 10 years out, Princeton University leads, followed by schools like Stevens Institute of Technology and Chamberlain University-New Jersey.

How much does college cost in New Jersey?

The average net price — tuition and living costs after grants — is about $19,083 per year. In-state public tuition is typically the lowest-cost path.

What are the best-paying career fields in New Jersey?

New Jersey's economy is anchored by pharmaceuticals, finance and logistics, so degrees feeding those industries tend to pay off fastest in-state.

Is it worth going to college in New Jersey?

For most students, yes — especially at in-state public universities and high-value private schools. Princeton University, for example, pairs strong earnings with a low net price. Weigh earnings against net price using the data on this page.

All 149 schools in New Jersey

Data Behind This Page Updated 2026

149 institutions in New Jersey

2026 Last updated

100% Public / federal sources

Source datasets

Methodology

States are graded on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost — each drawn from federal data and Opportunity Insights research, then normalized into a single Outcomes Index (0–100).

See the full methodology and weights →

Confidence notes

Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.

Limitations

Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.

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