Some Of NJ’s Best Colleges Are Also Ranked Top Party Schools: Niche Rankings

NEW JERSEY — The website Niche.com ranked dozens of New Jersey colleges and universities among the best places to get a college degree. But, their “best of” lists also include ones focused on student experiences and campus life, including the best “party schools” by state.

In fact, some schools in the Garden State are ranked highly on both lists – indicating they are both good places to get a degree, and that students find plenty of ways to have fun outside of class.

A college’s student activities, campus atmosphere, and the availability of places to gather with friends are important for New Jersey students to consider when selecting a higher education institution.

Niche boasts more than 500,000 overall reviews from college and university students at campuses across the nation. To decide which schools have the best party scene, the site combined that honest feedback with statistics about access to bars and restaurants, as well as overall grades for athletics and Greek life on campus.

One New Jersey college was ranked within the top 100 party schools nationally, with Rutgers University - New Brunswick coming in at No. 51. It was the only school in the state to get an “A+” party score.

Here are Niche’s top 10 party schools in the Garden State.

1. Rutgers University - New Brunswick, Piscataway (Overall Niche grade: A)
2. Rowan University, Glassboro (Overall Niche grade: B)
3. Rutgers University - Newark, Newark (Overall Niche grade: A-)
4. Princeton University, Princeton (Overall Niche grade: A+)
5. Monmouth University, West Long Branch (Overall Niche grade: B)
6. Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken (Overall Niche grade: A-)
7. William Paterson University, Wayne (Overall Niche grade: B)
8. New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark (Overall Niche grade: B+)
9. Seton Hall University, South Orange (Overall Niche grade: B+)
10. Kean University, Union (Overall Niche grade: B)

Princeton was also ranked the best college in the state in Niche's 2024 Best Colleges rankings. Rutgers University campuses in New Brunswick and Newark were also in the top 5 best colleges overall.

Nationally, the following five colleges were Niche's top-rated party schools: The University of California - Santa Barbara, Florida State University in Tallahassee, Tulane University in New Orleans, the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and Syracuse University.