17 N.J. Schools Ranked 'Best Colleges For Your Money'

Princeton University has topped Money Magazine’s recent list of Best Colleges For Your Money. A total of 711 schools nationwide made the list, including 17 from New Jersey. The list was compiled using six factors: median SAT/ACT score, estimated price without aid for the upcoming year, estimated price with a grant, percentage of enrollees who get grants, percentage of enrollees who get merit grants and the estimated amount of money graduates will make early in their career.

Three colleges from New Jersey made the top 100: The College of New Jersey and Rutgers University, New Brunswick in addition to Princeton University.

According to the list, the average SAT score for a Princeton University student is 1500, and the estimated ACT score is 33. An education at Princeton for the 2017-18 school year is expected to cost about $65,300 without any aid. Graduates don’t need to be in debt very long, as the average early career earnings amount to about $67,600.

Those attending on grants are in even better shape. The estimated price of an education at the Ivy League university is $19,300, and nearly 60 percent of attendees attend using need-based grants.

The university topped CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College in New York for the top spot. The University of Michigan was third, followed by the University of California-Berkeley and the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA).

Princeton was the only New Jersey college in the top 20, with The College of New Jersey checking in at No. 24. Harvard was the second highest ranked Ivy League college, at No. 10, followed by Yale at No. 14. The University of Pennsylvania was No. 27.

Here’s a complete list of where the other colleges in the state were ranked:

• 24. The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), Ewing
• 49. Rutgers University, New Brunswick;
• 124. Farleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus, Teaneck;
• 136. Ramapo College, Mahwah;
• 138. Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken;
• 172. New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark;
• 182. Montclair State University, Montclair;
• 206. Stockton University, Galloway;
• 266. St. Peter's University, Jersey City;
• 288. Seton Hall, South Orange;
• 296. Rowan University, Glassboro;
• 341. Centenary College, Hackettstown;
• 369. Kean Univeristy, Union;
• 379. Monmouth University, West Long Branch;
• 412. Rider University, Lawrenceville; and
• 660. Drew University, Madison.

To see the breakdown for each school and to view the full list, click here.

Patch file photo