These 16 NJ schools made Forbes’ list of top 500 colleges in U.S.

⚫ New Jersey claims the No. 1 spot in the nation

⚫ Both public and private NJ institutions make the list

⚫ "Return on investment" is one of the metrics analyzed by Forbes

The Garden State is represented 16 times on a list from Forbes of "America's Top Colleges."

And the No. 1 university in the nation is right here in New Jersey.

The annual list from the business magazine takes into account 14 metrics related to the educational, financial, and career outcomes of students. Examples include graduation rate, student debt, and "return on investment."

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Forbes started with a list of thousands of higher education institutions across the country, and whittled it down to 500.

Below is a list of all the New Jersey institutions that made this year's list.

#448 Fairleigh Dickinson University—Florham campus

Average grant aid: $28,436

Average debt: $8,747

Median 10-year salary: $118,500

#426 Rowan University

Average grant aid: $11,246

Average debt: $9,044

Median 10-year salary: $107,400

#424 Kean University

Average grant aid: $13,123

Average debt: $6,569

Median 10-year salary: $101,400

#409 William Paterson University

Average grant aid: $10,919

Average debt: $6,173

Median 10-year salary: $108,600

#386 Montclair State University

Average grant aid: $11,771

Average debt: $7,904

Median 10-year salary: $118,400

#370 Drew University

Average grant aid: $31,901

Average debt: $9,988

Median 10-year salary: $117,200

#354 Rutgers University—Camden

Average grant aid: $15,670

Average debt: $6,495

Median 10-year salary: $111,000

#299 Ramapo College of New Jersey

Average grant aid: $12,553

Average debt: $8,357

Median 10-year salary: $117,000

#282 Saint Peter's University

Average grant aid: $35,256

Average debt: $6,551

Median 10-year salary: $114,400

#268 Rutgers University—Newark

Average grant aid: $13,168

Average debt: $6,475

Median 10-year salary: $123,100

#221 Seton Hall University

Average grant aid: $29,443

Average debt: $11,822

Median 10-year salary: $112,900

#193 New Jersey Institute of Technology

Average grant aid: $15,959

Average debt: $7,478

Median 10-year salary: $146,500

#150 Stevens Institute of Technology

Average grant aid: $29,443

Average debt: $10,599

Median 10-year salary: $168,700

#123 The College of New Jersey

Average grant aid: $11,826

Average debt: $10,030

Median 10-year salary: $122,400

#79 Rutgers University—New Brunswick

Average grant aid: $12,785

Average debt: $8,040

Median 10-year salary: $137,000

#1 Princeton University

Average grant aid: $59,792

Average debt: $7,559

Median 10-year salary: $189,400

Princeton University topped the overall list in 2023 as well.

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