As college tuition continues to rise, many families are weighing which schools offer the best return on their investment.
Is it better to save money by going to a lower-priced public college? Or are costlier private colleges are better deal if their graduates end up in higher-paying jobs?
Money magazine’s new ranking looks at data for 700 colleges and universities across the nation to determine which are the “best value for your money.” The rankings are based on each school’s tuition, the quality of the education, the average earnings for graduates and additional data.
Here are the 18 four-year colleges in New Jersey that made Money’s 2017 list of the 711 “Best Colleges for Your Money”:
18) Drew University
National ranking: 660
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $66,200
Average graduate’s early career salary: $48,000
17) Caldwell University
National ranking: 642
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $49,900
Average graduate’s early career salary: $35,500
16) Rider University
National ranking: 412
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $59,000
Average graduate’s early career salary: $46,200
15) Monmouth University
National ranking: 379
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $53,900
Average graduate’s early career salary: $48,900
14) Kean University
National ranking: 369
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $30,200
Average graduate’s early career salary: $42,200
13) Centenary College
National ranking: 341
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $49,500
Average graduate’s early career salary: $40,500
12) Rowan University
National ranking: 296
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $29,800
Average graduate’s early career salary: $46,600
11) Seton Hall University
National ranking: 288
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $58,900
Average graduate’s early career salary: $50,700
10) Saint Peter’s University
National ranking: 266
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $55,000
Average graduate’s early career salary: $45,800
9) Stockton University
National ranking: 206
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $30,900
Average graduate’s early career salary: $41,500
8) Montclair State University
National ranking: 182
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $30,600
Average graduate’s early career salary: $44,500
7) New Jersey Institute of Technology
National ranking: 172
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $36,300
Average graduate’s early career salary: $57,900
6) Stevens Institute of Technology
National ranking: 138
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $67,500
Average graduate’s early career salary: $65,700
5) Ramapo College
National ranking: 136
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $31,400
Average graduate’s early career salary: $44,100
4) Fairleigh Dickinson University – Metropolitan Campus
National ranking: 124
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $56,700
Average graduate’s early career salary: $47,100
3) Rutgers University – New Brunswick
National ranking: 49
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $32,100
Average graduate’s early career salary: $52,200
2) The College of New Jersey
National ranking: 24
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $34,600
Average graduate’s early career salary: $52,100
1) Princeton University
National ranking: 1
Estimated 2017-2018 price of attendance (without aid): $65,300
Average graduate’s early career salary: $67,600
By Kelly Heyboer | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com