Classes, campus life, food, athletics, return on investment — those are just a few of the measures that students and families may want to learn more about when choosing which college or university would be the best fit.

Marking the unofficial end of summer, the ranking website Niche is out with its 2024 list of the best colleges, nationwide and in each state.

The New Jersey rankings have shifted a bit since Niche's last list was released a year ago. There's a greater focus on a student's ability to improve their economic status following graduation, and, to reflect the trend of lessening emphasis on testing, all SAT/ACT-related factors have been removed from the 2024 formula.

To come up with its list, Niche combined data from sources such as the U.S. Department of Education with input from current students, alumni, and parents.

Below is a list of the 10 best colleges in the Garden State, according to Niche.

The No. 1 college in New Jersey is also the fifth best in the nation.

No. 10 Rowan University (Glassboro)

Rowan University
Rowan University (Rowan University)
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Overall Niche grade: B

⚫ Median earnings 6 years after graduation: $50,000

⚫ Most popular major: psychology

 

No. 9 Montclair State University

Montclair State University (Mike Peters)
Montclair State University (Mike Peters)
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Overall Niche grade: B

⚫ Median earnings 6 years after graduation: $49,600

⚫ Acceptance rate: 91%

 

No. 8 Rutgers University—Camden

Rutgers-Camden campus (Google Maps)
Rutgers-Camden campus (Google Maps)
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Overall Niche grade: B+

⚫ Median earnings 6 years after graduation: $57,900

⚫ Employed 2 years after graduation: 93%

 

No. 7 Seton Hall University (South Orange)

The outside of Seton Hall University
Bill Doyle photo
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Overall Niche grade: B+

⚫ Median earnings 6 years after graduation: $57,200

⚫ Employed 2 years after graduation: 94%

 

No. 6 New Jersey Institute of Technology (Newark)

NJIT via Amazon Prime Video College Tours
NJIT (via Amazon Prime Video The College Tour)
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Overall Niche grade: B+

⚫ Median earnings 6 years after graduation: $68,500

⚫ Acceptance rate: 69%

 

No. 5 Rutgers University—Newark

Photo provided by Rutgers-Newark
Photo provided by Rutgers-Newark
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Overall Niche grade: A-

⚫ Median earnings 6 years after graduation: $57,900

⚫ Employed 2 years after graduation: 93%

 

No. 4 The College of New Jersey (Ewing)

TCNJ
The College of New Jersey (Photo courtesy of The College of New Jersey)
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Overall Niche grade: A-

⚫ Median earnings 6 years after graduation: $58,500

⚫ Most popular major: Business

 

No. 3 Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken)

Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology
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Overall Niche grade: A-

⚫ Median earnings 6 years after graduation: $89,200

⚫ Acceptance rate: 53%

 

No. 2 Rutgers University—New Brunswick

2011 Rutgers University Commencement
Getty Images
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Overall Niche grade: A

⚫ Median earnings 6 years after graduation: $57,900

⚫ Most popular major: Information science

 

No. 1 Princeton University

Princeton University Orders 100 Students To Self-Isolate After Traveling To China On Coronavirus Fears
William Thomas Cain/Getty Images
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Overall Niche grade: A+

⚫ Median earnings 6 years after graduation: $74,700

⚫ Acceptance rate: 4%

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