By Michelle Sartor
In addition to its top rating in the national university category, Princeton also came in at number 3 in the Best Value Schools list — measuring schools that provide the highest academic quality for the least net cost — and was recognized as one of the schools with the Most International Students, at 11 percent.
“We are pleased with the continued recognition for our quality of education, which is made accessible to all admitted students through our pioneering no-loan financial aid program that enables Princeton students to graduate debt free, and the strength of the individual programs we offer,” University Spokesman Martin Mbugua said. “Still, we feel that no formulaic rankings can fully capture the distinctiveness of any institution, or determine which university might be an appropriate match for an individual student.”
The three campuses of Rutgers University were also recognized on the Best Colleges lists. The New Brunswick campus ranked 68th in the National University Rankings while the Newark campus ranked 115th. The Camden campus ranked 20th in the Regional University North Rankings. Rutgers New Brunswick came in at number 25 for Top Public Schools, while Rutgers Newark was 55 in the same category.
“We are pleased that Rutgers University continues to be recognized as one of the nation’s finest public research universities,” said Greg Trevor, senior director of media relations for the university’s campuses.
The College of New Jersey was ranked sixth in the Regional University North Rankings, the highest of any school in the Garden State. Associate Vice President of College Relations at TCNJ Matt Golden said the school has been the number one public college in that category in the region since U.S. News & World Report began ranking schools.
“U.S. News — whether you are a fan of the rankings or not a fan of the rankings — measure a number of different things including the perceptions of peer institutions and the quality of your students and many other indicators of quality performance. It’s something that the general public looks at very closely when determining their college choice,” Golden said. “So for us to consistently maintain this high ranking has been a testament to the institution, to its faculty, to its students and to its leadership.”
According to Golden, news of TCNJ’s ranking is one of the most heavily trafficked items on the school website and it gets many positive comments on social media platforms. “It’s certainly a mark of distinction for the college,” he said.
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey President Herman J. Saatkamp is happy with that school’s Regional University North Ranking of 47.
“We are pleased to be highly ranked again this year by U.S. News & World Report’s ‘America’s Best Colleges’ edition,” Saatkamp said. “We have consistently progressed into the rankings, making the Top Tier in 2007 and improving within that tier to our highest rankings ever. We have made this improvement while being compared to truly exceptional peer institutions.”
He said Richard Stockton was listed in the fourth tier in 2003 and the third in 2005. “We bypassed the second tier altogether and have consistently moved up within the top tier,” Saatkamp said. “It is fitting that Stockton, a public institution offering academic excellence, diversity and affordability, is mentioned in the company of such fine colleges and universities nationwide.”
Other New Jersey schools in the top 50 for Regional University North Rankings are Rowan University, Ramapo College, Rider University and Monmouth University.
Drew University was the lone New Jersey school to make the Liberal Arts College Rankings at 100. Chief Communications Officer David Muha said rankings can sometimes be overplayed and those looking at the information may not understand what’s behind them.
“To really understand the rankings you need to look at the different factors that a rating organization is using to determine their ratings,” Muha said. He explained that if a diverse student population is most important to a student, the U.S. News & World Report rankings might not provide the best information.
“It’s nice to be recognized and to be included but I’m not sure how helpful a tool they are for students in terms of specific things that they may seek or be looking for in a school,” Muha said.
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT BEST COLLEGES RANKINGS
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY RANKINGS:
| School | Rank | ||
| Princeton | 1 | ||
| Rutgers University, New Brunswick | 68 | ||
| Stevens Institute of Technology | 75 | ||
| Rutgers University, Newark | 115 | ||
| Seton Hall University | 131 |
REGIONAL UNIVERSITY NORTH RANKINGS:
| School | Rank | ||
| The College of New Jersey | 6 | ||
| Rowan University | 19 | ||
| Rutgers University, Camden | 20 | ||
| Ramapo College | 26 | ||
| Rider University | 26 | ||
| Monmouth University | 37 | ||
| Richard Stockton College of New Jersey | 47 | ||
| Montclair State University | 61 | ||
| Fairleigh Dickinson University | 75 | ||
| William Paterson University | 104 | ||
| Georgian Court University | 108 | ||
| St. Peter’s University | 108 | ||
| Kean University | 133 |
LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES RANKINGS:
| School | Rank | ||
| Drew University | 100 |
BEST VALUE SCHOOLS:
| School | Rank | ||
| Princeton University | 1 |
TOP PUBLIC SCHOOLS:
| School | Rank | ||
| Rutgers University, New Brunswick | 25 | ||
| Rutgers University, Newark | 55 | ||
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | 70 |
MOST INFLUENTIAL STUDENTS:
| School | Rank | ||
| Princeton University | 11% | ||
| Stevens Institute of Technology | 5% | ||
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | 4% | ||
| Rutgers University, New Brunswick | 2% | ||
| Seton Hall University | 2% | ||
| Rutgers University, Newark | 2% |
A+ SCHOOLS FOR B STUDENTS:
| School | Rank | ||
| Rutgers University, New Brunswick | 68 | ||
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | 139 |