4 Best Colleges for Computer Science in New Jersey

The best colleges for computer science in New Jersey are all ranked in the top 100 nationally by U.S. News. If you’d like to study computer science in New Jersey, you’ll find several great options.

Computer science prepares you for a job as a software developer—named the best job in America by U.S. News and World Report. Software developers code the systems, programs and apps that we couldn’t live without, and they get paid well to do so. The Occupational Outlook Handbook reports a median annual salary of $105,590, and these jobs aren’t going away. The OOH predicts 21% job growth over the next ten years.

If you’re interested in computer science, you can also check out College Guidepost’s rankings for the best value colleges in computer science, as well as the best overall. In this article, we’ll look at the best colleges for computer science in New Jersey.

Let’s get started with our honorable mentions and then move on to the countdown.

Honorable Mention: Fairleigh Dickinson University, Kean University, Monmouth University, Montclair State University, the College of New Jersey, Rowan University, and William Paterson University of New Jersey are all accredited by ABET in computer science. These colleges and other in New Jersey offer good computer science programs, but the competition squeezed them out of the top four.

4. New Jersey Institute of Technology

While lacking the renown of its neighbor in Massachusetts, this polytechnic institute still has plenty to be proud of. It recently cracked the U.S. News and World Report’s top 100 universities at 97 overall.

Other publications have listed NJIT programs even higher: 1st in computer information systems, 2nd in civil engineering, and 6th in biomedical engineering. It also ranked 34th nationally in students’ median income ten years after entering college, at $67,837.

NJIT also has significantly lower enrollment than some of the public universities on this list, with only 8,794 undergraduates enrolled in 2019. If you’re interested in studying computer science at a smaller school, New Jersey Institute of Technology is an excellent choice.

Despite its small size, NJIT’s computer science program is one of the largest and most respected in the state, and was ranked 91st in the nation by U.S. News. With in-state tuition and fees under $18,000, the New Jersey Institute of Technology offers a great education and a great value in computer science.

3. Stevens Institute of Technology

A private research university with around 3,500 undergraduate students, Stevens Institute of Technology was named a top 20 STEM college by Forbes. Stevens graduates take an average starting salary of $76,400 to the bank, and graduates’ 10-year median salaries are first in the state—even higher than Princeton’s!

For computer science graduates, the numbers are even higher, with an average starting salary of $86,300 and a national rank of 25th in programming languages (CSRankings). The computer science B.S. includes a two-semester capstone project, with opportunities for co-ops, internships, and accelerated Master’s degrees.

It’s undeniable that businesses pay attention to a Stevens degree in computer science, and the roughly $54,000-a-year sticker price doesn’t seem so bad with the incredible earnings potential. Even in a state with so many great universities, Stevens Institute of Technology is a great choice in computer science.

2. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey – New Brunswick

Rutgers is the 8th oldest university in the U.S., chartered in 1766. Today, Rutgers is still going strong, named the best public university in New Jersey and making the top 25 nationally among public universities. With in-state tuition of roughly $14,000 a year, Rutgers’ main campus in New Brunswick offers an exceptional value in many fields, and computer science is one of them.

Ranking 37th nationally at the graduate level in computer science, a Rutgers degree commands respect throughout the country. At the undergraduate level, Rutgers offers both a B.S. and B.A. in computer science, with six available tracks to choose from: Computing Concepts and Themes, Computer and Software Systems, Computer Security, Software Engineering and Information Management, Graphics and Vision, and Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science.

Rutgers is one of the premier universities for computer science in the country, and at in-state tuition rates, Rutgers is an incredible bargain for New Jersey residents. It’s our best value pick for computer science students in New Jersey.

1. Princeton University

Princeton is an Ivy League research institution founded in 1746. With an undergraduate enrollment just over 5,000, Princeton boasts a student to faculty ratio of 5:1, and 27 of those professors have won a Nobel Prize. This goes a long way in explaining why Princeton beat Harvard, Yale, and MIT to take the #1 ranking in the country (U.S. News).

In computer science, Princeton remains a force to be reckoned with, although CSRankings puts them in the lowly position of 21st in the nation. Still, we don’t think anyone is going to despise your degree from Princeton.

Princeton’s sticker price of $69,950 shouldn’t dissuade you from applying, as accepted students receive an average annual grant of $56,500 a year. If you’re accepted, Princeton is the best college for computer science in New Jersey.

Final Thoughts

The best colleges for computer science in New Jersey are some of the best in the country, with NJIT and Rutgers providing exceptional value for New Jersey residents. Even colleges that didn’t make our list offer accredited and respected degrees in computer science. If you want to study computer science in New Jersey, you’ll have no lack of options.

Thanks for reading! If you’d like to see the best colleges for computer science in another state, you can find the index here.