Small classes, on-time graduate rates and rich research experiences helped to land some New Jersey institutions on the 2018 list of Kiplinger's Top 300 colleges offering the best education value nationally.
The College of New Jersey, Ramapo College and Rutgers University - New Brunswick were three of the five New Jersey colleges that made this year's list, published by the personal finance magazine. Princeton University -- ranked No. 1 -- and Drew University also made the list.
At The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), students enjoy a private-school education for a public-school price, said Matt Middleton, associate director of admissions.
"Our academic program is set up in much the same way as smaller, elite private schools that cost $70,000 a year,'' he said. "We don't have teaching assistants. We don't have large classes. Our students are getting a very personalized learning experience and that's very unusual.''
Small class sizes at The College of New Jersey provide opportunities for mentoring relationships.
Because of this, TCNJ students interact with faculty in many meaningful ways, including engaging in research projects, publishing that research and presenting it at national conferences, as well as landing paid internships and participating in mentoring relationships.
"They're getting to do things that at most state schools are reserved for graduate or Ph.D. students,'' Middleton said.
Ramapo College counsels its students about managing their academic programs so they are on track to graduate in four years, avoiding the significant expense of an extra year in college.
At Ramapo College, the faculty's focus is on teaching, with research being conducted to enrich the classroom experience for its students, said Ramapo President Peter Mercer.
"We certainly have faculty who do research and we promote that research, but our promotion of that is largely aligned with what's happening in the classroom,'' he said. "I think what's happening is people are beginning to realize that the education you get at a public institution is comparable to that at a private one at a much smaller price.''
Ramapo College's numerous scholarships help to reduce expenses and also put students in touch with donors with business connections who can advise them about employment.
Mercer also said that Ramapo intensely counsels its students about managing their academic programs so they are on track to graduate in four years -- which saves the significant expense of an extra year in college.
"We don't have many students who stay here longer than four years,'' Mercer said. "There's very little instances of students being ill-advised and having to do a fifth year, which adds hugely to the college expense.''
The college also works to distribute numerous scholarships to students to help defray the tuition and fees. Not only does this reduce the expense, it also connects students with donors who have connections in the business world and can help advise them about employment, Mercer said.
At Rutgers University-New Brunswick, a commitment to providing students with a high-quality education at an affordable price and a lifelong return on investment helped to land the school on Kiplinger's list.
"As a member of the Association of American Universities and the Big Ten Academic Alliance, we are a national leader in providing outstanding research that provides tangible public benefits,'' a Rutgers-New Brunswick spokesman said. "We have deep roots in New Jersey as one of America's original colonial colleges, as a land-grant institution and as part of the State University of New Jersey, with resources needed to educate future leaders and meet the state's most pressing needs.''
-- Nancy Parello
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