Best Political Science Colleges in New Jersey2026 Rankings
With 21 Political Science programs spread across New Jersey, narrowing your list takes real data. Our algorithm ranks each school on six factors — admission rate, graduation rate, net price, median graduate earnings, student-faculty ratio, and major breadth — so you can compare apples to apples before you apply.
New Jersey offers 11 public and 10 private Political Science programs in this ranking. Public universities average $28,771 for in-state students, making them a strong value option. The most competitive school on the list — Princeton University — accepts 5% of applicants. Early-career earnings for Political Science graduates average $31,695, with a state-wide graduation rate of 67% for ranked programs.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Princeton UniversityPrivate | Perfect· 53 | 5% | 97% | $7,652 | $63,317 | 5:1 | 37 | 5,579 |
| 2 | The College of New JerseyPublic | Excellent· 42 | 62% | 85% | $20,638 | $40,229 | 13:1 | 38 | 6,831 |
| 3 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickPublic | Excellent· 42 | 65% | 85% | $17,578 | $39,723 | 15:1 | 102 | 36,357 |
| 4 | Drew UniversityPrivate | Great· 39 | 69% | 72% | $19,926 | $35,171 | 11:1 | 31 | 1,510 |
| 5 | Rutgers University-CamdenPublic | Strong· 37 | 78% | 66% | $14,931 | $39,723 | 12:1 | 38 | 3,819 |
| 6 | Rutgers University-NewarkPublic | Strong· 36 | 79% | 68% | $17,388 | $39,723 | 13:1 | 43 | 7,187 |
| 7 | Saint Peter's UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 91% | 63% | $11,494 | $38,059 | 11:1 | 47 | 1,939 |
| 8 | Ramapo College of New JerseyPublic | Strong· 35 | 73% | 72% | $18,536 | $36,050 | 16:1 | 44 | 4,664 |
| 9 | Caldwell UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 65% | 59% | $18,547 | $36,820 | 13:1 | 35 | 1,437 |
| 10 | Rowan UniversityPublic | Strong· 34 | 78% | 68% | $19,644 | $26,042 | 16:1 | 81 | 14,647 |
| 11 | Kean UniversityPublic | Strong· 34 | 77% | 43% | $12,503 | $30,436 | 17:1 | 47 | 10,842 |
| 12 | Seton Hall UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 79% | 71% | $24,326 | $28,138 | 14:1 | 50 | 5,924 |
| 13 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham CampusPrivate | Strong· 34 | 95% | 72% | $24,146 | $45,202 | 11:1 | 34 | 1,958 |
| 14 | Rider UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 79% | 63% | $22,356 | $45,376 | 12:1 | 54 | 3,192 |
| 15 | Centenary UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 97% | 57% | $15,190 | $42,727 | 12:1 | 39 | 934 |
| 16 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan CampusPrivate | Good· 32 | 96% | 62% | $14,926 | $45,202 | 14:1 | 47 | 2,578 |
| 17 | New Jersey City UniversityPublic | Good· 32 | 89% | 39% | $13,160 | $43,409 | 14:1 | 34 | 4,076 |
| 18 | Stockton UniversityPublic | Good· 32 | 88% | 72% | $17,407 | $30,891 | 17:1 | 37 | 7,770 |
| 19 | Montclair State UniversityPublic | Good· 31 | 87% | 64% | $15,990 | $26,704 | 17:1 | 59 | 17,677 |
| 20 | Monmouth UniversityPrivate | Good· 31 | 90% | 70% | $29,142 | $44,022 | 12:1 | 35 | 3,831 |
| 21 | William Paterson University of New JerseyPublic | Average· 28 | 93% | 48% | $17,978 | $37,801 | 17:1 | 41 | 6,526 |