NurseSavvy ranking · New Jersey · updated October 10, 2026
Best Nursing Schools in New Jersey (2026): The NurseSavvy Top 10
We ranked all 61 RN programs in New Jersey that publish a first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, on the four things that decide whether a program gets you to a nursing license you can afford: passing the NCLEX, actually finishing, the cost next to what nurses earn in New Jersey, and what graduates earn a year out.
Montclair State University School of Nursing comes out on top. Here are the top 10, with every number’s source — and you can re-rank them by what matters to you.
No school can pay for placement. Public data only — see the full methodology.
Rank it your way
Rank New Jersey’s 61 RN programs on what matters to you
NCLEX pass rate, students who finish, cost vs nurse pay, grads’ early pay — compare in-state, by region, or nationwide.
The top 10 nursing programs in New Jersey
Scores are out of 100 under the default NurseSavvy weights. A school with two programs (say, an ADN and a BSN) can appear twice.
- 179score
Montclair State University School of Nursing
MontclairBACCALAUREATE SCHOOLS· Public
A 97.1% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 97.1%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $15,566/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $104,219 1 yr out
- 275score
Ramapo College of New Jersey
MahwahBACCALAUREATE SCHOOLS· Public
A 96.4% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 96.4%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $18,173/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $95,153 1 yr out
- 373score
Georgian Court University
LakewoodBACCALAUREATE SCHOOLS· Private nonprofit
A 97.7% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 97.7%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $19,285/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $85,963 1 yr out
- 472score
Eastern International College - BSN
BSN (per NCLEX report)
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 100%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- Not publishedfill-in
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 572score
The College of New Jersey - ABSN
ABSN (per NCLEX report)
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 100%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- Not publishedfill-in
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 672score
The College of New Jersey School of Nursing
EwingBACCALAUREATE SCHOOLS· Public
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 100%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $27,646/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $85,986 1 yr out
- 771score
Camden County College
CamdenASSOCIATE DEGREE· Public
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 100%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $5,996/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $76,681 1 yr out
- 870score
Saint Elizabeth University
MorristownBACCALAUREATE SCHOOLS· Private nonprofit
A 93.3% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 93.3%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $23,125/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $100,007 1 yr out
- 970score
Saint Peter's University - Accelerated - Bs
Accelerated BS (per NCLEX report)· Private nonprofit
A 91.2% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 91.2%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $12,199/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $88,259 1 yr out
- 1070score
Stockton University School of Health Sciences
GallowayBACCALAUREATE SCHOOLS· Public
A 96.4% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 96.4%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $20,670/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $81,885 1 yr out
Fill-in: a figure the program hasn’t published is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs that publish it (same degree type) — not its own number.
The New Jersey leaders on each measure
Different students weigh these differently — here is who leads on each one alone, among programs that publish it.
- Highest NCLEX pass rate: Eastern International College - BSN (BSN (per NCLEX report)), 100% first-time.
- Most students finish: Mercer County Community College (ASSOCIATE DEGREE), 52% on time.
- Lowest average net price: Middlesex College, $2,288/yr.
- Highest graduates’ pay: Montclair State University School of Nursing, $104,219 one year out.
- Top ADN vs top BSN: Camden County College (#7 overall) and Montclair State University School of Nursing (#1 overall).
How we ranked New Jersey’s nursing schools
- NCLEX pass rate (33%). The 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN rate from the New Jersey board of nursing, steadied for small cohorts.
- Students who finish (33%). The program’s own on-time completion rate, where a board or the program publishes it.
- Cost vs nurse pay (20%). Average net price per year next to New Jersey’s median RN pay (College Scorecard + BLS).
- Graduates’ early pay (14%). What the program’s nursing graduates earn one year out, next to the state’s RN median.
A missing figure is a labeled 33rd-percentile fill-in, never a guess. Programs without a published NCLEX rate, and direct-entry master’s programs, are not ranked. Every formula and source →
Frequently asked questions
What is the best nursing school in New Jersey?
Under the NurseSavvy ranking, Montclair State University School of Nursing (BACCALAUREATE SCHOOLS, Montclair) ranks #1 of 61 RN programs in New Jersey with a score of 79 out of 100 and a 97.1% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate. "Best" depends on what you weigh most — re-rank the list on this page by your own priorities.
How did NurseSavvy rank New Jersey nursing schools?
Every RN program with a published 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate is scored 0–100 on four public measures: NCLEX pass rate (33%), students who finish (33%), cost next to local RN pay (20%), and graduates’ pay one year out (14%). Pass rates come from the New Jersey board of nursing; cost and pay from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
What does “fill-in” mean on this list?
When a program has not published a figure, we do not guess it. It is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs (same degree type) that do publish it — below typical — and labeled “fill-in” wherever it appears. Publishing its real number can only help a program that performs well.
Can a school pay to rank higher?
No. Schools cannot pay, partner, sponsor, or advertise their way to a better rank. Every input is public data, and the same formula applies to every program.
Keep going
- ReferenceHow NurseSavvy ranks nursing schoolsHow NurseSavvy ranks nursing programs: every formula, data source, and refresh rule, plus why no school can pay for placement.
- State guideNursing in New JerseyNew Jersey in one page: 95 nursing schools and their NCLEX pass rates, RN pay (median 106,500), NP pay, and compact-license status — each with its source.
- Pay dataNurse practitioner salary in New JerseyNurse practitioners in New Jersey earn a median of 159,310 a year (May 2025).
- Pay dataRN salary in New JerseyRegistered nurses in New Jersey earn a median of 106,500 a year (May 2025).
- GuideNursing School Dropout Rates: What a 100% NCLEX Pass Rate Can HideHow many nursing students actually finish, why a high NCLEX pass rate can hide high attrition, where programs publish completion rates, and the start-to-license number to ask every school for.
- FinderNursing school rankings you controlRank nursing programs by what matters to you — pass rate, students who finish, cost, and graduate earnings.