2026 Best General Education Schools in New Jersey
General Education programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for general education students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for General Education in New Jersey
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the general education degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in General Education
Montclair State University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in general education. Set in the suburb of Montclair, Montclair State University is a very large public institution. About 65% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 163 general education students who graduated with this degree at Montclair State University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the general education program make about $61,225 in their early career. Montclair State University graduates carry a median of $25,286 in student loans.
More information about a degree in general education from Montclair State University
Students looking for a strong general education program will find one at Monmouth University, which ranked #2. This moderately-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the suburb of West Long Branch. The six-year graduation rate is 72%. About 40 general education degrees were awarded at Monmouth University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Monmouth University generally make around $59,382. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in general education from Monmouth University
A rank of #3 makes Rowan University one of the top schools for general education. Rowan University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Glassboro. Roughly 67% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 37 general education degrees were awarded at Rowan University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Rowan University generally make around $61,640. Students borrow a median of $24,488 to complete this degree.
Get the full general education details for Rowan University
Georgian Court University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best general education schools. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Lakewood. About 54% of students finish within six years. Georgian Court University awarded about 60 general education degrees in the most recent data year. General Education graduates of Georgian Court University earn a median of $63,268 early in their careers. Georgian Court University graduates carry a median of $24,752 in student loans.
Get the full general education details for Georgian Court University
Students looking for a strong general education program will find one at Saint Peters College, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Jersey City, Saint Peters College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 58% of students complete a degree within six years here. Saint Peters College awarded about 15 general education degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the general education program make about $58,382 in their early career. Saint Peters College graduates carry a median of $22,969 in student loans.
Get the full general education details for Saint Peters College
Middlesex County College earned the #6 position for general education this year. Set in the suburb of Edison, Middlesex County College is a large public institution. About 39 general education degrees were awarded at Middlesex County College in the most recent year. Graduates of the general education program make about $16,846 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $7,000 to complete this degree.
See the full general education program report for Middlesex County College
Brookdale Community College came in at #7 for general education this year. Set in the suburb of Lincroft, Brookdale Community College is a large public institution. There were roughly 73 general education students who graduated with this degree at Brookdale Community College in the most recent data year. General Education graduates of Brookdale Community College earn a median of $19,157 early in their careers. Brookdale Community College graduates carry a median of $8,750 in student loans.
Get the full general education details for Brookdale Community College
Gloucester County College landed the #8 spot for general education this year. Located in the suburb of Sewell, Gloucester County College is a moderately-sized public university. Gloucester County College awarded about 53 general education degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their general education degree from Gloucester County College earn around $38,274 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $10,987.
More information about a degree in general education from Gloucester County College
Salem Community College came in at #9 for general education this year. Set in the suburb of Carneys Point, Salem Community College is a mid-sized public institution. Salem Community College awarded about 12 general education degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their general education degree from Salem Community College earn around $51,781 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $17,232 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in general education from Salem Community College
Passaic County Community College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best general education schools. Located in the suburb of Paterson, Passaic County Community College is a moderately-sized public university. About 76 general education degrees were awarded at Passaic County Community College in the most recent year. Graduates of the general education program make about $28,957 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $9,581.
More information about a degree in general education from Passaic County Community College
More General Education Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 18 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
