2026 Best Value General Engineering Science Schools in New Jersey
[General Engineering Science](/majors/engineering/engineering-science/general-engineering-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for general engineering science students.
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2026 Best Value General Engineering Science Schools in New Jersey
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general engineering science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Engineering Science Schools
For return on investment in general engineering science, no school beat Mercer County Community College this year. Mercer County Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of West Windsor. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,310, compared with $9,174 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general engineering science graduates is $12,250. Early-career general engineering science graduates make about $45,389. That is a strong return on a $12,250 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in general engineering science will find it at Hudson County Community College, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Jersey City, Hudson County Community College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,384, compared with $9,248 for out-of-state students. General Engineering Science graduates carry a median of $7,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general engineering science degree recipients from Hudson County Community College generally make around $35,909. Set against $7,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Middlesex County College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general engineering science, landing the #3 spot this year. Middlesex County College is a large public school located in the suburb of Edison. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,764, while out-of-state students pay about $7,356. Students borrow a median of $9,514 to complete the general engineering science program here. Early-career general engineering science graduates make about $37,975. That is a strong return on a $9,514 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes Raritan Valley Community College one of the best values for general engineering science. Located in the rural area of Branchburg, Raritan Valley Community College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,664, while out-of-state students pay about $7,584. Students borrow a median of $9,668 to complete the general engineering science program here. Soon after graduation, general engineering science degree recipients from Raritan Valley Community College generally make around $47,248. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
County College Of Morris came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value general engineering science schools. Set in the suburb of Randolph, County College Of Morris is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,210, with out-of-state students paying around $14,310. General Engineering Science graduates carry a median of $9,420 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general engineering science degree recipients from County College Of Morris generally make around $30,966. That is a strong return on a $9,420 median debt.
Rutgers University New Brunswick ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value general engineering science schools. Located in the city of New Brunswick, Rutgers University New Brunswick is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,929, compared with $37,441 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,250 to complete the general engineering science program here. Early-career general engineering science graduates make about $69,336. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Rutgers University New Brunswick admits about 58% of applicants.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- 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.
