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The school year has just begun, and yet Princeton University already is scoring top marks on recent college rankings. 

The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2024 list of the Best Colleges in the U.S., released Sept. 6, ranked Princeton No. 1 in the nation, beating out Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Stanford University and Columbia University, which filled out the top five. 

The rankings look at how much a college will improve its students’ chances of graduating on time and how much it will improve alumni salaries. 

Other Garden State universities also made the list, with the New Jersey Institute of Technology ranked as the second highest public school, landing at No. 19. The University of Florida was the top public school in the nation at No. 15. 

“This ranking confirms that NJIT is an exceptional public polytechnic university that primes students for rewarding careers, particularly in STEM disciplines,” NJIT President Teik Lim said in a statement. “We are focused on outcomes and enabling graduates to realize their goals, so they can personally thrive and make significant contributions to society.” 

NJIT said this year’s list, which replaces the former WSJ/Times Higher Education ranking with some similar methodology components, uses a larger survey and factors in feedback from students and alumni. It also called the 2024 ranking “more exclusive, with only 400 schools awarded. That’s just 20% of the eligible universities examined.” 

The WSJ and research company College Pulse surveyed more than 60,000 students and recent graduates earlier this year, according to coverage on MSN. 

The New Jersey institutions that made the list are: 

• No. 1: Princeton University, Princeton 
• No. 19: NJIT, Newark 
• No. 36: Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken 
• No. 104: Montclair State University, Montclair 
• No. 162: Rutgers University-New Brunswick 
• No. 253: Stockton University, Galloway 
• No. 302: Rowan University, Glassboro 

What say you, Princeton Review? 

Although not ranked in numerical order, the annual Princeton Review alphabetically lists its picks for the Best 389 Colleges in the U.S., with 10 New Jersey schools earning a spot.  

The universities listed in the overall ranking, released in August, reflect the publication’s “high opinion of the schools: we recommend each one as academically outstanding.” 

The New Jersey schools that made this list, along with location and number of full-time students as listed in the publication, are: 

• The College of New Jersey, Ewing (7,039) 
• Drew University, Madison (1,636) 
• Monmouth University, West Long Branch (3,822) 
• NJIT, Newark (9,019) 
• Princeton University, Princeton (5,604) 
• Rider University, Lawrenceville (3,168) 
• Rowan University, Glassboro (15,264) 
• Rutgers University-New Brunswick (36,344) 
• Seton Hall University, South Orange (6,012) 
• Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken (4,070) 

Nine out of these 10 schools also made the 2022 list, with Rowan joining the group this year. 

At the same time, The Princeton Review also reported how these 389 universities fared in 50 specific categories, such as Best-Run Colleges, Best College Newspaper, Best Campus Food and more. For these findings, the publication’s data operations team examined 165,000 surveys, which asked students to rate their professors, administrators, financial aid, campus amenities, school services and other aspects of college life on a five-point scale. 

Here, Princeton also was listed more than any other Garden State university, landing in seven categories: 

• Financial Aid Not So Great
  No. 8: The College of New Jersey 
• Great Financial Aid
  No. 15: Princeton University 
• Students Study the Most
  No. 11: Princeton University 
• LGBTQ-Unfriendly
  No. 20: Rowan University 
• Lots of Race/Class Interaction
  No. 24: Drew University 
• Best College Radio Station
  No. 7: Rider University
  No. 15: Princeton University
  No. 19: Seton Hall University 
• Best College Theater
  No. 18: Drew University 
• Least Politically Active Students
  No. 11: Rider University
  No. 12: Rowan University
  No. 22: New Jersey Institute of Technology 
• Most Liberal Students
  No. 21: Princeton University 
• College Dorms Not So Fancy
  No. 5: Rider University
  No. 19: Stevens Institute of Technology 
• Pot’s Not Hot (how widely marijuana is used at the school)
  No. 8: Princeton University 
• Cancel the Keg (how widely beer is used at the school)
  No. 19: Princeton University 
• Scotch and Soda, Hold the Scotch (concerning the use of hard liquor at the school)
  No. 17: Princeton University 
• College City Gets High Marks
  No. 17: Stevens Institute of Technology 

“We created our rankings to provide a resource for college applicants that helps them answer what may well be the toughest question in their college search—’What’s the best school for me?'” Rob Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review and lead author of The Best 389 Colleges, said in a statement. “Our ranking lists reflect the opinions of the school’s students—their customers—and their reports to us about their campus experiences.” 

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.