Mahwah's Ramapo College Is NJ's No. 1 Public College, New Ranking Says

MAHWAH, NJ — Nestled in the foothills of the Ramapo Mountains is the top public college in New Jersey, a recent ranking revealed.

Mahwah's Ramapo College remains the first-ranked public college and third-ranked overall in the Garden State, according to College Choice, a leading authority in college and university rankings.

“Ramapo’s consistent ranking atop this list reaffirms the value of a Ramapo degree in today’s uber-competitive marketplace," said Christopher Romano, vice president for strategic enrollment, outreach, and engagement at Ramapo. "We pride ourselves on our commitments to both affordability and student success."

Boasting an above-average six-year graduation rate of 72%, the Ramapo provides "high-quality education with a strong return on investment," the college said.

Due to its interdisciplinary academic structure, size and pastoral setting, College Choice said, the public liberal arts university is "viewed by some as being similar to a private college."

Established in 1969 and accredited in 1975, Ramapo offers four-year degrees in the arts, business, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, along with professional studies, in nursing and social work, and elementary and secondary teacher certification, College Choice said.

An estimated 6,000 students can choose studies from one of five schools that have more than 539 course offerings and 36 academic programs. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 18:1, the average class size is 23 students.

Notably, College Choice said, 87% of Ramapo graduates are employed or at graduate school a year after graduating.

Ramapo ranked third behind Princeton University and Stevens Institute of Technology, as the result of a rigorous study that included data on student debt, graduate rate, average student earnings after enrolling, and considered retention rate, net price and financial aid. The methodology relies on data sources from the U.S. Department of Education, as well as U.S. News & World Report and Payscale.