It certainly was a plus for the state of New Jersey to have six schools ranked in the Top 100 nationally (including No. 1 overall) in the prestigious U.S. News rankings, which came out Tuesday.
The state should be equally enthused about this: Three New Jersey universities were ranked in the Top 10 for social mobility, which many feel is the ultimate mission of higher education.
Rutgers-Newark (No. 5 overall) Montclair State and Rutgers-Camden (both tied for No. 9) were all recognized in the category that evaluates how well schools enroll and graduate economically disadvantaged students.
Rutgers President William Tate IV praised the school’s continued work at helping disadvantaged students.
“Rutgers places students at the heart of one of the nation’s most diverse and economically dynamic regions,” he said. “Coupled with the university’s top-tier ranking in social mobility, Rutgers serves as a powerful incubator of access, opportunity, and impact — shaping the next generation of leaders and innovators.”
Montclair State University President Jonathan Koppell, a national thought-leader on the issue, was pleased the school broke into the Top 10 (it was No. 12 last year),
“Montclair State University is a public-serving institution governed by a commitment to access and excellence,” he said. “We aim to provide transformational opportunities for our students, as well as their families and the many diverse communities they are a part of. Part of a Montclair education is helping learners become leaders who serve the public interest.
“We are proud to see Montclair State University once again recognized as a national leader in advancing social mobility and delivering exceptional value to our students.”
Elsewhere in the state, 5 other schools made the top 100 for social mobility
- NJIT (tied at No. 34);
- Stockton (tied at No. 38);
- Princeton (tied at No. 52);
- Rutgers-New Brunswick (tied at No. 52);
- Kean (tied at No. 81).
The 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings were calculated using 17 key measures of academic quality for national universities with an emphasis on social mobility and outcomes for graduating college students.
