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For the third consecutive year, Brookdale Community College has been recognized as the best community college in New Jersey by Niche. In its 2025 Best Colleges rankings, Niche places Brookdale as the top two-year college in the state, eighth among all colleges and universities in New Jersey, and #86 out of 755 community colleges nationwide.

Niche, a trusted platform known for its comprehensive college rankings, evaluates over 1,000 colleges and universities annually based on a rigorous analysis of academic, admissions, financial, and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education, coupled with reviews from students and alumni. This year, Niche introduced an economic mobility index to assess how well institutions improve the economic standing of low-income students, and removed ACT/SAT scores from its methodology to reflect the nationwide shift in admissions practices.

Brookdale earned an overall Niche grade of B+, with a 100% acceptance rate and a net price of $8,962. The college’s academic excellence is further supported by student feedback, with 81% of students agreeing that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes, and 91% expressing confidence in finding a job in their field after graduation.

President Dr. David M. Stout expressed his pride in the continued recognition, stating, “We are honored to be recognized as New Jersey’s top community college for the third year in a row. This ranking is a testament to our dedicated faculty and staff, who work tirelessly to support student success, and to our students and alumni, whose achievements inspire us every day.”

Brookdale offers Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Fine Arts (AFA), Associate of Science (AS), and Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees across 75 academic programs, as well as 7 Academic Credit Certificates and 11 Academic Credit Certificates of Achievement. The college also provides fully online degree programs in Business Administration, English, History, Liberal Education, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Social Sciences, along with an online Cybersecurity Certificate of Achievement.

“This recognition affirms for prospective students and their families that Brookdale is the best place to begin or continue their educational journey,” said Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs Katie Lynch.

Prospective students can explore Brookdale’s offerings and learn more about its top-ranked status by visiting www.brookdalecc.edu. To view Niche’s full methodology and ranking details, visit https://www.niche.com/about/methodology/best-colleges/.

To view the full list, visit https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/all-colleges/s/new-jersey/?type=communityCollege&type=tradeSchool&type=other&type=private&type=public.

The top 15 colleges and universities in New Jersey in 2025, according to Niche, are:

  1. Princeton University in Princeton.
  2. Rutgers University, New Brunswick campus.
  3. Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken.
  4. New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark.
  5. The College of New Jersey in Ewing.
  6. Rutgers University, Newark campus.
  7. Seton Hall University in South Orange.
  8. Brookdale Community College in Lincroft.
  9. Rutgers University, Camden campus.
  10. Montclair State University in Montclair.
  11. Kean University in Union.
  12. Rowan University in Glassboro.
  13. William Paterson University in Wayne.
  14. Stockton University in Galloway.
  15. Saint Elizabeth University in Morristown.