By Andre Paras
Managing Editor
The College continues to hold its position as the top-ranked public institution in the North region, according to the 2027 Best Colleges rankings released by the U.S. News & World Report on Sept. 22.
Not to mention, the College also ranked No. 5 in the Regional Universities North category, which includes both public and private higher education institutions. The College has been holding the No. 1 position for public universities in their category for 37 years in a row.
“Thirty-seven years at the top of the U.S. News ranking is both gratifying and impressive,” President Michael Bernstein wrote to The Signal. “This kind of sustained recognition is a direct reflection of what sets our college apart from the competition — the unparalleled experience TCNJ provides its students and our students' remarkable academic and personal outcomes."
The annual U.S. News & World Best Colleges rankings evaluate schools using measures including student outcome, social mobility, academic performance, faculty resources and financials.
In addition to overall ranking, the College has also received recognition in several other categories.
The College ranked No. 1 in New Jersey for Best Value Schools for In-State Students category among Regional Universities. This is the first year for the category, introduced for the 2027 rankings, which considers both academic quality and affordability for students attending public schools within their home state.
The College received another No. 1 ranking in New Jersey and placed among the top 20% nationally for undergraduate engineering programs at schools without doctoral degrees or programs. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program offered by the College was also ranked among the top 20% nationally.
The 2027 rankings see several changes to the U.S. News’ methodology, with the publication introducing a new “Earnings by Major” factor using data from the U.S Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
This measure looks at graduation and retention rates, social mobility and post-graduation earnings, meaning student outcomes account for more than half of a school’s overall ranking score now.
The College boasts statistics appealing to these requirements, with a 91% first-to-second-year retention rate, 75% four-year graduation rate, 86% six-year graduation rate and 450+ employers recruiting students of the College.
“TCNJ has allowed me to grow as a student and as a person because it gives me opportunities to learn, try new things and connect with people who support me,” says junior inclusive early childhood education and English major Adriana Minerva, in agreement with the No. 1 ranking.
Several other national accolades also preceded the College’s repeat No. 1 ranking.
Time Magazine ranked the College No. 99, which falls in the top 20% of its first-ever inaugural America’s Best Colleges ranking, and No. 39 among public colleges and universities. The Princeton Review has also recognized the College as one of the academically outstanding colleges in the Northeast for 2027 and included the College among its 392 best in the nation.
Money Magazine named the College in its 2026 list of the Best Colleges in America, while Forbes included the College on its 2027 list of America's Top Colleges.
The College received a record-high of 14,400 applications for the class of 2030, giving them an additional challenge next year to maintain its top ranking streak with more people on campus than ever before.
