NJIT Tops NJ Public Universities for Early-Career Salaries, Ranks 14 Nationwide

New Jersey Institute of Technology ranked No. 1 in New Jersey and 14th nationally among public schools for early-career salaries, with young alumni bringing home just under $125,000 on average against just $7,600 in average debt, according to Forbes 2021 Top Colleges ranking.

Statewide, only private schools with higher tuition ranked above NJIT for early career salaries. In overall rankings, NJIT is No. 89 among public colleges nationwide, Forbes stated.

For this year’s rankings, Forbes significantly changed their calculation methods. They now more heavily emphasize alumni salaries and graduation rate. Retention rates and return-on-investment are new categories.

Highlander graduation rates are up, while the university's high percentage of Pell Grant students and their six-year graduation rates also positively impacted the NJIT scores.

Another factor for NJIT's increase in the ranking is the recent jump in students achieving name-brand fellowships

More NJIT students than ever are earning Fulbright, Truman, Goldwater, Rhodes, Gates and Cambridge scholarships. Six students from the university's prestigious Albert Dorman Honors College were Fulbright semi-finalists this year. Two biology students working on COVID-19 research achieved Goldwater designations.

The university has soared among Forbes rankings in the last decade, now at 189 overall after being outside the top 500 in 2012.

NJIT performed well in other recent rankings, such as a top-50 result for public colleges by U.S. News & World Report, first nationwide for computer programming by HackerRank and one of the Best Maker Schools worldwide by Make: and Newsweek. NJIT also recently joined a National Science Foundation research hub with Princeton University and others.