Princeton University was ranked No. 6 among national universities and The College of New Jersey was ranked No. 1 among regional universities in the North in U.S. News & World Report‘s 2025 Best Colleges for Veterans rankings, which were released Tuesday.
U.S. News officials said the rankings provide data on top-ranked schools that make pursuing a college education more affordable for veterans and active-duty service members. As part of U.S. News’ annual statistical survey of undergraduate schools conducted in the spring and summer of 2024, schools reported their enrollment of, and benefits for, veterans and active-duty service members.
Schools are only included in the 2025 edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans ranking if they meet the following criteria, as reported to U.S. News during the spring and summer 2024 statistical survey data collection:
- The institution is certified for the GI Bill
- The institution participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program or is a public school
To be eligible to be ranked, the institution must have enrolled a minimum of 20 full-time and part-time undergraduate veterans and active-duty service members in the 2023-2024 academic year, as reported to U.S. News during the spring and summer 2024 statistical survey data collection. In addition, the institution must be ranked in the top half of one of the 2025 Best Colleges ranking categories.
Rutgers University also ranked high in the national category, as its New Brunswick campus ranked in a tie for No. 22 while Rutgers-Newark ranked at No. 48 and Rutgers-Camden came in at No. 63.
A number of factors determine whether a school is on the national or regional list, with the number of Ph.D. programs being a key metric.
In addition to the TCNJ, five other New Jersey schools ranked highly on the regional list, including:
- 8: Ramapo College of New Jersey
- 12 (tie): Rider University
- 15 (tie): Saint Peter’s University
- 26 (tie): Fairleigh Dickinson University
- 26 (tie): William Paterson University
