On this page
Key Takeaways
Best information technology degree programs: Rutgers University-New Br..., New Jersey Institute of T..., Rowan
Ranked by graduation rates, program outcomes, and institutional quality
Tuition ranges from $2,856 to $58,680/year
Brookdale Community College offers the most affordable option at $7,875/yr
Information Technology degree programs available: 14 associate's, 14 master's, 2 doctoral in New Jersey
From community college pathways to advanced research degrees
5 online information technology degree programs in New Jersey
Flexible scheduling for working professionals
New Jersey community college transfer can save 40-60% on total degree costs
14 associate's programs provide transfer pathways to bachelor's degrees
Education Commission of the States
Major employers: Johnson & Johnson, Prudential, Merck, Verizon
Tech hubs in Jersey City and Newark
Hakia Research 2026
Information Technology degree programs near 86+ cities across New Jersey
Search by city to find programs within 200 miles of your location
Updated June 28, 2026
How we ranked New Jersey Information Technology programs
We rank 53 accredited information technology programs in New Jersey using IPEDS 2024 institutional data, BLS OEWS 2024 state salary data, and College Scorecard outcomes. A 4-factor weighted composite is normalized to a 0–100 score. Schools cannot pay for placement; rankings are produced algorithmically.
Are Information Technology Degree Programs in New Jersey Worth It?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024
Information Technology Degree Rankings in New Jersey
Compare the top-ranked Information Technology programs in New Jersey by degree level. Tuition, graduation rate, and Hakia Score for every accredited program.
Best Associate's Information Technology Programs in New Jersey
Program Landscape
New Jersey offers 14 accredited associate's degree programs in information technology, providing an affordable entry point into the technology field. The top-ranked programs include Brookdale Community College, Hudson County Community C..., Middlesex College, which combine rigorous technical curriculum with practical skills training.
Costs & Value
Community colleges in New Jersey offer these two-year programs at an average cost of $6,468/yr, significantly less than four-year university tuition. Students completing associate's degrees can pursue entry-level technical positions and transfer opportunities, with entry-level salaries averaging $67,540 in New Jersey.
Career Pathways
Many programs feature guaranteed transfer agreements with New Jersey's public universities, allowing students to complete their first two years at reduced cost before transferring to complete a bachelor's degree. The Jersey City, Newark, Princeton areas offer particularly strong job markets for associate's degree holders, with employers like Johnson & Johnson, Prudential, Merck hiring for technical support, junior development, and IT specialist positions.
Curriculum & Specializations
Programs typically include coursework in programming fundamentals, database management, networking basics, and software development. Among information technology schools in New Jersey, these associate's programs offer the best value for students beginning their information technology degrees in New Jersey.
UCNJ Union College of Union County, New Jersey
Best Bachelor's Information Technology Programs in New Jersey
Program Landscape
New Jersey ranks among the nation's top destinations for information technology education, with 23 accredited bachelor's degree programs across 12 public and 9 private institutions. The highest-ranked programs are Rutgers University-New Br..., New Jersey Institute of T..., Rowan, recognized for academic excellence, research opportunities, and strong industry connections.
Career Outcomes
Graduates from New Jersey information technology programs earn a median salary of $104,380, 6% above the national average. The state's robust technology sector, anchored by the Jersey City, Newark, Princeton metropolitan areas, provides abundant internship and employment opportunities with companies including Johnson & Johnson, Prudential, Merck.
Costs & Value
Tuition ranges from $11,135 to $48,670 annually, with an average of $23,704/yr. Top programs maintain graduation rates above 88%, with the highest reaching 100%. Many programs hold ABET accreditation, the gold standard for computing education, ensuring curriculum meets rigorous industry standards.
Curriculum & Specializations
Students can choose from specializations including software engineering, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data science, and systems architecture. Strong industry partnerships provide access to co-op programs, capstone projects with real companies, and direct recruiting pipelines to New Jersey's leading technology employers. For students seeking information technology degrees in New Jersey, these top-ranked information technology schools offer the strongest combination of academic rigor and career preparation.
Show all 8 ranked programs
| Rank | School | Location | Type | Tuition | Grad Rate | Hakia Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #6 | William Paterson University of New Jersey | Wayne, NJ | Public | $15,204 | 44% | 68.1 |
| #7 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | Teaneck, NJ | Private nonprofit | $35,830 | 53% | 67.3 |
| #8 | Strayer University-New Jersey | Piscataway, NJ | Private for-profit | $13,725 | — | 62.6 |
Best Master's Information Technology Programs in New Jersey
Program Landscape
New Jersey offers 14 master's degree programs in information technology, designed for professionals seeking to advance into senior engineering, technical leadership, and specialized roles. The top programs, New Jersey Institute of T..., Rutgers University-New Br..., Stevens Institute of Tech..., combine advanced technical training with research opportunities and leadership development.
Career Outcomes
Master's graduates in New Jersey earn a median salary of $122,800, approximately 20-30% higher than bachelor's degree holders. The concentration of technology companies in Jersey City, Newark, Princeton creates strong demand for graduate-level talent, with Johnson & Johnson, Prudential, Merck actively recruiting from these programs.
Costs & Value
Program formats include traditional full-time study (typically 2 years), part-time options for working professionals (2-3 years), and accelerated tracks. Tuition averages $25,799/yr, with many employers offering tuition reimbursement for graduate education. Some programs offer thesis and non-thesis tracks, allowing students to focus on research or professional development based on their career goals.
Curriculum & Specializations
Curriculum covers advanced topics including machine learning, distributed systems, software architecture, and technical management. Many programs include practicum experiences, industry capstone projects, or consulting engagements that provide real-world application of advanced concepts. Among New Jersey's information technology schools at the graduate level, these programs stand out for both academic quality and career outcomes.
Stevens Institute of Technology
Seton Hall University
Show all 8 ranked programs
| Rank | School | Location | Type | Tuition | Grad Rate | Hakia Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #6 | Montclair State University | Montclair, NJ | Public | $14,790 | 65% | 68.9 |
| #7 | Saint Peter's University | Jersey City, NJ | Private nonprofit | $41,152 | 58% | 66.5 |
| #8 | New Jersey City University | Jersey City, NJ | Public | $14,268 | 34% | 55.7 |
Information Technology Degree Costs & Tuition in New Jersey
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average in-state tuition | $18,374/year |
| Average out-of-state tuition | $45,935/year |
| Community college tuition | $4,594/year |
| 4-year savings for residents | $110,244 |
| 2+2 transfer pathway savings | $27,560 |
Source: IPEDS 2024
Financial Aid & Scholarships for Information Technology Students in New Jersey
State Aid Programs
The Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) is New Jersey's signature state financial aid program, providing $2,176 to $14,404 per year for eligible NJ residents attending in-state institutions (HESAA TAG Grant). TAG is one of the most generous state grant programs in the nation, and unlike loans, it doesn't need to be repaid. Eligibility is based on financial need as determined by the FAFSA, and students must be enrolled full-time at a participating NJ institution. The grant amount varies by institution type, students at research universities like Rutgers receive higher awards than those at county colleges. TAG funding can be combined with federal Pell Grants (up to $7,395 for 2024-25) to substantially reduce or eliminate tuition costs for qualifying students.
Key Programs & Amounts
Key NJ financial aid programs and deadlines:
- Tuition Aid Grant (TAG): $2,176-$14,404/year based on need and institution (FAFSA deadline: September 15 for renewal, October 1 for new applicants)
- NJ STARS: Free community college tuition for students graduating in the top 15% of their NJ high school class
- NJ STARS II: Continued funding for NJ STARS recipients who transfer to an NJ four-year institution with a 3.25+ GPA
- Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF): Grants plus academic support for students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds
- Federal Pell Grant: Up to $7,395/year (apply via FAFSA at studentaid.gov)
- Federal Work-Study: Part-time campus employment for students with financial need HESAA (Higher Education Student Assistance Authority) administers all NJ state aid programs. File the FAFSA as early as possible, aid is awarded on a first-come basis and funds can run out (HESAA).
Institutional Scholarships
Institutional and industry scholarships provide additional support.
NJIT offers competitive merit scholarships for admitted students, with awards ranging from partial to full tuition based on GPA and test scores. Rutgers provides computing-specific scholarships through its School of Arts and Sciences and professional schools. Technology companies including Cognizant, Prudential, and Johnson & Johnson fund STEM scholarships at NJ partner universities. Professional organizations like CompTIA and ISACA offer national IT scholarships. Many NJ employers also provide tuition reimbursement programs. Verizon, AT&T, and major pharmaceutical companies cover up to $10,000-$15,000 annually for employees pursuing IT degrees, making part-time study while working a viable option.
Information Technology Degree ROI Calculator, New Jersey
Use our interactive ROI calculator to estimate your return on investment for a information technology degree in New Jersey. Enter your expected tuition costs, financial aid, and career goals to see projected payback periods and lifetime earnings. The calculator uses current salary data from BLS and tuition data from IPEDS to provide accurate estimates.
Information Technology Degree ROI Calculator
Estimate your return on investment for a information technology degree
Leave blank to use average cost for selected program type
+900%
Net gain divided by total investment. ROI above 200% is considered excellent for education investments.
$1,665,303
Your additional lifetime earnings with this degree vs. working without one, minus the total investment.
5 years
Years until your cumulative earnings exceed total investment. Shorter programs often break even faster due to lower opportunity cost.
$82,353
Your starting salary adjusted for local cost of living. This shows real purchasing power compared to a $100K national baseline.
Why does break-even change with program type? Your "total investment" includes both tuition AND opportunity cost (foregone earnings while in school). A 4-year full-time public university (in-state) means 4 years of not earning a salary ($140,000 in opportunity cost). Shorter full-time programs may have higher tuition but lower total investment because you return to the workforce sooner.
Detailed Breakdown
How we calculate your degree ROI using real salary data
Tuition plus opportunity cost (earnings you miss while in school)
Direct cost of the degree program
4 years × $35K/year foregone salary while studying full-time
Projected career earnings starting after graduation, with salary growth
What you'd earn working at $35K/year with 2% annual growth
Median salary for this role in your selected location (BLS 2024)
Your investment's compound annual growth rate (similar to stock market returns)
Data sources: BLS OEWS May 2024, IPEDS 2024. Calculations use median salaries, 3% discount rate, and assume salary growth declines from 6% to 2% over career. Individual results will vary. | Powered by Hakia.com
Information Technology Salaries by Metro Area
Median annual salary in New Jersey metro areas
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Jersey City | $135K |
| Newark | $129K |
| Princeton | $123K |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024
Hakia.com
Top Employers Hiring Information Technology Graduates in New Jersey
Find information technology jobs in New Jersey. These major employers across New Jersey metro areas are actively hiring information technology degree holders. Click employer names to view current job openings.
Information Technology Jobs in Jersey City
NJInformation Technology Jobs in Newark
NJInformation Technology Jobs in Princeton
NJTransfer Pathways for Information Technology Degrees in New Jersey
State Transfer System
New Jersey has one of the strongest transfer systems in the nation through NJ Transfer, which connects the state's 19 community colleges to all public four-year institutions with guaranteed pathways (NJ Transfer). Students who complete an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree at any NJ community college receive guaranteed junior standing when transferring to a New Jersey public university. This statewide articulation system prevents the credit loss that plagues transfer students nationally, where studies show up to 43% of credits can be lost. NJ Transfer's online course equivalency database lets students verify exactly how each community college course will apply at their target university.
How Transfers Work
Strategic IT transfer planning in New Jersey:
- 1Complete foundational IT coursework: Finish programming fundamentals (Java or Python), networking basics, database concepts, and systems administration at community college
- 2Earn an AS degree: The Associate of Science pathway aligns best with IT bachelor's programs and guarantees junior standing
- 3Verify equivalencies early: Use NJ Transfer's course equivalency tool to confirm each class will count toward your IT major
- 4Maintain strong GPA: Target 3.0+ for competitive programs at Rutgers and NJIT; 2.5+ for guaranteed admission at most state universities
- 5Earn industry certifications: CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ can be completed during community college and strengthen both transfer applications and resumes
- 6Meet priority deadlines: Most NJ universities have February-March deadlines for fall transfer Popular community colleges for IT transfers include Bergen Community College, Middlesex College, Passaic County Community College, and Camden County College, all offering strong IT and cybersecurity curricula.
Transfer Planning Tips
The 2+2 pathway delivers substantial savings.
NJ community college tuition averages approximately $5,000-$7,000 per year for in-county residents, compared to $15,000-$17,000 at state universities like Rutgers and NJIT. Students who complete two years at community college before transferring can save $16,000-$22,000 on total degree costs while maintaining access to the same bachelor's degree. NJIT maintains specific articulation agreements with all 19 community colleges, including dedicated IT transfer tracks. Rowan University's 3+1 partnership with select community colleges allows students to spend three years locally before one year on campus. These structured pathways make a bachelor's in IT financially accessible to all New Jersey residents.
Why Pursue an Information Technology Degree in New Jersey?
Industry & Workforce
New Jersey is a powerhouse for information technology careers, ranking among the top states nationally for tech employment density and salary levels. The state's 12 Strategic Innovation Centers are projected to generate $17 billion in economic output and 28,000 jobs over the next decade, many of them in IT infrastructure, managed services, and enterprise systems (NJEDA Strategic Innovation Centers). With the nation's highest concentration of pharmaceutical headquarters, including Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Novartis, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. IT professionals in New Jersey support mission-critical systems in healthcare, finance, and logistics. The NJ Fintech Accelerator at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken further strengthens the pipeline between IT education and industry demand in payments, cybersecurity, and analytics.
Salary Outlook
IT salaries in New Jersey consistently exceed national averages.
IT managers earn a median salary of approximately $160,000 or more annually, while software developers command around $127,500-$141,105 depending on specialization and metro area (BLS OEWS New Jersey May 2024, Glassdoor). The BLS projects 15% job growth for IT occupations through 2034, driven by cloud migration, cybersecurity needs, and data center expansion. New Jersey's data center market is booming, QTS, Equinix, CoreSite, and AWS are all expanding operations, making the state a top-5 data center market nationally. This infrastructure growth directly fuels demand for network administrators, systems engineers, and cloud architects.
Regional Tech Hubs
Jersey City alone has seen 25% tech job growth, with over 20,000 tech professionals now working across the Hudson River from Manhattan at a fraction of New York City living costs (Choose New Jersey). Major employers including Audible, Panasonic, Samsung, Goldman Sachs, and Cognizant maintain significant Jersey City operations. The Princeton corridor anchors another tech hub with proximity to Princeton University and the NJ AI Hub connecting Microsoft, CoreWeave, and academic researchers. Compare IT programs in New York or Pennsylvania, or explore our national IT rankings.
Information Technology Program Availability in New Jersey
Source: IPEDS 2024
Information Technology Job Market & Salary Data in New Jersey
Employment Outlook
New Jersey's IT job market benefits from its unique geographic position between New York City and Philadelphia, creating a tri-state employment corridor with exceptional opportunity density. The state employs over 200,000 technology workers across sectors including financial services, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, and defense (CompTIA State of Tech Workforce 2025). IT-specific roles, systems administrators, network engineers, database administrators, help desk managers, and IT project managers, are in sustained demand as enterprises across every industry modernize infrastructure. Verizon, headquartered in nearby New York but with major NJ operations in Basking Ridge, drives significant telecom IT hiring.
Salaries by Metro
Salary ranges by IT specialization in New Jersey:
- IT Managers: Median $160,000+ annually, with senior directors at financial firms exceeding $200,000
- Network and Systems Administrators: Median $95,000-$110,000, with Cisco and cloud certifications commanding premiums
- Database Administrators: Median $100,000-$120,000, especially in pharmaceutical and financial data environments
- Information Security Analysts: Median $115,000-$130,000, reflecting NJ's critical infrastructure protection needs
- Computer Support Specialists: Median $65,000-$80,000, serving as the entry point for IT careers (BLS OEWS New Jersey May 2024). The data center boom, with QTS, Equinix, CoreSite, and AWS expanding, is creating thousands of new positions in infrastructure management, cloud operations, and site reliability engineering.
High-Growth Sectors
High-growth IT sectors in New Jersey include: cloud infrastructure (driven by the state's emergence as a top-5 data center market nationally), healthcare IT (supporting pharmaceutical giants' digital transformation), financial technology (Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and Prudential maintaining large NJ technology teams), and managed security services. The NJEDA's 12 Strategic Innovation Centers are catalyzing new IT employment clusters across the state. For related career paths, explore cybersecurity programs, network administration degrees, or database management programs.
Entry-Level (0-2 yrs)
New graduates and career changers
Senior (8+ yrs)
Technical leads and architects
Online vs On-Campus Information Technology Programs in New Jersey
Online Programs
5 available in New Jersey
On-Campus Programs
Traditional classroom experience
Compare Information Technology Programs in Other States
- Total Programs
- 138
- Median Tuition
- $13,800
- Total Programs
- 133
- Median Tuition
- $19,300
- Total Programs
- 8
- Median Tuition
- $13,700
- Total Programs
- 123
- Median Tuition
- $1,500
- Total Programs
- 27
- Median Tuition
- $7,300
- Total Programs
- 137
- Median Tuition
- $6,800
- Total Programs
- 55
- Median Tuition
- $27,400
- Total Programs
- 71
- Median Tuition
- $10,100
Information Technology Degree Programs in New Jersey: FAQ
What are the best information technology degree programs in New Jersey?
How much do information technology degree programs cost in New Jersey?
What salary can information technology degree graduates earn in New Jersey?
Are there online information technology degree programs in New Jersey?
What companies hire information technology degree graduates in New Jersey?
Is an information technology degree program worth it in New Jersey?
How long do information technology degree programs take in New Jersey?
What financial aid is available for information technology degree students in New Jersey?
Data Sources
Institutional characteristics, completions, graduation rates
New Jersey salary and employment data
Program details and admissions information
Last Updated: June 26, 2026. Rankings based on IPEDS 2024 data. Salary data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
Taylor Rupe
Co-founder & Editor (B.S. Computer Science, Oregon State • B.A. Psychology, University of Washington)
Taylor combines technical expertise in computer science with a deep understanding of human behavior and learning. His dual background drives Hakia's mission: leveraging technology to build authoritative educational resources that help people make better decisions about their academic and career paths.