2022 - Best Nursing Schools in New Jersey

Overview of Nursing Schools in New Jersey

About Nursing Schools in New Jersey

In the state of New Jersey, there are currently 78,590 nurses working across different healthcare facilities like hospitals, long-term care facilities, acute care, home care, community healthcare centers, and so on. The registered nurses in the state earn $110,510 on average annually. If you are looking to relocate to New Jersey as an RN or thinking of starting your nursing career there, then you will be pleased to know that by the year 2028, the state is going to need a whopping 95,090 RNs in the state which is an 11.3% increment from 2018.

Similarly, if you are a Nurse Practitioner, the state will pay you a sum of $107,600 when you start out and $177,010 once you have an experience of more than 20 years. The state currently has employed almost 6,000 NPs, and the number is projected to rise to 8,010 by 2028. The NPs in New Jersey are allowed Reduced Practice, which means that they will require a career-long regulated collaborative agreement with another health provider in order to provide patient care. 

Unfortunately, New Jersey is one of the states that are yet to implement the eNLC (Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact) that allows nurses to work across states with a single license. Thus, if you are looking to relocate your practice to this state you will have to obtain a new nursing license from the state of New Jersey.

Nurses who graduate from an RN program can obtain certification in over 100 nursing specialties, go on to earn an RN to BSN or RN to MSN degree.

BSN degree holders have options to earn an Advance Practice Register Nursing (APRN) degree and become a Nurse Practitioner (NP), or earn an advanced degree for a career in any number of nursing leadership roles such Nurse Educator or Clinical Nurse Specialist.

New Jersey RN Program Comparisons: ADN vs BSN

Best Ranked RN Programs in New Jersey

To help nursing students in their search for a top RN program, the education experts at RNCareers.org publish their annual findings of the best nursing schools for both New Jersey and the country. Schools ranked on our list have proven their ability to educate highly competent nurses.

To create our rankings, we evaluated 18 ADN degree programs and 13 BSN degree programs in New Jersey. We obtained each institution’s first-time NCLEX-RN passing rates, the number of students taking the test, the program nursing accreditation and more. We then compared the results against other nursing programs in New Jersey to provide our state rankings. View our methodology. 

Passaic County Community College

98.00% 3-Year
Pass Rate

• 
  One College Blvd, Paterson, NJ - 07505-1179
• 
  (973) 684-6800

• NCLEX Passing Rate: (A) 98.00%
• Programs: Registered Nursing
• Award Levels: Associate

Passaic County Community College (PCCC) is strategically situated with multiple locations in Wayne, Wanaque, and Passaic, New Jersey, ideal for those seeking convenient access to education. For added convenience, classes can also be done online. PCCC’s curriculum is designed to prepare its students for ease of transition to the workforce

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University Information

• Total Faculty: 81
• In-State Undergraduate Tuition: $5,400
• Book and Supplies: $9,390
• Percent Received Aid: 86%
• Average Grant or Scholarship: $4,927
• Percent Admitted: N/A
• Percent Admitted who Enrolled: N/A
• Graduation Rate: 17%

Bloomfield College

Frances M. McLaughlin Division of Nursing

97.14% 3-Year
Pass Rate

• 
  467 Franklin St, Bloomfield, NJ - 07003
• 
  (973) 748-9000

Nurse Admin: Ismat Mikky, PhD, RN

Title: Chair

• NCLEX Passing Rate: (A) 97.14%
• Programs: Registered Nursing
• Award Levels: Bachelor

Bloomfield College is located in Bloomfield, New Jersey.  They offer a BSN program and an RN to BSN program; the RN to BSN program is an accelerated program that has one day of on-site coursework, with the rest of the work being completed online.  They also offer a certificate in

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University Information

• Total Faculty: 60
• In-State Undergraduate Tuition: $1,400
• Book and Supplies: N/A
• Percent Received Aid: 99%
• Average Grant or Scholarship: $24,079
• Percent Admitted: 85%
• Percent Admitted who Enrolled: 11%
• Graduation Rate: 33%

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

95.65% 3-Year
Pass Rate

• 
  83 Somerset St, New Brunswick, NJ - 08901-1281
• 
  (848) 445-4636

Nurse Admin: ,

• NCLEX Passing Rate: (A) 95.65%
• Programs:
• Award Levels:

University Information

• Total Faculty: 4283
• In-State Undergraduate Tuition: $15,804
• Book and Supplies: $1,350
• Percent Received Aid: 66%
• Average Grant or Scholarship: $12,526
• Percent Admitted: 67%
• Percent Admitted who Enrolled: 24%
• Graduation Rate: 84%

Thomas Edison State College

W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing

94.98% 3-Year
Pass Rate

• 
  111 W State St, Trenton, NJ - 08608
• 
  (609) 984-1100

Nurse Admin: Filomela A. Marshall, EdD, RN

Title: Dean

• NCLEX Passing Rate: (A) 94.98%
• Programs: Nurse Educator, Nursing Administration, Nursing Informatics, Nursing Leadership, Registered Nursing
• Award Levels: Accelerated BSN, Bachelor, MSN, MSN to DNP, RN to MSN

Thomas Edison State College is a Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)- accredited public institution of higher learning in New Jersey. Established in 1972 by the New Jersey Board of Higher Education, it is now one of the oldest schools in the country. One of its schools, the W.

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University Information

• Total Faculty:
• In-State Undergraduate Tuition: $7,182
• Book and Supplies: $1,700
• Percent Received Aid: N/A
• Average Grant or Scholarship: $5,559,000
• Percent Admitted: N/A
• Percent Admitted who Enrolled: N/A
• Graduation Rate: N/A

Mercer County Community College

94.70% 3-Year
Pass Rate

• 
  1200 Old Trenton Rd, West Windsor, NJ - 08550-3407
• 
  (609) 586-4800

Nurse Admin: Elizabeth Mizerek,

Title: Director of Nursing

• NCLEX Passing Rate: (A) 94.70%
• Programs: Registered Nursing
• Award Levels: Associate

Situated in West Windsor, New Jersey, Mercer County Community College (MCCC) is an open-to-all public institution. It has a rich and diverse culture which gives students an option to take classes purely online or in hybrid settings. Its nursing program under the Math, Science, and Health Professions Division emphasizes meeting

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University Information

• Total Faculty: 101
• In-State Undergraduate Tuition: $4,728
• Book and Supplies: $8,328
• Percent Received Aid: 64%
• Average Grant or Scholarship: $4,241
• Percent Admitted: N/A
• Percent Admitted who Enrolled: N/A
• Graduation Rate: 19%

County College of Morris

94.50% 3-Year
Pass Rate

• 
  214 Center Grove Rd, Randolph, NJ - 07869-2086
• 
  (973) 328-5000

Nurse Admin: Kathleen Horan,

Title: Chair, Nursing

• NCLEX Passing Rate: (A) 94.50%
• Programs: Registered Nursing
• Award Levels: Associate

Founded in 1965, the County College of Morris (CCM) in Randolph, New Jersey, has been catering to the training and educational needs of its nearby areas for more than 50 years. Its Department of Nursing, under the School of Health Professions and Natural Sciences offers a program leading to an

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University Information

• Total Faculty: 155
• In-State Undergraduate Tuition: $5,520
• Book and Supplies: $13,620
• Percent Received Aid: 56%
• Average Grant or Scholarship: $4,563
• Percent Admitted: N/A
• Percent Admitted who Enrolled: N/A
• Graduation Rate: 35%

Ocean County College

93.90% 3-Year
Pass Rate

• 
  College Drive, Toms River, NJ - 08754-2001
• 
  (732) 255-0400

• NCLEX Passing Rate: (A) 93.90%
• Programs: Registered Nursing
• Award Levels: Associate

Ocean County College is located in Toms River, New Jersey.  Ocean County College has multiple options for its nursing students; they do offer a traditional nursing program.  They also offer a career mobility program, which is an LPN to RN program.  Unique to their college is the On-site Online Nursing

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University Information

• Total Faculty: 113
• In-State Undergraduate Tuition: $5,250
• Book and Supplies: $8,100
• Percent Received Aid: 60%
• Average Grant or Scholarship: $4,568
• Percent Admitted: N/A
• Percent Admitted who Enrolled: N/A
• Graduation Rate: 38%

Stockton University

Nursing Program

91.40% 3-Year
Pass Rate

• 
  101 Vera King Farris Drive, Galloway, NJ - 08205-9441
• 
  (609) 652-1776

Nurse Admin: Sheila A. Quinn, PhD, RN

Title: Associate Dean & Chief Nurse Administrator

• NCLEX Passing Rate: (A) 91.40%
• Programs: Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Registered Nursing
• Award Levels: APRN Certificate, Bachelor, MSN, Post Master's NP Certificate

Stockton University is located in Galloway, New Jersey.  Stockton University offers a BSN program, an accelerated BSN program (for students with a prior bachelor's degree) and an RN to BSN program.  This program is offered online, with the exception of the clinical component, which is requires time in the clinical

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University Information

• Total Faculty: 335
• In-State Undergraduate Tuition: $14,885
• Book and Supplies: $1,375
• Percent Received Aid: 91%
• Average Grant or Scholarship: $9,532
• Percent Admitted: 77%
• Percent Admitted who Enrolled: 25%
• Graduation Rate: N/A

William Paterson University of New Jersey

Department of Nursing

91.31% 3-Year
Pass Rate

• 
  300 Pompton Rd, Wayne, NJ - 07470
• 
  (973) 720-2000

Nurse Admin: Leo-Felix M. Jurado, PhD, RN, APN, NE-BC, CNE, FAAN

Title: Professor & Chairperson, Department Of Nursing

• NCLEX Passing Rate: (A) 91.31%
• Programs: Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Administration, Registered Nursing
• Award Levels: Accelerated BSN, APRN Certificate, Bachelor, BSN to DNP, MSN, MSN to DNP, Post Master's NP Certificate, RN to MSN

William Paterson University (WP), located in New Jersey, has a national accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) for its Department of Nursing. It offers degrees and certificates in the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral level. Among the programs offered are:  BS in Nursing General This is in preparation

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University Information

• Total Faculty: 377
• In-State Undergraduate Tuition: $14,210
• Book and Supplies: $1,600
• Percent Received Aid: 90%
• Average Grant or Scholarship: $7,013
• Percent Admitted: 81%
• Percent Admitted who Enrolled: 15%
• Graduation Rate: 56%

Become an Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in New Jersey

RNs who wish to become advanced practice registered nurses will want to pursue any number of avenues to earn Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. Earning a Master of Science in Nursing consists of graduate-level coursework and clinical practice for those nurses who wish to direct patient roles such as a nurse practitioner. You can also pursue indirect patient roles such as teaching or leadership roles, or become involved in policy, state-wide health initiatives or community engagement. There are many clinical and non-clinical avenues that an RN with MSN can pursue.

Become a Nurse Practitioner (NP) in New Jersey

Learn how to become a Nurse Practitioner (NP) and research schools in New Jersey offering the following high paying nurse practitioner specialties:

• Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
• Family Nurse Practitioner
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
• Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
• Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
• Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
• Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner

Learn about Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Degree.

New Jersey  RN Licensing Requirements

New Jersey State Board of Nursing
P.O. Box 45010
Newark, NJ 07101
(973) 504-6430
Fees:
Initial licensing fee, RN: $200
License renewal (every two years), RN: $120

Continuing Education Requirements:
RNs and LPNs: 30 contact hours every renewal period

RN Licensure by Exam

Candidates can fill out an application online on the Board website. The application includes questions about education, student loan and child support status, and medical conditions that could interfere with practice. There is a $200 fee to apply to the New Jersey Board. In addition, candidates will be required to complete a criminal background check and pay $67.50 to MorphoTrak electronically. Candidates who have submitted fingerprinting by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs after November 2003 but will have to pay $22.55 for another background check. Following this, the candidate will be required to register with Pearson VUE to take the NCLEX-RN exam and pay the $200 testing fee. The candidate will be able to schedule the exam when Authorization to Test (ATT) has been received. Last but not least, registered nurses must apply for sexual assault certification and pay a $200 fee. There is a $100 fee for the application and an additional $100 fee for certification.

RN Licensure by Endorsement

Registered Nurses who are licensed in one of the other 50 states may apply for licensure by endorsement. Candidates must have their fingerprints done and submit verification of licensure.

RN License for Nurses Educated Abroad

Nurses who were educated in a foreign country have two preliminary steps that must be completed before the application can be completed with the background check and the NCLEX. Candidates must have their coursework evaluated by the Commission of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) and complete an English proficiency exam. There is a $225 fee due to the New Jersey Board for international candidates who are applying for licensure by examination.

Nursing Salaries in New Jersey by Experience

There are many opportunities available for nurses who have obtained a Bachelor’s degree. In addition to positions available in bedside care, there are also positions available in specialty nursing areas. Nurses who wish to pursue other opportunities may be able to fill administrative and nursing management positions. Registered nurses in New Jersey earn an annual mean wage of $84990, which is higher than the national average. This is, in part, because of the push by legislation for higher education.

New Jersey Registered Nursing Salaries

The Vinland metropolitan area has the highest amount of registered nurses employed across the state. However, it is the Newark metropolitan area that has the highest hourly mean wage and annual median wage.

Nurse Practitioner Salaries in New Jersey

Projected Number of Nurses Need in New Jersey