Three colleges/universities in the Garden State make a top-50 list of the U.S. schools with the highest alumni salaries among bachelor's-degree graduates.

In fact, one New Jersey institution comes in as the highest-ranked public school on the list.

OnlineU used salary data released in March 2022, for students who graduated in 2017 and 2018. The findings are based on earnings for alumni in the first year of completing a degree.

"This list highlights schools whose graduates earn the highest starting salaries for their major, no matter what they studied," OnlineU says. "While other rankings highlight the most prestigious colleges with the best reputations, our list shows which schools have the best outcomes for their students."

The report uses a proprietary "Salary Score." Alumni starting salaries for each major are compared with salaries for graduates with the same degree from other colleges — this is necessary since some degrees net much higher salaries than others.

New Jersey entries

Thomas Edison State University
Photo provided by Thomas Edison State University
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#14 Thomas Edison State University — Trenton

TESU is the highest-ranked public school on OnlineU's list. The institution is different from the standard college/university because it's designed specifically for adults. The average student age is 35.

According to the university's website, TESU offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in more than 100 areas of study, as well as undergraduate, graduate and professional certificates. As a bonus, students can earn credits for college-level knowledge that they've already acquired outside of the classroom.

Princeton University campus
Princeton University campus (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
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#16 Princeton University — Princeton

Half of the top-10 on OnlineU's list are Ivy Schools. Columbia, in New York, and Princeton are in the top 20.

According to the list, someone just coming out of Princeton can earn more than $122,000 in the computer engineering field, and close to $82,000 in economics.

The school has a 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Undergraduate enrollment is around the 5,000 mark, with nearly 100% of students living on campus.

Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology
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#35 Stevens Institute of Technology — Hoboken

Stevens Institute is new to OnlineU's annual list.

The private research facility offers undergraduate and graduate programs across a number of areas, including technology and the sciences.

According to the institution, 97% of the undergraduate class of 2021 secured "career outcomes" (employed, military, or continued education) within six months.

A mechanical engineer in their first year out of Stevens can make close to $71,000 annually, according to the report.

Dino Flammia is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com

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