2026 Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools in New Jersey
[General Educational Leadership & Administration](/majors/education/educational-administration/educational-leadership-and-administration-general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 19 schools to find the best return on investment for general educational leadership & administration students.
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2026 Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools in New Jersey
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general educational leadership & administration, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools
New Jersey City University earned the #1 spot for value among general educational leadership & administration schools in New Jersey. New Jersey City University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Jersey City. Students from in state pay about $14,460 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $22,107. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of New Jersey City University earn a median of $47,083 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. New Jersey City University admits about 98% of applicants.
Kean University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Located in the suburb of Union, Kean University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,299, compared with $22,446 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $26,703. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $79,188. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
Montclair State University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Located in the suburb of Montclair, Montclair State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $15,912 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $26,022. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $25,286. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Montclair State University earn a median of $78,952 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,286 median debt. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Students looking for strong value in general educational leadership & administration will find it at Saint Peters College, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Jersey City, Saint Peters College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $42,552. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $22,969. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Saint Peters College generally make around $76,437. That is a strong return on a $22,969 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at William Paterson University Of New Jersey earned it the #5 place for general educational leadership & administration. William Paterson University Of New Jersey is a large public school located in the suburb of Wayne. Students from in state pay about $15,704 in tuition and fees, compared with $25,344 for out-of-state students. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $25,644 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of William Paterson University Of New Jersey earn a median of $61,997 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Fairleigh Dickinson University Metropolitan Campus placed #6 among the best values for general educational leadership & administration. Fairleigh Dickinson University Metropolitan Campus is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Teaneck. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,010. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $24,770 in student loans. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $54,505. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
Ramapo College Of New Jersey placed #7 among the best values for general educational leadership & administration. Located in the suburb of Mahwah, Ramapo College Of New Jersey is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $16,777 in tuition and fees, compared with $27,708 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $24,014. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Ramapo College Of New Jersey generally make around $76,564. Set against $24,014 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.
Rowan University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Rowan University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Glassboro. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,574, compared with $26,932 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,488 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $72,463. Set against $24,488 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Rutgers University New Brunswick placed #9 among the best values for general educational leadership & administration. Set in the city of New Brunswick, Rutgers University New Brunswick is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,929, with out-of-state students paying around $37,441. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $25,120 in student loans. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $58,402. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 58%.
Rider University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Located in the suburb of Lawrenceville, Rider University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $41,120. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $26,241 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Rider University earn a median of $74,777 early in their careers. Set against $26,241 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Rider University admits about 79% of applicants.
The College Of New Jersey came in at #11 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. The College Of New Jersey is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Ewing. In-state tuition and fees average $19,632, with out-of-state students paying around $25,752. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $24,997 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from The College Of New Jersey generally make around $70,302. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.
Seton Hall University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Seton Hall University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of South Orange. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,170. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $23,422 in student loans. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $103,459. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
Monmouth University landed the #13 spot for general educational leadership & administration value this year. Set in the suburb of West Long Branch, Monmouth University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $46,552. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $26,847. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Monmouth University generally make around $49,709. That is a strong return on a $26,847 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Felician College earned the #14 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the suburb of Lodi, Felician College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $39,300 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $28,500. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Felician College generally make around $56,976. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 19 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
