College tuition fees rose 3.5% in Bergen County in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Data shows that students paid $20,497 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $699 more than the previous school year.
Among the 14 institutions in the county, Felician University stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $36,410. Jersey College followed with an average of $35,240 per year. Bergen Community College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $8,442.
At the time, a total of $48 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Bergen County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached $19.4 million.
Currently there are 14 higher education institutions in Bergen County, including Ramapo College of New Jersey, Holy Name Medical Center-Sister Claire Tynan School of Nursing, and Lincoln Technical Institute-Paramus.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Number of Students Receiving Grants | Total Amount of Grants Received | Average Amount of Grant Per Student | Number of Students Receiving Loans | Total Amount of Loans Received | Average Amount of Loans Per Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | 452 | $14,239,940 | $31,504 | 231 | $1,710,516 | $7,405 |
| Bergen Community College | 2,142 | $10,895,283 | $5,087 | 486 | $2,476,688 | $5,096 |
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Teterboro | 30 | $159,729 | $5,324 | 42 | $263,823 | $6,282 |
| Adult and Continuing Education-BCTS | 81 | $235,744 | $2,910 | 59 | $155,268 | $2,632 |
| Ramapo College of New Jersey | 560 | $7,269,005 | $12,980 | 411 | $4,083,506 | $9,936 |
| Holy Name Medical Center-Sister Claire Tynan School of Nursing | 0 | $0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Parisian Beauty School | 39 | $216,956 | $5,563 | 46 | $320,623 | $6,970 |
| Lincoln Technical Institute-Mahwah | 505 | $2,185,147 | $4,327 | 445 | $3,695,099 | $8,304 |
| Eastwick College-Ramsey | 70 | $400,278 | $5,718 | 52 | $407,295 | $7,833 |
| Eastwick College-Hackensack | 99 | $350,750 | $3,543 | 85 | $293,242 | $3,450 |
| Mobile Technical Training | 59 | $310,385 | $5,261 | 55 | $279,313 | $5,078 |
| Jersey College | 304 | $1,344,060 | $4,421 | 368 | $2,678,482 | $7,278 |
| Felician University | 262 | $8,961,853 | $34,206 | 106 | $980,692 | $9,252 |
| Lincoln Technical Institute-Paramus | 342 | $1,420,114 | $4,152 | 297 | $2,104,266 | $7,085 |
