Ramapo College jumped two points to #8 as a Top Public School and remains a top institution in the Best Regional Universities North category, ascending six points to #21 among all schools in the same region, as determined in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges. The results affirm Ramapo’s value as an institution that combines high-quality programs, affordability, and dedication to student success. Additional rankings include:

• Top Value School, a category that looks at the quality of academic programming delivered with a low net cost of attendance, climbed three points to #69.
• Top Performers on Social Mobility, a category that measures success in enrolling and graduating a large proportion of economically disadvantaged students, earned Ramapo the #85 spot on the list in the region, a 34-point increase, and the largest by a New Jersey college.
• Best Colleges for Veteran Students, recognizing Ramapo’s commitment to veteran students, increasing to #7.
• Nursing, Business, and Psychologyall earned designations for their strong and competitive undergraduate programs. Undergraduate Computer Science programs made the list for the first time in college history.

Institutions ranked in the Best Regional Universities category provide a full range of undergraduate and master’s programs. Over the past two decades, the U.S. News college rankings, which group schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, have grown to be one of the most comprehensive research tools for students and parents considering higher education opportunities.

Once your estimated financial aid package has been prepared, it will be uploaded to your Application Portal and you will receive an email, entitled “Status Update”.  Login to your portal at https://apply.ramapo.edu/apply. Once logged in, you can view the Federal College Financing Plan under Decisions. Please note that your financial aid package is based on the information you provided on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and that the College Financing Plan details your financial aid package, as well as your Cost of Attendance (COA), rather than the Direct Cost.

The Direct Cost is the total out-of-pocket cost billed by the College that you will actually pay. Direct costs include tuition and fees, and on-campus room and board. These are all items you pay directly to RCNJ. The Cost of Attendance is an ESTIMATE of your educational expenses for the academic year. The COA consists of both Direct Costs and Indirect Costs. Books, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses are indirect costs. You will not receive a bill from Ramapo College with those items listed, but we realize that students do have those additional items as expenses, so we include them in your estimated costs to help with family financial planning.

The webpage “Understanding Your Financial Aid” has been created to assist you with reviewing the financial aid package detailed in the College Financing Plan.  You will also find useful information you should review in the documents “Next Steps” and “Terms, Conditions & More Information”.

Next Steps    Terms, Conditions & More Information

Parent & Private Loan Tip Sheet

The FAFSA form is available at www.studentaid.gov. Applicants should use Ramapo School Code (009344) when completing their FAFSA form.

Aid Application Information: NJ Residents

The FAFSA On The Web confirmation page you MUST select the “optional feature” link to apply for NJ State based Financial Aid in order to be considered for NJ State Aid (TAG etc) from the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority HESAA

If you have already completed the FAFSA and have not provided this information to HESAA, you can provide it to them directly at their website by following the link to “Report additional information for state aid.”

Net Price Calculator

Aid Application Information

First-Year

In order to be considered for financial aid all applicants must complete a FAFSA form and be accepted to Ramapo College. When completing your admissions application please be sure to provide your Social Security number.

Transfer Students

Transfer students must initiate a Federal school code change on their FAFSA to ensure that their account will be appropriately credited. Students should begin this process at the time of application to Ramapo.

In order to be considered for financial aid all applicants must complete a FAFSA form and be accepted to Ramapo College. When completing your admissions application please be sure to provide your Social Security number.

Financial Aid Tips for Transfer Students (PDF)

NEW JERSEY STUDENTS: New Jersey State resident transfer students should contact the New Jersey Higher Education Assistance Authority online at https://njfams.hesaa.org or by phone at (800) 792-8670, to transfer any awards to Ramapo College.