Liem Ho
Business Insider, a leading reporter of business and technology news, released their list of America’s Top 50 Most Underrated Colleges on January 28, with the New Jersey Institute of Technology ranking as the most underrated college in America.
In order to formulate the ranked list of America’s Most Underrated Colleges, analysts at Business Insider compiled data from The U.S. News & World Report rankings and the PayScale College Salary Report rankings. A correlation between schools included in both rankings determined that the most underrated colleges and universities in America have been ranked as having higher PayScale mid-career salary earning potential, despite what a lower U.S. News ranking may suggest.
In the report, NJIT was ranked above many other well-known universities such as Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Stevens Institute of Technology, Stonybrook University, and Virginia Tech.
NJIT ranks at number 149 on the list of U.S. News’ list of best universities and ranks at number 61 for on PayScale’s College Salary Report Rankings. In 2013, Buzzfeed.com ranked NJIT as number one for having the best return on investment for an undergraduate education after comparing tuition prices to student starting salaries after graduation.
Business Insider describes NJIT as “a leader in job placement” because of high student employment rates after graduation. According to Career Development Services’ annual report, 56% of undergraduate students who graduated in 2014 had accepted a job offer or were already employed at the time of graduation. This is 26% higher than the national average of undergraduate student employment. Additionally, 13% of students after graduation had enrolled in a fulltime graduate level program at elite universities such as Columbia University, California Institute of Technology, Stanford, and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
NJIT’s success in preparing students for post-graduation employment or education is not only due to high quality academics in fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, design, and business, but also because of the various opportunities provided to students, some of which include research, co-op and internship placement programs, career fairs, and extracurricular or leadership opportunities on campus. By taking advantage of these opportunities, students can ensure they have the best experiences, skills, and knowledge required to impress interviewers, secure jobs, and succeed in any professional life path of their choosing.
