Best General Studies Schools Near Clifton, NJ (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Clifton, New Jersey has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $39,300 to $50,316 per year for indexed programs. Clifton has a population of about 89,247. Median household income is $99,003 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $157,000 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Clifton

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near Clifton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Clifton city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Clifton. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Montclair State University

Montclair, NJ 2.1 miles from Clifton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,415
Avg net price $15,566/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 114

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Felician University

Lodi, NJ 3.2 miles from Clifton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
50.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,602
Avg net price $40,045/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,300
Out‑of‑state$39,300
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Bloomfield College of Montclair State University

Bloomfield, NJ 5.1 miles from Clifton
  • 4 year
29.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,415
Avg net price $28,014/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 59%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ 6.1 miles from Clifton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,780
Avg net price $18,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus

Teaneck, NJ 7.1 miles from Clifton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
59.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,273
Avg net price $15,404/yr
Tuition
In‑state$38,004
Out‑of‑state$38,004
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

New Jersey Institute of Technology

Newark, NJ 8.4 miles from Clifton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,276
Avg net price $16,504/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Pillar College

Newark, NJ 8.6 miles from Clifton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,577
Avg net price $8,470/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,900
Out‑of‑state$25,900
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Seton Hall University

South Orange, NJ 9.5 miles from Clifton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,196
Avg net price $31,446/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 91

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all New Jersey schools on the New Jersey general studies page.

General Studies Wages Near Clifton

Clifton is part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (BLS area code 35620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New Jersey statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Managers $157,000 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $139,432
Management Analysts $124,390 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $110,471
Human Resources Specialists $89,780 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $79,734
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $100,520 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $89,272
Writers and Authors $81,590 NJ statewide $72,460
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $100,800 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $89,520
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $80,760 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $71,723
Social and Community Service Managers $100,570 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $89,316

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Clifton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 89,247 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $99,003 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 34.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 112.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Clifton-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Clifton, NJ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Clifton. The closest is Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ (2.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is William Paterson University of New Jersey (6.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Clifton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Clifton are: General and Operations Managers ($157,000), Management Analysts ($124,390), Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education ($100,800). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New Jersey statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Passaic instead of Clifton?

Passaic, NJ is 1.6 miles from Clifton and has its own set of local general studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Clifton an affordable place to study general studies?

Clifton’s median household income of $99,003 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Clifton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New Jersey public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About General Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in Clifton

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Clifton:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best General Studies Schools in New Jersey (2026)