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Colleges in and near West Long Branch

West Long Branch is a college town: 21 of every 100 residents are students

Monmouth University (4,773 students on campus) is inside the borough. Across New Jersey, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town21% of residents are studentsMonmouth University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of West Long Branch. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
14,089 students on campus
Nearest college
0.9 mi
Monmouth University
Residents in college
21%
Above NJ (6%)
Nearest community college
6.5 mi
Brookdale · $6,270 tuition
Nearest public university
26.7 mi
Rutgers University-New Brunswick · $17,929 in-state
Students on campus in West Long Branch
4,773
next to 8,625 residents

What stands out about college in West Long Branch

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town21 of every 100 West Long Branch residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Jersey.A university in West Long BranchMonmouth University has 4,773 students on campus in West Long Branch, 72% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 6.5 miles awayBrookdale Community College in Lincroft: tuition and fees $6,270 a year for New Jersey residents.In-state price at Rutgers University-New BrunswickLiving in New Jersey, Rutgers University-New Brunswick charges $17,929 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $37,441. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in West Long Branch

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

21 of every 100 West Long Branch residents are in college (NJ: 6).

4,773students on campus at Monmouth University, next to 8,625 residents (dorm students count as residents)
462college students live in West Long Branch households rather than dorms
29.9median age · NJ 40.1
55%of residents are women · NJ 51% (±3.2 points)
30%of homes rented · NJ 36%
$1,970median rent · 15% above the state
Cost of living$1,970/mo median rentD−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIBHealthCDC estimatesAJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundA−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change West Long Branch’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income A−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 3.6% of West Long Branch residents are below the poverty line, 3.8% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 3 points either way). 0% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living D−

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 21%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health A

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and West Long Branch’s median age is 29.9 (New Jersey 40.1), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety B

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of West Long Branch

One private college within 0.9 miles, and Brookdale Community College 6.5 miles away. The nearest public four-year college, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, is 26.7 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miBrookdaleMonmouth UniversityWest Long Branch
University or collegeCommunity college
Monmouth UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 4,773 on campus · In West Long Branch89%admitted$31knet price72%graduate$68kearningsBrookdale Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 9,316 on campus · 6.5 mi · Lincroft$11knet price30%graduate$44kearningsTuition and fees: $6,270 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at Over $110k, where West Long Branch’s median household income ($114,271) falls.

Brookdale Community College6.5 mi · Lincroft · sticker $18,143 · tuition $6,270$17,851a year
Rutgers University-New Brunswick26.7 mi · New Brunswick · sticker $36,993$35,016a year
Monmouth UniversityIn West Long Branch · sticker $62,904$39,015a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Monmouth UniversityBrookdaleRutgers University-New Brunswick
Rutgers University-New Brunswick84% graduate$74k earnings*$22k typical debt
Brookdale Community College30% graduate$44k earnings$12k typical debt
Monmouth University72% graduate$68k earnings$27k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Rutgers University-New Brunswick (3).

Majors

What students study in West Long Branch

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Monmouth University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 26%Health professions 17%Public safety 8%Communication 7%Psychology 6%Biology 5%Everything else 30%

Biggest programs

Business Administration, Management and Operations295 graduates a year
$79k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies80 graduates a year
$59k4 yrs out
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General80 graduates a year
$75k4 yrs out
Education, General53 graduates a year
$63k4 yrs out
Psychology, General43 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out
English Language and Literature, General41 graduates a year
$60k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections41 graduates a year
$68k4 yrs out
Social Work36 graduates a year
$59k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in West Long Branch

Is West Long Branch a college town?

Yes. 21 of every 100 West Long Branch residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across New Jersey. Monmouth University has 4,773 students on campus, next to 8,625 residents.

What colleges are in West Long Branch?

Monmouth University is inside the borough. Brookdale Community College is 6.5 miles away in Lincroft.

What is the closest community college to West Long Branch, and what does it cost?

Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, 6.5 miles away. Tuition and fees are $6,270 a year for New Jersey residents; the federal net price, $11,231, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Monmouth University?

Monmouth University admitted 89% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,140–1,310 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of West Long Branch. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →