Morris Leader

College tuition fees rose 3.2% in Morris County in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Data shows that students paid $21,476 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $673 more than the previous school year.

Among the 10 institutions in the county, Drew University stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $44,174. Saint Elizabeth University followed with an average of $34,930 per year. Assumption College for Sisters students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $5,773.

At the time, at least $30.6 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Morris County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached more than $7.2 million.

Currently there are 10 higher education institutions in Morris County, including Drew University, Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus, and County College of Morris.

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
Morris County Vocational School District	19	$106,155	$5,587	23	$160,022	$6,957
County College of Morris	381	$2,467,571	$6,477	171	$886,375	$5,183
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus	454	$11,750,392	$25,882	279	$2,914,160	$10,445
Assumption College for Sisters	--	--	--	--	--	--
Artistic Academy of Hair Design	36	$118,484	$3,291	23	$126,272	$5,490
Christine Valmy International School of Esthetics & Cosmetology	0	$0	$0	0	$0	$0
Rabbinical College of America	54	$542,864	$10,053	0	$0	$0
Cutting Edge Academy	17	$118,714	$6,983	19	$145,496	$7,658
Saint Elizabeth University	161	$5,434,514	$33,755	104	$790,053	$7,597
Drew University	304	$10,061,564	$33,097	206	$2,148,213	$10,428