By Adam Clark | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Going to college in New Jersey isn't cheap, but the state is home to some of the nation's "best value" colleges, according to a new ranking.

Princeton University claimed the top spot in the 2018 national rankings by Kiplinger, a personal finance magazine. Four other New Jersey also colleges made the top 300 colleges.

The annual list highlights colleges where students get the most for their money, based on financial aid, expected time to graduate, post-graduate earnings and other factors.

Here are New Jersey's top 5 "best values."

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(Courtesy of Princeton University)

Princeton University

National ranking: 1

Total cost per year: $61,140

Average debt at graduation: $8,908

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(Michael Mancuso | For NJ.com)

The College of New Jersey

National ranking: 108

Total cost per year: $41,978

Average debt at graduation: $35,798

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(Star-Ledger file photo)

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

National ranking: 142

Total cost per year: $44,381

Average debt at graduation: $25,975

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(NJ Advance Media file photo)

Ramapo College

National ranking: 188

Total cost per year: $36,963

Average debt at graduation: $11,275

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(Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Drew University

National ranking: 277

Total cost per year: $64,362

Average debt at graduation: $24,964

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How the colleges are ranked

Nearly 1,200 public and private colleges that provided information were considered for the rankings, and the "best values" title is based on both the quality of the college as well as the cost.

Admission rate, freshmen retention rate and graduation rate are among the key measures used for quality. Total cost, financial aid, student debt and post-grad salary were used to determine whether the college is a financial value.

Read the full explanation here.

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The national top 10

Some of the most prestigious universities are also a value for their students, according to the rankings. Here are the country's the top 10 "best value" colleges, according to Kiplinger.

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1. Princeton University

2. Davidson College

3. Swarthmore College

4. Harvard University

5. Duke University

6. Pomona College

7. Vanderbilt University

8. Rice University

9. Washington and Lee University

10. Wellesley College

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Read more about N.J. colleges

N.J. tuition ranked from least to most expensive

7 ways to go to college for free in N.J.

25 highest paid public college presidents

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Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.