Data study · every season we hold
Where New Jersey High School Basketball Players Go to College
Of the 1,463 players from New Jersey high schools on a college roster in our data, 36% played their college basketball in New Jersey.
Computed from 1,463 players · 2020–21 to 2026–27 · updated Sep 17, 2026
36% stay in-state.
New Jersey is below the 42% all-state baseline.
New Jersey skews toward D3.
59% of New Jersey players in the dataset reached D3, against 42% nationally.
Pennsylvania and New York are the first destinations out.
Among players leaving New Jersey, 33% went to Pennsylvania and 21% to New York.
New Jersey's college players skew heavily toward D3
New Jersey
n = 1,463
All states
n = 32,686
| NJ | All states | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | 26% | 35% | −9 pts |
| D2 | 14% | 23% | −9 pts |
| D3 | 59% | 42% | +17 pts |
Where New Jersey players land
Destination states| Destination state | Players | Share |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 533 | 36% |
| Pennsylvania | 306 | 21% |
| New York | 199 | 14% |
| Connecticut | 56 | 4% |
| Massachusetts | 55 | 4% |
| Maryland | 28 | 2% |
| Illinois | 22 | 2% |
| Florida | 18 | 1% |
Which programs take New Jersey players
Historical landings| Program | Division | State | Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers-Newark | D3 | New Jersey | 45 |
| FDU-Florham | D3 | New Jersey | 35 |
| Saint Elizabeth | D3 | New Jersey | 34 |
| NJCU | D3 | New Jersey | 33 |
| Kean | D3 | New Jersey | 32 |
| Drew | D3 | New Jersey | 28 |
| Georgian Court | D2 | New Jersey | 28 |
| Stockton | D3 | New Jersey | 28 |
| TCNJ | D3 | New Jersey | 27 |
| Rutgers-Camden | D3 | New Jersey | 26 |
| Program | Division | State | Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| NJIT | D1 | New Jersey | 11 |
| Monmouth | D1 | New Jersey | 9 |
| Marist | D1 | New York | 8 |
| Merrimack | D1 | Massachusetts | 8 |
| Saint Peter's | D1 | New Jersey | 8 |
| New Haven | D1 | Connecticut | 8 |
| Fairfield | D1 | Connecticut | 7 |
| Manhattan | D1 | New York | 7 |
| Sacred Heart | D1 | Connecticut | 7 |
| Wagner | D1 | New York | 7 |
| Program | Division | State | Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgian Court | D2 | New Jersey | 28 |
| Felician | D2 | New Jersey | 21 |
| Holy Family | D2 | Pennsylvania | 15 |
| Caldwell | D2 | New Jersey | 14 |
| Goldey-Beacom | D2 | Delaware | 8 |
| Lincoln (PA) | D2 | Pennsylvania | 8 |
| Adelphi | D2 | New York | 6 |
| East Stroudsburg | D2 | Pennsylvania | 6 |
| Dominican (NY) | D2 | New York | 5 |
| Chestnut Hill | D2 | Pennsylvania | 4 |
| Program | Division | State | Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers-Newark | D3 | New Jersey | 45 |
| FDU-Florham | D3 | New Jersey | 35 |
| Saint Elizabeth | D3 | New Jersey | 34 |
| NJCU | D3 | New Jersey | 33 |
| Kean | D3 | New Jersey | 32 |
| Drew | D3 | New Jersey | 28 |
| Stockton | D3 | New Jersey | 28 |
| TCNJ | D3 | New Jersey | 27 |
| Rutgers-Camden | D3 | New Jersey | 26 |
| Ramapo | D3 | New Jersey | 24 |
What this means for a New Jersey recruit
How to read itStart local, but don't stop local.
36% of New Jersey players in the dataset stayed in-state — the programs most likely to see you play repeatedly are the ones nearby.
Your realistic level matters more than geography alone.
New Jersey's historical landings skew toward D3 (59% vs 42% nationally).
Past recruiting is a signal, not a guarantee.
A program that repeatedly rosters players from your state has demonstrated a pathway; it does not mean it will recruit you.
Those are the historical patterns for New Jersey. Where does your profile fit?
Depth Chart scores your size, position, level and recruiting profile against all 1,060 programs.
Methodology
Source · sample · scope1,463 players · 1,060 programs · 2020–21 to 2026–27
Definitions and scope
- Source
- Official rosters published by the athletics sites of 1,060 NCAA D1, D2 and D3 men's programs, collected by Depth Chart.
- Home state
- The state of the high school on the player's record — the same definition the state tool uses, so the two read the same data the same way.
- Level
- Each player counts once, at the highest level they reached across the seasons we hold (D1 over D2 over D3).
- Sample
- 1,463 players from New Jersey high schools, across every season we hold; roster coverage runs 2020–21 to 2026–27. A state with fewer than 200 players in our data is not published, because it would describe a coincidence rather than a pattern.
- Computed
- Sep 17, 2026 · methodology state-landing-pages-1
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