Outside the tri-state area and the Northeast, TCNJ’s name probably isn’t as well known. It won’t carry as far as say Rutgers or Stevens Institute of Technology. Don’t let the “nation’s” perception or the USWNR’s perception of a school affect YOUR perception of it. It doesn’t matter if you go to a Top 40 school or anything like that; I’m from NJ too and am going to a smaller state school. With the increasing cost of college, it’s more beneficial to stay in-state/keep costs low so you can not be as tied down later on in life.
TCNJ is a great school, especially for NJ students, and it is certainly climbing up the ladder in NJ but that doesn’t mean nationally it’s going to have that same prestige. If you went to Texas tomorrow, no one in Dallas or Austin would know what TCNJ is (they’re probably more familiar with TCU 
) but that doesn’t depreciate your education or your experience there.
Academic quality /= prestige.