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New Brunswick, NJ · Public · 37,751 undergraduates · urban

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Moderately selective

Rutgers–New Brunswick is physically and academically decentralized across five campus districts and multiple separately admitting undergraduate schools.

ajay_suresh / CC BY 4.0

Institutional profile

Highly regarded Strong in mobility, and solid in academic standing.
Academic Solid Affordability Solid Career Solid Mobility Strong Experience Solid
Academic standing Solid
Affordability Solid
Career outcomes Solid
Mobility Strong
Student experience Solid
Admission
65.4% admitted

43,347 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
84.4%

$74,479 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Rutgers University–New Brunswick apart

Academic design

Students enter specific undergraduate schools rather than one universal college, creating school-level academic requirements and pathways from the beginning.

Campus pattern

Busch, College Avenue, Cook, Douglass, and Livingston are geographically distinct campuses connected through the university bus system.

A signature opportunity

Five-campus New Brunswick structure.

Can I get in?

65.4% admitted

Mason Gross applicants complete an additional talent assessment, using an audition, portfolio, interview, or other discipline-specific artistic submission.

Recent applicant pool

43,347

About 65 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 65.4%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1270–1480
11401600
ACT middle 50%28–33
2536

Of admitted students, 51% submitted an SAT, and 5% submitted an ACT. Treat the ACT range as a guide to the students who submitted that test, not to everyone admitted.

Academic benchmarkModerately selective

Admission by residency

Harder for residents

Degree-seeking, first-time, first-year students · Fall 2023

Rutgers University-New Brunswick admitted 62.3% of New Jersey applicants and 72% of applicants from other states. Out-of-state applicants were admitted at 1.2 times the resident rate. New Jersey students took 84% of the seats in the entering class.

In-state62.3% admitted

18,053 admitted from 28,992 applicants

Out-of-state72% admitted

6,928 admitted from 9,625 applicants

International70.7% admitted

3,345 admitted from 4,730 applicants

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Rutgers University–New Brunswick, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Rutgers University–New Brunswick weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Students enter specific undergraduate schools rather than one universal college, creating school-level academic requirements and pathways from the beginning.

02

Make institutional fit specific

Rutgers–New Brunswick is physically and academically decentralized across five campus districts and multiple separately admitting undergraduate schools.

03

Use the application route carefully

Mason Gross applicants complete an additional talent assessment, using an audition, portfolio, interview, or other discipline-specific artistic submission.

04

Give commitments a clear through-line

Activities and recommendations should show sustained contribution, not a collection of disconnected credentials.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Mason Gross applicants complete an additional talent assessment, using an audition, portfolio, interview, or other discipline-specific artistic submission.

Early ActionNov 1
Regular DecisionJul 1
Fee and waiver$70 application fee

Fee waiver: accepted

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

BusinessAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Communication and journalismAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Computer scienceAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

EngineeringAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Health professionsAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

NursingAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$41,332
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$24,000
Affordability profileSolid

College funding

Scholarships and financial aid

Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.

Rutgers University-New Brunswick publishes three merit awards, the largest reaching $10,000 to $20,000 a year. No separate scholarship application is required; the college uses the admission application. All of them renew past the first year.

Reviewed with admission Merit scholarship

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews · Has a dated deadline

Automatic consideration An award reaching $10,000 to $20,000 a year

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews each year

Nomination required An award under $5,000 a year

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews each year

In the season card

These three awards, by name

What each one is called, what it pays, what it asks of you, and the date one of them closes - which is usually earlier than the application for admission.

  • The name of each award 
  • What it pays 
  • The grades and scores it asks for 
  • The deadline 
  • What to send, and where 
See the full read
Open financial aid plan

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Rutgers University–New Brunswick

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years84.4%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one92.8%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$74,479

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Psychology, General

Recent graduates585
Median earnings$56,479

Biology, General

Recent graduates432
Median earnings$68,306

Public Health

Recent graduates361
Median earnings$74,633

Admits separately

What is campus life like?

Rutgers University–New Brunswick beyond the classroom

Busch, College Avenue, Cook, Douglass, and Livingston are geographically distinct campuses connected through the university bus system.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Students enter specific undergraduate schools rather than one universal college, creating school-level academic requirements and pathways from the beginning.

Housing

Read the residential pattern

Compare the residential setup and surrounding area with the day-to-day routine you want.

Dining

Daily life follows the campus map

Dining and nearby options matter most when they support the academic, residential, and social routine you expect.

Campus rhythm

What shapes an ordinary week

Busch, College Avenue, Cook, Douglass, and Livingston are geographically distinct campuses connected through the university bus system.

Clubs & interests

Turn a direction into participation

The strongest opportunities connect a clear academic or personal direction to real work beyond class.

Social life

Find the right everyday fit

Busch, College Avenue, Cook, Douglass, and Livingston are geographically distinct campuses connected through the university bus system.

37,751 undergraduatesMid-Atlanticurban setting1% of first-year students live on campus