#314 in the world · QS 2027

Rutgers University–New Brunswick

New Jersey's 1766-founded flagship: a Big Ten, AAU research university spread across five connected campuses.

New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States Public land-grant research university Founded 1766 Official website

See my chances at Rutgers Admissions office

Acceptance rate: 58%; First-years who applied for fall 2024 (IPEDS via College Navigator)
Students: 52,269; 37,985 undergraduates
Student–faculty: 16:1; ratio
Tuition: $32,042; From · 2026-27
Founded: 1766

About Rutgers

Rutgers University–New Brunswick is the flagship of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Chartered in 1766 as Queen's College, it is one of the colonial colleges founded before the American Revolution, and it is also New Jersey's land-grant university, a member of the Association of American Universities and a member of the Big Ten. In fall 2024 it enrolled 52,269 students, 37,985 of them undergraduates.

The university is spread across five campuses in and around New Brunswick and Piscataway: College Avenue, Busch, Livingston, Cook and Douglass, linked by a large campus bus system. Undergraduates apply to one of its schools, including the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, Rutgers Business School, the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, the School of Nursing and the Mason Gross School of the Arts, and choose from more than 120 majors and programs.

Admission is holistic but grade-driven: Rutgers puts primary emphasis on required high school subjects, course rigor, grades and grade trends, and it does not use letters of recommendation. It is test-optional for New Brunswick applicants. Rutgers suits students who want a big public research university with Big Ten sport, a huge choice of majors and easy access to New York City and Philadelphia, and who are comfortable finding their community on a large, multi-campus university.

Sol iustitiae et occidentem illustra

“Sun of righteousness, shine upon the West also” — university motto

Why students choose Rutgers

U.S. News 2027 ranks Rutgers–New Brunswick the No. 14 public university in the country and No. 44 among all national universities.

There are 750+ student organizations and Big Ten athletics, with students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

New Jersey families with lower incomes can get in-state tuition and eligible fees covered through the Scarlet Guarantee and the state's Garden State Guarantee.

First-year students admitted to the School of Arts and Sciences can start college abroad in Dublin through the Start Global programme.

Admissions

First-years who applied for fall 2024 (IPEDS via College Navigator)

About 1 in 2 applicants is admitted

ACT 28–33

2024283236

Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.

Selectivity varies by school. Rutgers reports 78,156 first-year applicants (duplicates removed) and an entering class of 8,178 for its "First-Year Class of 2025"; the School of Arts and Sciences received 51,155 applications for 4,168 places, Environmental and Biological Sciences 17,842 for 974, and Engineering 17,296 for 1,140. Unsuccessful applicants can be automatically considered for another Rutgers school or location through Maximum Admission Consideration. Rutgers' most recent published Common Data Set still covers 2023-24 (checked 29 September 2026), so the admit rate is fall 2024 IPEDS data.

Testing Test-optional for New Brunswick applicants (including fall 2027 entry). Scores can be sent as an extra credential; applicants who do not submit are not disadvantaged. The SAT essay and ACT writing are not required.

Grades Middle 50% of regularly admitted fall 2026 students: SAT 1380-1520 and GPA 3.7-4.2 for Arts and Sciences; SAT 1400-1520 and GPA 3.8-4.3 for Engineering; SAT 1390-1510 and GPA 3.8-4.2 for Rutgers Business School; SAT 1410-1520 and GPA 4.0-4.3 for Pharmacy. Enrolled fall 2024 first-years who submitted scores had SAT section ranges of 650-730 (reading and writing) and 660-770 (math).

Typical entry requirements

High school coursework	16 academic courses. Arts and Sciences and Business: 4 English, 2 years of one foreign language, 3 math (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II), 2 science. Engineering: 4 English, 4 math through precalculus (calculus recommended), 1 year each of chemistry and physics; no language required
International curricula	Self-report courses, grades, GPA and class rank in STARS; official records such as IGCSE, WAEC or national exam results are required after admission
English language	IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 79 New Brunswick minimums: TOEFL iBT 79 (tests to 21 January 2026) or 4.5 (from 22 January 2026); IELTS 6.5; Duolingo 115; PTE 53; SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 550 or ACT English 21. Pharmacy and Nursing require TOEFL 100 (or 5.5) and Duolingo 130. Required if secondary schooling was outside the US in a non-English-speaking country; waivers are possible for English-medium schools.

Deadlines

Early Action Non-binding Next deadline · In 26 days

November 1, 2026

Non-binding. Decisions by January 31, 2027 (admit, deny, wait list or deferral to Regular Decision); reply by May 1, 2027.
Regular Decision Non-binding In 56 days

December 1, 2026

Decisions by February 28, 2027; reply by May 1, 2027. Also the deadline for honors and merit scholarship consideration.

Dates are from Rutgers' fall 2027 New Brunswick deadlines page. Later applications are considered on a rolling, space-available basis only for schools still open on the application.

How to apply

Rutgers Application or Common App ($70 fee, waivers available); one essay (Rutgers Application up to 3,800 characters, or the Common App personal essay of 250-650 words; no supplemental essays, and a short statement if you want honors consideration); self-reported STARS academic record; optional SAT/ACT; no recommendation letters; portfolio, audition or interview for Mason Gross School of the Arts.

What admissions looks for

Completion of the required high school subjects for your chosen school.
Strength of your academic programme (honors, AP and other advanced courses), grades and grade trends, weighted GPA and class rank.
A personal essay and evidence such as extracurriculars, community or military service, honors and special talents.
Context, including employment, family obligations and socioeconomic background.

Tips for applying to Rutgers

1 Apply by December 1 at the latest: it is the cut-off for honors and merit scholarship consideration, and November 1 Early Action gets you a decision by January 31.
2 Fill in your STARS self-reported record carefully; discrepancies with your final transcript can lead to a rescinded offer.
3 Don't send recommendation letters: Rutgers does not use them, so put your activities and context into the application itself.
4 Choose your school strategically and opt into Maximum Admission Consideration, which can place you at another Rutgers school or location if your first choice is full.
5 International applicants are automatically considered for international scholarships of $5,000 to $16,000 a year, and applying by the early or regular deadline improves your chances.

What are your chances?

Costs & financial aid

2026-27 · figures in USD

New Jersey residents, tuition by school (Arts and Sciences $15,381; Engineering $17,609; Nursing $18,002), plus about $3,900-4,900 in fees Tuition $15,381 – $18,002

+ on-campus food and housing (cost of attendance estimate) $21,946 ≈ from $37,327 per year

Out-of-state and F-1/J-1 students, tuition by school (Nursing $32,042; Arts and Sciences $36,831; Engineering $43,036), plus about $3,900-4,900 in fees; F-1/J-1 students also pay a $500 SEVIS administration fee and health insurance Tuition $32,042 – $43,036

+ on-campus food and housing (cost of attendance estimate) $21,946 ≈ from $53,988 per year

Tuition On-campus food and housing (cost of attendance estimate)

Official cost of attendance $47,679

Financial aid

Rutgers builds need-based packages from the FAFSA (or the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application for NJ Dreamers). The Scarlet Guarantee is a last-dollar award covering in-state tuition and eligible fees for eligible first- and second-year New Brunswick students, alongside New Jersey's Garden State Guarantee. Merit scholarships use a single award process with no separate application (apply by December 1), and admitted international students are automatically considered for scholarships of $5,000-$16,000 a year.

$47,679 in-state; $69,701 out-of-state
Estimated cost of attendance 2026-27, School of Arts and Sciences (on campus): $5,000-$16,000 per year, automatic consideration
International student scholarships: Last-dollar award covering in-state tuition and eligible fees for eligible first- and second-year students
Scarlet Guarantee: $1,000 per year, renewable for four years
National Merit College-Sponsored Scholarship

Academics

Academic calendar: Semesters

School of Engineering

Admitted fall 2026 students had a middle-50% SAT of 1400-1520; 17,296 applied for 1,140 places in the Class of 2025.

Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy

The most academically selective New Brunswick school, with admitted students' middle-50% GPA at 4.0-4.3.

Rutgers Business School

Shared between Newark and New Brunswick; admitted students' middle-50% SAT was 1390-1510 for fall 2026.

School of Environmental and Biological Sciences

Rooted in Rutgers' land-grant mission on the Cook campus; soil scientist Selman Waksman's antibiotic research, including streptomycin, was done at Rutgers.

Start Global (School of Arts and Sciences)

Lets admitted first-year students begin college abroad in Dublin, Ireland, as a small cohort.

Research

Rutgers reports research grants and sponsored programs of more than $990 million a year and about 300 research centers and institutes, New Jersey's largest research network.
Rutgers–New Brunswick is the university's member of the Association of American Universities and belongs to the Big Ten Academic Alliance.
Selman Waksman, a Rutgers graduate and professor of microbiology, discovered 22 antibiotics including streptomycin.

Schools & faculties

School of Arts and Sciences
School of Engineering
Rutgers Business School–Newark and New Brunswick
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy
School of Nursing
Mason Gross School of the Arts
School of Communication and Information
School of Management and Labor Relations
Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
School of Social Work

Graduation rate

84%

First-year students who return

93%

College Scorecard: median earnings of $74,479 ten years after entry (and $61,263 six years after entry) for federally aided students.

Student life

Life at Rutgers–New Brunswick is spread over five campuses, College Avenue, Busch, Livingston, Cook and Douglass, each with its own feel, from a busy downtown to a more rural, traditional collegiate setting, and a campus bus system with nine weekday lines links them. There are more than 750 student organizations, and the Scarlet Knights compete in the Big Ten. Rutgers is proud of its history: the first college football game was played on College Field between Rutgers and Princeton in 1869 and its Queens Campus dates to the colonial era. A quarter of recent incoming students were the first in their family to attend college.

750+ student organizations.
Scarlet Knights athletics compete in NCAA Division I in the Big Ten Conference.
Five campuses connected by a campus bus system with nine weekday lines.
The Paul Robeson Success Institute and Thrive SSS Scholars support first-generation and low-income students.

Location

New Brunswick is a small city in central New Jersey on the Raritan River, and Rutgers' campuses stretch from its downtown across the river into Piscataway. It sits near New York City, Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore, so students can combine a college-town setting with access to two major cities.

Nearest airport: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)

Notable alumni

PR
Paul Robeson

Singer, actor, athlete and civil rights activist; Class of 1919
MF
Milton Friedman

Nobel Prize-winning economist; A.B. 1932
SW
Selman Waksman

Microbiologist who discovered streptomycin; Rutgers agriculture graduate and professor
JG
James Gandolfini

Emmy-winning actor (The Sopranos); Class of 1983
HS
Harvey Schwartz

CEO of the Carlyle Group; Class of 1987
CL
Carli Lloyd

Former midfielder for the US women's national soccer team
MB
Mario Batali

Chef, restaurateur and television host; Class of 1982

Frequently asked questions

What is Rutgers–New Brunswick's acceptance rate?

About 58% of the 68,614 first-year applicants were admitted for fall 2024, according to federal IPEDS data. Selectivity varies by school, with Engineering, Business and Pharmacy the most competitive.

Is Rutgers test-optional for fall 2027?

Yes. Rutgers–New Brunswick is test-optional, and applicants who do not submit SAT or ACT scores are not disadvantaged.

Is Rutgers early action binding?

No. Early Action (deadline November 1, 2026) is non-binding, with decisions by January 31. Regular Decision closes December 1, 2026.

Does Rutgers require letters of recommendation?

No. Rutgers does not use recommendation letters in admission decisions, and there are no supplemental essays beyond the one personal essay.

How much does Rutgers–New Brunswick cost?

For 2026-27, the estimated on-campus cost of attendance for the School of Arts and Sciences is $47,679 for New Jersey residents and $69,701 for out-of-state students; F-1 and J-1 students also pay a $500 SEVIS administration fee and health insurance.

Sources & methodology

Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.