Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Rutgers University-New Brunswick has climbed steadily in the USNews rankings, advancing from rank 69 in 2018 to rank 44 in 2027. Gaining admission is relatively accessible compared to similar institutions. In 2025, the university posted an admit rate of 58.1%, which was higher than 80% of peer schools in its comparison group of similarly ranked public universities. While the school rejects tens of thousands of applicants overall, admission remains attainable for qualified candidates. At the same time, Rutgers shows a more modest ability to attract accepted students into attending. Its yield rate stood at 20.5% in 2025, placing it higher than 33% of peer schools. A lower yield rate indicates that a majority of admitted students decide to enroll elsewhere, reflecting substantial competition from alternative institutions. For applicants weighing their options, Rutgers offers a strengthening national profile combined with an admission process that remains open to a broad portion of the applicant pool.

Gaining admission to Rutgers University-New Brunswick requires solid standardized testing marks and steady academic preparation. In 2025, the median SAT score among enrolled students who submitted results was 1410, a performance higher than 50% of peer schools in its comparison group of 30 similarly ranked public universities. While about half of enrolled freshmen submitted SAT scores, applicant cases collected by Forward Pathway, which are unofficial data rather than institutional figures, offer additional perspective for international applicants. Among 526 admitted international applicant cases in that collection, the median unweighted GPA was 3.7 alongside a median SAT score of 1300. Prospective applicants presenting secondary school grades around this mark and standardized test results competitive with the campus median can feel well positioned in the admissions pool.

Degree awards at Rutgers University-New Brunswick are broadly dispersed rather than heavily concentrated, with the top three bachelor's majors accounting for 23.6% of all undergraduate degrees in 2025. The single largest undergraduate program is Computer and Information Sciences, General, which produced 924 graduates that year. This popular field delivers strong early compensation; according to 2023 earnings data, its graduates earned a median salary of $83,698 one year after graduation. While undergraduate enrollment centers on technology, business, and health sciences, several of the university's highest-ranked academic offerings appear at the graduate level. In the 2025 USNews rankings, Physician Assistant Studies achieved rank 3 and the Library and Information Studies program achieved rank 6, while undergraduate Supply Chain Management earned rank 13 in 2027. International graduate enrollment is particularly visible in technical fields, notably in Statistics, where international scholars made up the vast majority of master's degree recipients.

The student body at Rutgers University-New Brunswick is large and varied, encompassing 52,269 total students in 2025. Among incoming first-year undergraduates, Asian students formed the largest demographic group at 36.2%, followed by White, Hispanic, and Black students. International students represented 10.4% of that freshman cohort, providing noticeable overseas representation from the start of college. Within the graduate division, demographic shares shift toward advanced degree seekers, with international scholars accounting for 17.5% of graduate enrollment alongside a 17.1% Asian student share. Gender representation is evenly balanced across the undergraduate body, while women constitute nearly two-thirds of graduate enrollment. These proportions show a diverse student body where Asian and international scholars maintain a substantial presence across campus.

Undergraduate life at Rutgers University-New Brunswick is centered almost entirely around traditional college-age students. Among the 37,985 undergraduates enrolled in 2025, 43.6% were aged 20 to 21, and 36.7% were aged 18 to 19. Because young adults under 22 account for more than four out of five undergraduates, campus housing, student clubs, and campus social traditions are organized around traditional full-time study. In contrast, the graduate division of 14,284 students is distinctly older and career-oriented, with 35.1% of graduate students aged 25 to 29. This creates two distinct campus communities: an undergraduate environment filled with students arriving straight from high school, and a separate graduate population pursuing advanced degrees alongside professional commitments.

International students represent a distinct presence across academic tiers at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. In 2025, international undergraduates comprised 7.3% of the undergraduate student body, a proportion higher than 47% of peer schools in its comparison group of 30 similarly ranked public universities. At the postgraduate level, international students represented 17.5% of total graduate enrollment. International degree recipients are notably clustered in technical and quantitative disciplines rather than distributed evenly across fields. At the bachelor's level, international students concentrate most heavily in Computer and Information Sciences, General, as well as Finance, General. In master's programs, this technical focus is even more pronounced, with international students earning 80.4% of degrees awarded in Statistics, General. This distribution illustrates that international scholars at Rutgers primarily gravitate toward analytical and computing curricula.

Students evaluating Rutgers University-New Brunswick have several distinct higher education options within a short radius in New Jersey. Just 15.3 kilometers away lies Princeton University, ranked 2nd among national universities in the 2027 rankings, offering an elite Ivy League education. For students looking at urban public institutions within the same state system, Rutgers University-Newark sits 21.8 kilometers away and ranks 73rd among national universities. Nearby in Newark as well is New Jersey Institute of Technology, located 21.9 kilometers from campus and holding the 85th rank nationally. In addition, Stevens Institute of Technology is located 27.9 kilometers away in Hoboken, holding the 59th spot among national universities. These neighboring institutions provide families with viable alternatives ranging from highly selective research universities to focused polytechnic institutes within thirty kilometers of New Brunswick.

Campus safety data at Rutgers University-New Brunswick shows a downward trend in reported offenses, reaching a crime rate per 1,000 students of 3.3 in 2025. Across the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, incidents were distributed across several residential and interpersonal categories. Domestic violence represented the single largest category, with 172 reported incidents across those years. Residence hall fires were the second most frequent occurrence, totaling 72 incidents, followed by 65 cases of assault. Other reported incidents during this window included theft, rape, and stalking. For students evaluating the campus environment, the overall crime rate per 1,000 students is low, though the prevalence of interpersonal disputes and residential fire events indicates areas where students must exercise personal caution and awareness in everyday life.