Rutgers Housing: Is It First-Come, First-Served?

Rutgers University–New Brunswick provides students with a variety of housing options across its five campuses. Each offers a distinct living experience, ranging from large, lively residence halls to smaller, more intimate houses. All students who wish to live on campus are required to apply for a housing selection number. Residence Life guarantees housing to all rising sophomores.

On-campus housing options

Rutgers University–New Brunswick provides students with a variety of housing options across its five campuses, each offering a distinct living experience. From large, lively residence halls to smaller, more intimate houses, you’ll be a short walk or bus ride from all that Rutgers has to offer.

The university operates one of the largest collegiate housing programs in the country, with more than 50 housing options. Residence Life serves the needs of over 16,000 residents who study, live, and play in around 140 buildings on four campuses in New Brunswick and Piscataway.

Living-learning communities allow like-minded students to live in the same residence hall, building social and academic networks in and out of the classroom. The different offerings include:

• Asian American Identities and Images
• Business Discovery House
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• French Language and Culture
• Health and Medicine International
• Law and Political Science Discovery House
• Paul Robeson (African Diaspora)
• Psychology Discovery House
• RU-tv Weather Watchers

Interest-based or thematic residencies include Douglass Residential College and Honors College, a community built on shared respect and responsibility with an emphasis on diversity.

• College Avenue Campus: Residence Halls, Sojourner Truth & Easton Ave Apartments, Clothier Hall
• Cook/Douglass Campus: Residence Halls, Newell & Starkey Apartments, PAL Building
• Busch Campus: Residence Halls, Buell, Nichols, Richardson, & Silvers Apartments, Crosby, Judson, McCormick, Morrow, Thomas, Winkler Suites, Buell Apartments
• Livingston Campus: Residence Halls, Livingston Apartments, Lynton South Tower

Off-campus housing options

There are many off-campus housing options for students at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.

The Standard at New Brunswick offers contemporary, urban living just a short walk from the oldest campus in New Jersey. It features fully furnished, luxury apartments with upscale amenities, including a state-of-the-art fitness centre, comfortable study spaces, and refined accommodations. The location is ideal, with the Rutgers University campus, the State Theatre, and College Avenue Student Centre all within a short distance.

RU Living is another option, with apartments right next to central College Ave. The apartments are clean and spacious, with all the necessary appliances. The management and staff are friendly and reliable, and the maintenance team is quick to respond to any issues. RU Living also provides a wheelchair-friendly parking lot, demonstrating a commitment to accessibility and inclusivity.

Additionally, there are numerous apartments and houses available for rent near the Rutgers New Brunswick campus. Websites like College Pads, Rentable, and Places4Students offer listings with various features, including the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, amenities, and rent prices. These platforms allow users to filter their searches to find accommodations that best suit their needs and preferences.

• The Highlands at South Plainfield: 1-2 bedrooms, 4.2 miles from the campus centre.
• Piscataway - Rutgers University: Studio available now, 3.5 miles from the campus centre.
• The Hub on Morrell Deal: 2-bedroom apartments, 0.4 miles from the campus centre.
• Premiere Residences Deal: Studio-2 bedrooms, 0.5-0.6 miles from the campus centre.
• 285 George St, New Brunswick: 1-2 bedrooms, 0.6-0.7 miles from the campus centre.
• 150 Forest Glen Drive, Highland Park: 1-2 bedrooms, 0.7 miles from the campus centre.
• The Edge at Raritan Heights: 1-4 bedrooms, 1.8-3.1 miles from the campus centre.

Housing application process

Rutgers University–New Brunswick provides students with a variety of housing options across its five campuses. Incoming students are directed by Admissions to fill out their housing application via the MyRutgers portal. A housing deposit of $200 is required at the time the application is submitted. This is a non-refundable fee, however, for students remaining in housing for the spring semester, it will be credited to their term bill in January.

The spring housing priority application deadline is January 4, 2023. Students who miss the housing selection process application deadline will not be eligible to participate in the housing selection process and must sign up for the Late Housing Selection Process, which begins after the final doubles selection, anticipated for the first week of April.

All eligible students who wish to live on campus are required to apply for a housing selection number between Monday, January 23, and Tuesday, February 7, 2023. All applicants will receive notification of their housing selection number via email on Wednesday, February 8, 2023.

Once you receive a housing selection number, be sure to review the housing selection options to know when to participate in each process. Sign-up dates allow you to check your eligibility for specific housing spaces. On the notification date, you will be notified whether you are eligible for the spaces you signed up for.

If you are eligible to choose a room during the process, the website will indicate the specific date and time you may log in and choose a room. If deemed eligible to select a space online, one person in the group (or yourself, if in a single) will be required to log into the application website and select a space for the group.

Additional Information

• Housing for new students is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, so students should apply as early as possible and by the priority deadline of June 7, 2022.
• Although students have the ability to indicate their housing preferences within the application, based on available space at the time of submission, there is no guarantee a student will be assigned to the campus/building of their choice.
• Students can change anything on their application as many times as they want before June 30. Changing information does not affect the application submission date used when making room assignments.
• Assignments for first-year and transfer students are released during the first week of August. Students receive an email directing them to a website to view their assignment and roommate information.

Housing costs

Rutgers University–New Brunswick provides students with a variety of housing options across its five campuses. Each offers a distinct living experience ranging from large, lively residence halls to smaller, more intimate houses. The university does not guarantee housing to any student, but first-year undergraduate students are provided with housing facilities if they apply for accommodation before a certain date. The graduate accommodation application opens from mid-April.

The cost of applying for the online housing application is 200 USD. The Rutgers University applicants can plan an estimated accommodation budget of 13,000 USD per annum. The students can support this cost through the wide range of university scholarships of 2,000-29,000 USD per year.

The overall cost for on-campus, in-state students to attend Rutgers University – New Brunswick in 2019–2020 was $33,457. The expected two-year cost is $105,246. The tuition charge is $29,012 while room and board is $13,075, books and supplies are $1,350 and other fees come in at $3,177. Out-of-state residents can expect higher costs.

The on-campus housing expense for any typical student was $7,971 in 2020, and the cost of an average dining plan was $5,104. Students living on campus will also pay 2.5% more for housing and dining services, an increase of $327. The total price for a typical dorm room and meal plan is now $13,402, bumping the sticker price for Rutgers-New Brunswick to $29,206.

The average rent for a studio apartment in New Brunswick, NJ is $1,166. The average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in New Brunswick, NJ is $1,481. The average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in New Brunswick, NJ is $1,055.

Housing amenities

Rutgers University–New Brunswick provides students with a variety of housing options across its five campuses. Each offers a distinct living experience ranging from large, lively residence halls to smaller, more intimate houses. Whichever you choose, you’ll be a short walk or bus ride from all that Rutgers has to offer.

Across its five interconnected campuses, Rutgers–New Brunswick operates one of the largest collegiate housing programs in the country, with more than 50 housing options.

The residence halls include:

• Busch Residence Halls
• College Avenue Residence Halls
• Cook/Douglass Residence Halls
• Livingston Residence Halls

The residence halls are more than just a place to sleep. They open up a world of new experiences: bonding with roommates, sharing a late-night snack, or hanging out with new friends down the hall.

Living-learning communities allow like-minded students to live in the same residence hall, building social and academic networks in and out of the classroom. These self-selected groups share similar interests and make meaningful connections with students and faculty for a more rewarding academic experience.

The different offerings include:

• Asian American Identities and Images
• Business Discovery House
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• French Language and Culture
• Health and Medicine International
• Law and Political Science Discovery House
• Paul Robeson (African Diaspora)
• Psychology Discovery House
• RU-tv Weather Watchers

Rutgers' interest-based or thematic residencies include Douglass Residential College and Honors College, a community built on shared respect and responsibility with an emphasis on diversity.

For those interested in living off campus, The Standard at New Brunswick offers contemporary, urban living just steps from the oldest campus in New Jersey. It features fully furnished, luxury apartments and upscale amenities, including a state-of-the-art fitness centre, comfortable study spaces, and refined accommodations, all designed for students and working professionals alike.

Frequently asked questions