Rutgers New Brunswick: A Student's Perspective

Rutgers University–New Brunswick is a public research university located in New Jersey. It is the flagship campus of New Jersey's state university and is ranked as a Top 15 public university in the nation. Rutgers–New Brunswick is split into five mini campuses, each with a unique setting and identity, student centre and dining options. The university offers a wide range of academic programmes and is home to several unique institutions, such as the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. With a total undergraduate enrolment of 36,344, Rutgers–New Brunswick provides students with a diverse community and vast opportunities for educational excellence and personal growth.

Rutgers–New Brunswick is a member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance

Through its membership in the BTAA, Rutgers–New Brunswick has access to collaborative programs that advance research across a wide range of sciences, including alternative energy, life-saving medicine, agriculture, and nutrition. The university also benefits from the UBorrow Library Sharing Service, which enables member schools to share resources, and CourseShare, which offers distance learning in 170+ less commonly taught languages.

In addition to its academic excellence, Rutgers–New Brunswick offers vast opportunities for students to prepare for meaningful careers. The university is situated in central New Jersey, near New York City and Philadelphia, and reaches across five distinct campuses, offering a diverse range of environments, from bustling downtown to traditional collegiate campuses. With over 120 majors and 11 undergraduate schools, Rutgers–New Brunswick provides a personalized learning experience that transcends the theoretical and puts coursework into practice.

As a member of the BTAA, Rutgers–New Brunswick is part of a distinguished organization that includes other top research universities such as the University of Illinois, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, and Purdue. The collaboration between these institutions allows them to accomplish more together than they could alone, combining their unique strengths for the benefit of their students and faculty.

It is ranked #40 in National Universities

Rutgers University—New Brunswick is a public research university that was founded in 1766 as Queen's College, an all-male institution affiliated with the Dutch Reformed Church. It was renamed Rutgers College in 1825 and became a land-grant institution in 1864. Women were admitted to the university in 1918, and it officially became The State University of New Jersey in the mid-20th century.

Today, Rutgers—New Brunswick is the flagship campus of New Jersey's state university. It is currently ranked #40 in National Universities by U.S. News & World Report, which assesses universities based on a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. The ranking places Rutgers—New Brunswick among the top public universities in the nation.

As a research university, Rutgers—New Brunswick is home to unique institutions such as the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Here, students can take hands-on courses in the sciences and work on community projects. The university also offers a wide range of extracurricular activities, with over 500 student clubs and organisations, including more than 80 fraternities and sororities.

In addition to its academic and research offerings, Rutgers—New Brunswick also has a strong athletic programme. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights compete in the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference, offering sports such as football, basketball, soccer, tennis, golf, wrestling, and track and field. The university's athletic teams have found success, with the women's basketball team winning the WNIT championship in 2014 and the men's track team claiming the Big East Outdoor Championship in 2005.

The university has five mini campuses

Rutgers University–New Brunswick is split into five mini campuses, each with its own unique setting, identity, student centre and dining options. The five campuses are Busch, College Avenue, Cook, Douglass, and Livingston.

The Busch Campus is home to Rutgers' high-tech and health schools and research centres, as well as SHI Stadium and the university's most comprehensive gym at Werblin Recreation Centre. College Avenue is steeped in history, with buildings dating back to the American Revolution. Today, it is home to the Honors College, which houses 500 top students.

The G.H. Cook Campus offers a tranquil setting with its wide-open green spaces, a pastoral pond, and even a working organic farm. The campus also features colonial architecture and historic Douglass Residential College. This campus is also home to the Global Village living-learning communities.

The Livingston Campus is anchored by the Rutgers Business School building and includes a first-run movie theatre, Jersey Mike's Arena, and a 32-acre solar array providing 60% of the campus power.

It offers over 150 undergraduate majors

Rutgers University–New Brunswick is a public research university with a diverse community of ideas and change-makers. It offers over 150 undergraduate majors across its schools and colleges in New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden, as well as online and at satellite sites throughout New Jersey.

The School of Arts and Sciences alone offers more than 100 majors and minors in biological, mathematical, and physical sciences, humanities, and social and behavioural sciences. The School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, for instance, is one of the unique institutions at Rutgers where students can take hands-on courses in the sciences and work on community projects.

The university's undergraduate programs are also offered at partner institutions. For example, Rutgers Business School has campuses in New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden. Similarly, the School of Engineering, which offers majors such as Aerospace Engineering and Applied Sciences Engineering, is available at both the New Brunswick and Newark campuses.

With such a wide range of undergraduate programs, students at Rutgers University–New Brunswick can explore diverse fields of study and find their unique path to success.

Rutgers–New Brunswick is led by Chancellor Francine Conway

Dr. Conway previously served as the Dean of Rutgers–New Brunswick Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology from 2016 to 2020. In this role, she led the nation's premier academic programs for training doctoral-level psychologists, including a top-ranked PsyD program in clinical psychology. She also oversaw several nationally recognised research and service centres, such as the Rutgers Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies, the Douglass Developmental Disability Center, and the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services.

As a graduate of Cornell University and Columbia University, Dr. Conway obtained her doctoral degree from the Gordon F. Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University. She then served on the faculty at Adelphi for 13 years, leading various university-wide initiatives, including strategic planning, student experience enhancement, and academic quality improvement.

Dr. Conway has demonstrated her leadership capabilities through her involvement with the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP). As president of NCSPP, she led a campaign to enhance the curriculum and prepare psychologists for leading social change. She also represented Rutgers University as a Big Ten Liaison at two academic leadership programs: the Academic Leadership Program (ALP) and the Department Executive Officer (DEO) Program.

Under Dr. Conway's leadership, Rutgers–New Brunswick upholds its commitment to academic excellence and a culture of safety, mutual respect, and academic freedom. The university is ranked highly, reflecting its reputation as a top-tier educational institution.

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