Collectively, our schools and colleges offer the greatest variety of majors and degree programs in New Jersey, and many rank No. 1 among the public schools and colleges in the state.

About Rutgers
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, stands among America’s highest-ranked, most diverse public research universities. The oldest, largest, and top-ranked public university in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, you’ll find us at our main locations in three New Jersey cities, and our footprint can be seen around the region. We’re an academic, health, and research powerhouse and a university of opportunity.
U.S. News & World Report
2019
University Mission
As one of the leading comprehensive public research universities in the nation, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, has the threefold mission of
- providing for the instructional needs of New Jersey’s residents through its undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs;
- conducting the innovative research that contributes to the medical, environmental, social, and cultural well-being of the state, as well as aiding the economy and the state’s businesses and industries; and
- performing public service in support of the needs of the residents of the state and its local, county, and state governments.
Each component of the university’s mission reinforces and supports the other two.
As the University of New Jersey®, Rutgers is dedicated to teaching that meets the highest standards of excellence, to conducting research that breaks new ground, and to providing services, solutions, and clinical care that help individuals and the local, national, and global communities where they live.


Discover Rutgers University
So Many Options...
With hundreds of degree programs, locations across New Jersey, and 71,000-plus students, Rutgers delivers something for everyone. And because our campuses come in all sizes—small, medium, and large—you can choose the one that fits you best.

Our Mission: Teaching, Research, and Service
As The State University of New Jersey, a leading national public research university and New Jersey’s top academic health care provider, Rutgers fulfills its mission to provide learning, discovery, innovation, service, and health care at the highest levels.
Unrivaled in New Jersey, our research expenditures top $730 million annually. Our 300 research centers and institutes—New Jersey’s largest research network—generate innovations and new ways of thinking that impact the world.
Rutgers Health and RWJBarnabas Health form New Jersey’s largest academic health system. What’s special about academic health care? It means we train tomorrow’s leading health care professionals.
Valued partners locally and globally, Rutgers thinkers conceptualize and implement services and solutions that help individuals and local, national, and global communities thrive.
The achievements of our award-winning faculty drive Rutgers’ world-class reputation. They teach, discover, provide health care, innovate, mentor, and share their knowledge. Leaders in their fields, their everyday endeavors yield brilliant outcomes.
Rutgers is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), a voluntary, nongovernmental, peer-based membership association dedicated to promoting standards of excellence and improvement in higher education. Our programs and schools also have accreditation from recognized professional agencies.
As one of the nation’s most diverse universities, Rutgers draws strength from the rich variety of perspectives and life experiences of our beloved community.
Yesterday and Today
Sol Iustitiae et Occidentem Illustra: The university’s motto, “Sun of righteousness, shine upon the West also,” is today interpreted as a request for the enlightenment of learning to shine equally upon the New World. Learn more about the university's dynamic evolution and visionary leadership.