Need-based financial aid and emergency assistance is supported by more than $14 million in donations, part of the broader Scarlet Promise Initiative.
Great Things to Know about Rutgers
Committed to Access and Academic Excellence, a Beloved Community, and the Common Good
We Make Great Things Happen
Explore the Great Things to Know about Rutgers and discover what makes Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, a distinctive and highly respected institution in the Garden State, the nation, and across the globe. Here you'll find facts, figures, videos, stories, and more that convey Rutgers' reach and impact. Along the way, you'll meet some of the standout Rutgers people in our beloved community who strive to improve the world in the ways that matter most.
Serving the World, New Jersey, and You
Rutgers is a top national research university and New Jersey’s preeminent public institution of higher education. An academic, health, and research powerhouse, Rutgers is a university of academic excellence and opportunity—a changemaker for the common good.
Rutgers students come from 120+ countries, all 50 states, and all 21 New Jersey counties.
67,600+
Students at Rutgers
150+
Undergraduate Majors
400+
Graduate Programs
25,000+
Classes Taught Annually
#1 Large Employer In New Jersey—Forbes
Providing jobs to more than 22,000 faculty and staff, Rutgers ranks first in New Jersey and 64th in the nation on Forbes’ list of the 500 best large employers in America and is also ranked on its list of America’s best employers by state. Rutgers is among only a handful of universities on the list. Providing a respectful workplace, a commitment to veterans, and valuing diversity and inclusion are just some of the reasons why Rutgers is a great place to work.
Committed to Access: A Great Educational Value
The typical first-year, in-state Rutgers student paid less than 50 percent of the published tuition rate during academic year 2020–2021, through a combination of substantial financial aid from the university, with qualifying state and federal aid programs. Here are some of our signature programs that provide access to life-changing education.
The program is a national model for educational access, providing academically promising students of modest means from five New Jersey towns with mentoring beginning in 7th grade. Successful participants who earn admission to Rutgers attend with full tuition through grants and scholarships.
Income-based financial aid helps cover in-state tuition and fees and reduces student debt.
• Bridging the Gap at Rutgers–Camden
• RU-N to the Top at Rutgers–Newark
• Scarlet Guarantee at Rutgers–New Brunswick
Thirty-four percent of first-year Rutgers students are first-generation college undergraduates. In honor of National First-Generation College Celebration Day, Rutgers asked students to share their stories about what it means to be the first in their families to go to college. Read what they had to say.
Leading the Way in Upward Social Mobility
- Rutgers–New Brunswick: #1 in the Big Ten for Social Mobility—U.S. News & World Report
- Rutgers–Newark: Top 10 in the Nation for Social Mobility—U.S. News & World Report and Washington Monthly College Guide
- Rutgers–Camden: #32 in the Nation for Social Mobility—Washington Monthly College Guide
Recent Grads on Their Way
A sampling of where recent grads are beginning their professional lives or furthering their education.
Hired By: Apple • Bloomberg • Bristol Myers Squibb • CNN • Deloitte • Facebook • General Motors • Goldman Sachs • Google • IBM • Intel • Johnson & Johnson • Lockheed Martin • L'Oréal • Merck • Microsoft • Prudential Financial • U.S. House of Representatives
Grad Schools: Columbia • Harvard • Johns Hopkins • MIT • NYU • Princeton • Rutgers • Stanford • University of Michigan • University of Oxford • University of Pennsylvania • Yale
Service to Strengthen Our Democracy
Learning at Rutgers takes place in our classrooms, laboratories, studios, and clinical practices and in the field. Our new standout field experience is the Rutgers Scarlet Service program—a presidential program designed to improve our democracy and advance the common good. Participating Rutgers students receive paid public service internships.
Overview of Rutgers Scarlet Service
Rutgers is deeply-rooted in a culture of research, innovation, and collaboration with endeavors that transform lives, improve communities, and advance the common good.
$929.1 Million
Research Grants & Sponsored Programs
Top 100
World's Most Innovative Universities
1,000+
Companies Engaged in Research with Rutgers
300+
Centers and Institutes
Rutgers devoted $673 million to research and development in FY 2021, expending more in R&D than all other New Jersey universities and colleges, according to the latest National Science Foundation data. Our research endeavors lead to solutions, insights, and economic impact.
Research with Economic Impact
- 1,267 active patents (FY 2023)
- 102 active startups (FY 2023)
- 1,198 active technologies to license and market (FY 2023)
Faculty Recognized for Scholarly Excellence
Nine faculty members whose distinguished scholarship covers topics ranging from online data privacy to sea level change were named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2023. They join hundreds of other faculty across Rutgers whose achievements earn top awards and recognition.
Scarlet and Black: A History of Race at Rutgers
The Scarlet and Black project, led by a team of Rutgers historians, produced the three-volume Scarlet and Black book series, a groundbreaking examination of the history of race at Rutgers, from slavery to Black Lives Matter. The project laid the foundation for the Rutgers Scarlet and Black Research Center, home to the Scarlet and Black Digital Archive. The Scarlet and Black research team won the 2022 New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance Author Award for Nonfiction for the second volume of the book series.
Rutgers University Libraries
From a small collection of 18th-century books, Rutgers University Libraries have evolved to become a leading university library system, with holdings exceeding 6 million print and digital resources.
More Ways to Engage
Download the Companion Great Things Brochure
Share Your Great Thing to Know about Rutgers and We May Add It to the Website
Content current as of September 15, 2022, with updates June 2023
