Rutgers University: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping students transition to college.

Rutgers University is a public research university with an acceptance rate of 60%. Rutgers ranks among the top public universities and top New Jersey colleges and universities. Considering applying to Rutgers? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Why Rutgers University?

• Location: New Brunswick, New Jersey
• Campus Features: Rutgers' 2,685-acre campus sits along the Northeast Corridor with easy access to New York City and Philadelphia. The school is home to 19 libraries, 6 student centers, and 35 acres of solar panels.
• Student/Faculty Ratio: 13:1
• Athletics: The Rutgers Scarlet Knights compete in the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference.
• Highlights: One of the top New Jersey colleges, Rutgers offers over 100 undergraduate majors, 250 graduate programs, and 500 student organizations. Students come from all 50 states and 115 countries.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Rutgers had an acceptance rate of 60%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 60 were admitted, making Rutgers' admissions process somewhat competitive.

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Rutgers University. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

Rutgers University, which accepts more than half of applicants, has a somewhat selective admissions process. If your SAT/ACT scores and GPA fall within the school's average ranges, you have a strong chance of being accepted. However, Rutgers' admissions process involves other factors beyond grades and test scores. A strong application essay and a rigorous course schedule can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their test scores are outside of Rutgers' average range. Note that Rutgers does not consider letters of recommendation in the admissions process.

The data in the graph would suggest that nearly all students with a "B" or better average and a combined SAT score above 1050 will be admitted. The reality is quite different. When we strip away the blue and green accepted student data points, we can see that plenty of students with "A" averages and strong standardized test scores were rejected. The pattern of the rejection data suggests that Rutgers values SAT and ACT scores more than grades. Nearly all students with an SAT score above 1400 were admitted, while the same can't be said for students with averages in the "A" range.

The reasons a seemingly qualified student might be waitlisted or rejected include lack of extracurricular involvement, inadequate coursework in core subjects, failure to take challenging classes such as AP and Honors, or a weak application essay.