Established in 1766, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, is the eighth-oldest higher education institution in the nation and the birthplace of college football.
The school's flagship location is Rutgers-New Brunswick, which is spread across five campuses in New Brunswick and Piscataway. Rutgers-New Brunswick is huge, with more than 43,000 undergrads, over 120 majors, and 19 schools and colleges. The majority of students are from New Jersey, and about half of alumni still call the Garden State home.
Strongly rooted in liberal arts, Rutgers-New Brunswick lays claim to some of the country's oldest programs in math and classics. Student life is rich — there are more than 750 student groups, including a club where students train puppies to become guide dogs and the country’s second-oldest collegiate newspaper. That’s in addition to the more than 50 intramural sports leagues, 29 fraternities and 18 sororities it offers.
The city of New Brunswick boasts its own menu of college-town entertainment, from coffeehouses and fine dining to comedy clubs and renowned performing arts venues. With its close proximity to New York and Philadelphia, Rutgers students have access to some of the most competitive internships and enriching cultural activities throughout the school year. Rutgers-New Brunswick has a graduation rate of 81%, according to Money's analysis, and students enjoy early-career salaries of nearly $70,000.
