Is Rutgers University Hard to Get Into?

Being the largest public school in New Jersey and a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) just like all the Ivy Leagues, many college-bound teens wonder just how difficult it is to get into Rutgers University.

Rutgers University is harder to get into than open admissions schools and easier to get into than highly selective schools. With a 61% acceptance rate, one’s chances of getting accepted are more than 50/50. At RU, there is no minimum GPA students need to meet for their applications to be considered.

To have an idea of the school’s selectivity level, especially its New Brunswick campus, which is the largest of the Rutgers University System, here’s a table of the most selective schools in New Jersey and their acceptance rates:

NAME	LOCATION	ACCEPTANCE RATE
Princeton University	Princeton	6%
Stevens Institute of Technology	Hoboken	40%
The College of New Jersey	Ewing	49%
Bais Medrash Toras Chesed	Lakewood	59%
Rutgers University – New Brunswick	New Brunswick	61%
Yeshivas Be’er Yitzchok	Elizabeth	65%
Ramapo College of New Jersey	Mahwah	66%
Kean University	Union	69%
Bloomfield College	Bloomfield	71%
Drew University	Madison	71%
Georgian Court University	Lakewood	71%
Rider University	Lawrenceville	71%
Rutgers University – Newark	Newark	71%
New Jersey Institute of Technology	Newark	71%
Rowan University	Glassboro	74%
Seton Hall University	South Orange	74%
College of Saint Elizabeth	Morristown	74%
Centenary College	Hackettstown	75%
William Paterson University of New Jersey	Wayne	75%

What GPA Do You Need to Get Into Rutgers University?

Like many colleges and universities, Rutgers University does not have a published minimum GPA requirement all first-year applicants and even transferees have to meet. However, the general consensus among numerous college ranking sites is that the estimated high school GPA requirement at RU is 3.3.

At RU, one of the academic admissions factors is the GPA. As a matter of fact, it shares the same relative importance of “very important” with rigor of secondary school record and standardized test score.

With only a little more than half of all applicants getting accepted (61%), a high GPA is a definite must.

Although it’s true that Rutgers does not have any published minimum high school GPA first-year applicants should meet, the institution, however, has a published GPAs of students admitted into its various schools:

SCHOOL/COLLEGE	HIGH SCHOOL GPA RANGE
School of Arts and Sciences – Newark	3.4 to 4.0
Rutgers Business School	3.4 to 3.8
School of Public Affairs and Administration	3.1 to 3.9
School of Criminal Justice	3.3 to 3.8

RU has also published the GPAs of admitted transferees obtained from their previous colleges:

SCHOOL/COLLEGE	COLLEGE GPA RANGE
School of Arts and Sciences – Newark	3.0 to 3.7
Rutgers Business School	3.2 to 3.7
School of Public Affairs and Administration	3.0 to 3.6
School of Criminal Justice	3.0 to 3.7

Above, we mentioned that the high school GPA is a very important academic admissions factor considered when evaluating first-time, first-year applicants. There is another one admissions officers consider: class rank.

But unlike GPA, academic rigor and test score, class rank has a relative importance of “considered” only.

Still, since Rutgers University has a holistic admissions policy, being near or at the top of your graduating class can spell the difference between receiving an acceptance letter and getting a rejection or a deferral.

Not all high schools in the US use a ranking system. It’s for this reason exactly why only 19% of first-time, first-year students accepted into Rutgers are able to submit their high school class rank — well, at least as per the school’s Common Data Set 2020 to 2021.

Curious as to how admits who submitted their class rank fared in high school? Check out this table:

CLASS RANK	PERCENTAGE
Top 10% of high school graduating class	30%
Top 25% of high school graduating class	66%
Top 50% of high school graduating class	91%
Bottom 50% of high school graduating class	9%
Bottom 25% of high school graduating class	2%

Please take note that the top 50% and the bottom 50% should be equivalent to 100%.

What Test Score Do You Need to Get Into Rutgers University?

Most first-year students admitted into Rutgers University who submitted their SAT scores have section scores of 580 to 680 (SAT EBRW) and 600 to 730 (SAT Math). Meanwhile, the majority of first-year students accepted into RU who submitted their ACT scores have a composite score range of 25 to 32.

Not too happy with your high school GPA? Luckily, Rutgers University has a holistic admissions policy.

This means that it will also take a look at other components of your application when evaluating you, such as your standardized test score. Needless to say, an impressive SAT or ACT score might increase the admissions chances of an applicant whose GPA is not that high.

Of the admitted first-time, first-year students into Rutgers, 90% submitted their SAT scores. On the other hand, only 18% submitted their ACT scores.

Usually, the SAT EBRW middle 50% range for applicants who get accepted into RU is 580 to 680. The SAT Math middle 50% range, meanwhile, is 600 to 730. And when it comes to the ACT middle 50%, the range for students who get an offer to enroll at Rutgers University is 25 to 32.

Here are some important things to keep in mind based on the figures above:

• 25% of admits have SAT EBRW scores lower than 580 and SAT EBRW scores higher than 680.
• 25% of admitted students have SAT Math scores lower than 600 and SAT Math scores higher than 730.
• 25% of accepted applicants have ACT composite scores lower than 25.
• 25% of admits have ACT composite scores higher than 32.

To give you a much better idea of whether or not your SAT score is enough to win you an acceptance letter from RU’s admissions officers, check out the following table, which shows the percentage of admitted first-time, first-year students into the school and their SAT section scores:

SAT SCORE RANGE	SAT EBRW	SAT MATH
700 to 800	20%	39%
600 to 699	50%	40%
500 to 599	28%	20%
400 to 499	2%	1%
300 to 399	0%	0%
200 to 299	0%	0%

And now, let’s take a quick look at a table demonstrating the percentage of first-time, first-year students accepted into Rutgers as well as their ACT composite and section scores:

ACT SCORE RANGE	ACT ENGLISH	ACT MATH	ACT COMPOSITE
30 to 36	51%	40%	45%
24 to 29	31%	44%	41%
18 to 23	17%	14%	13%
12 to 17	2%	2%	1%
6 to 11	0%	0%	0%
1 to 6	0%	0%	0%

Took the SAT or ACT more than once and not happy with your latest score?

Fret not.

That’s because, like many colleges and universities that consider standardized test scores in the admissions process, RU superscores SAT and ACT scores.

When you submit your various test scores, the school will take into account only the highest section scores across all test dates and add them up to obtain your composite score.

Which Admissions Factors are Considered at Rutgers University?

Because Rutgers University has a holistic admissions policy, it considers various admissions factors, academic and non-academic alike. Some of the most important include the GPA, test score, academic rigor and extracurricular activities. There are also a few factors that RU does not consider at all.

Since the acceptance rate at Rutgers is 61%, your chances of gaining admission into it is a little more than 50/50.

But if you don’t want to risk it, making sure that your application can make the school’s admissions officers happy is a great idea. This is when the importance of knowing the various admissions factors considered comes in.

Needless to say, if RU is at the top of your college list, it’s a must for the various academic and non-academic factors taken into account in your application to shine. And with some of them having more weight in the admissions process than the rest, knowing the ones on which you should focus more is a huge plus.

The following are the various academic factors considered at Rutgers and their relative importance:

• Academic rigor – very important
• GPA – very important
• Standardized test score – very important
• Class rank – considered
• Admissions essay – considered

Unlike at most colleges and universities, Rutgers University does not require applicants to submit recommendation letters. This means that applying to the school is less stressful and tiring. But since no one will be vouching for your college readiness, you should make sure that your application will be able to highlight your positive aspects.

And now, let’s check out the different non-academic factors RU considers and the relative importance of each:

• Extracurricular activities – important
• Interview – considered
• Talent or ability – considered
• Personal qualities – considered
• First-generation – considered
• Geographical residence – considered
• State residency – considered
• Race or ethnicity – considered
• Volunteer work – considered
• Work experience – considered

Rutgers University does not care at all about some non-academic admissions factors other schools consider. They are alumni member relations, religious affiliation and demonstrated interest.

Just Before You Apply to Rutgers University

US News ranks Rutgers University #23 in Top Public Schools and #63 in National Universities. On the other hand, it’s #1 in Top Public Universities in America by Niche and #2 in Best Public Colleges in New Jersey by College Simply. Because RU is highly ranked, it’s easy to assume that getting into it is difficult.

The good news is that the acceptance rate at Rutgers is 61%. What’s more, there is no minimum GPA requirement students need to meet for their applications to be considered.

RU has a holistic admissions policy — make sure your entire application shines, and you’re golden!