Rutgers Acceptance Rate: 58.6% for Fall 2025, Residency Odds, and What Fall 2026 Shows
By Rona Aydin
What is the Rutgers acceptance rate?
Rutgers University New Brunswick admitted 58.6% of first-year applicants for fall 2025, the class that entered as the Class of 2029. It received 78,122 applications, admitted 45,800 students and enrolled 8,178, according to its Common Data Set 2025-2026. Applications rose 13.9% from fall 2024 by our calculation, admits rose 14.8%, and the enrolled class stayed almost the same size.
| Entering class | Applied | Admitted | Acceptance rate | Enrolled | Share of admits who enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 (Class of 2029) | 78,122 | 45,800 | 58.6% | 8,178 | 17.9% |
| Fall 2024 (Class of 2028) | 68,614 | 39,899 | 58.1% | 8,191 | 20.5% |
| Fall 2023 (Class of 2027) | 43,347 | 28,326 | 65.3% | 7,681 | 27.1% |
As of October 26, 2026, Rutgers had not published the 2026-2027 Common Data Set, which will hold the figures for students who entered in fall 2026.
Why did the Rutgers acceptance rate fall after fall 2023?
Rutgers opened its applications on the Common App on August 1, 2023, for students entering in fall 2024. By March 20, 2024, the university had received more than 244,000 applications for 2024-2025, about 178,000 of them through the Common App, and it said at the time that it was not increasing the percentage of students it admits (Rutgers).
At New Brunswick, first-year applications rose 58.3% in a single cycle, from 43,347 to 68,614, and the acceptance rate fell from 65.3% to 58.1%. The share of admitted students who enrolled fell from 27.1% to 20.5%, and then to 17.9% in fall 2025. In our view, that falling yield reflects the Common App: when one application form reaches Rutgers along with other colleges, more students add Rutgers to their lists, a smaller share of those admitted enroll, and the university admits more students per seat.
Families weighing other large public universities can compare the Penn State acceptance rate and the Maryland out-of-state acceptance rate.
Is the Rutgers acceptance rate different for out-of-state students?
Yes. In fall 2025, out-of-state and international applicants were admitted at higher rates than New Jersey residents, as they were in fall 2023, the most recent earlier year with a residency breakdown.
| Applicant group, fall 2025 | Applied | Admitted | Acceptance rate | Enrolled | Share of admits who enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey residents | 36,871 | 19,093 | 51.8% | 5,995 | 31.4% |
| Out-of-state | 27,106 | 17,496 | 64.5% | 1,251 | 7.2% |
| International | 14,145 | 9,211 | 65.1% | 932 | 10.1% |
| Total | 78,122 | 45,800 | 58.6% | 8,178 | 17.9% |
In our view, the main explanation is yield. About 7% of admitted out-of-state students enrolled, against nearly a third of admitted New Jersey residents, so Rutgers admits many more out-of-state students for every seat it fills. New Jersey residents made up 73.3% of the fall 2025 class, down from 84.4% in fall 2023, and their admission rate fell from 62.3% to 51.8% over the same two cycles. For fall 2023, out-of-state applicants were admitted at 72.0% and international applicants at 70.7%.
What SAT scores and grades do admitted Rutgers students have for fall 2026?
Rutgers publishes an Undergraduate Admissions Profile each year with the middle 50% SAT, ACT, GPA and high school percentile rank of regularly admitted students at each New Brunswick school. Comparing the fall 2026 profile with the fall 2025 profile shows a higher 25th percentile SAT at every school.
| Rutgers New Brunswick school | SAT middle 50%, fall 2026 | SAT middle 50%, fall 2025 | GPA middle 50%, fall 2026 | High school percentile rank, fall 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| School of Arts and Sciences | 1380 to 1520 | 1350 to 1510 | 3.7 to 4.2 | 75 to 95 |
| Rutgers Business School | 1390 to 1510 | 1370 to 1510 | 3.8 to 4.2 | 77 to 95 |
| School of Engineering | 1400 to 1520 | 1380 to 1520 | 3.8 to 4.3 | 80 to 95 |
| School of Environmental and Biological Sciences | 1360 to 1500 | 1320 to 1490 | 3.8 to 4.2 | 75 to 95 |
| School of Nursing | 1320 to 1450 | 1310 to 1450 | 3.9 to 4.2 | 83 to 95 |
| Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy | 1410 to 1520 | 1370 to 1510 | 4.0 to 4.3 | 90 to 96 |
| Mason Gross School of the Arts | 1320 to 1490 | 1300 to 1460 | 3.6 to 4.1 | 65 to 95 |
The 25th percentile SAT rose by 40 points in Environmental and Biological Sciences and in Pharmacy, 30 points in Arts and Sciences, 20 points in Engineering, the Business School and Mason Gross, and 10 points in Nursing. The floor of the high school percentile rank range also rose in Engineering, Nursing and Pharmacy.
How hard is it to get into each Rutgers New Brunswick school?
Applicants apply to a specific school within Rutgers New Brunswick, and Rutgers lists school choice among the factors in its holistic review, alongside academic strength and performance, the essay and extracurricular activities. Rutgers does not publish admit rates by school in its Common Data Set or admissions profile, so the profile ranges are the best guide. For the middle 50% of regularly admitted students for fall 2026:
- Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy had the highest ranges: an SAT of 1410 to 1520, a GPA of 4.0 to 4.3 and a high school percentile rank of 90 to 96.
- School of Engineering admits had an SAT of 1400 to 1520 and an ACT of 32 to 35, the highest ACT range at New Brunswick.
- Rutgers Business School admits had an SAT of 1390 to 1510 and an ACT of 31 to 34.
- School of Nursing has a lower SAT range, 1320 to 1450, but one of the highest grade profiles: a GPA of 3.9 to 4.2 and a high school percentile rank of 83 to 95.
- School of Arts and Sciences admits had an SAT of 1380 to 1520 and a GPA of 3.7 to 4.2.
High-achieving applicants can also consider the Rutgers Honors College, and premedical students can read our guide to the Rutgers medical school acceptance rate.
Does Rutgers require the SAT or ACT?
No. Rutgers New Brunswick and Rutgers Camden are test optional, and Rutgers Newark no longer requires scores for most undergraduate programs, with the exception of its seven-year BA/MD program. Rutgers states that students who do not submit a score still receive full consideration, and students applying for 2027 admission may still submit one. Because only submitted scores are counted, the published SAT ranges may run higher than the full admitted class. In our view, a score at or above the 25th percentile of the chosen school, such as 1380 for Arts and Sciences or 1400 for Engineering, is usually worth sending, and a score well below it usually is not. Our list of colleges that require the SAT or ACT shows how Rutgers compares with schools that require scores.
When are the Rutgers application deadlines for fall 2027?
| Application type, fall 2027 | Application due | Decision by | Reply by |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-year Early Action | November 1, 2026 | January 31, 2027 | May 1, 2027 |
| First-year Regular Decision | December 1, 2026 | February 28, 2027 | May 1, 2027 |
| Transfer | February 1, 2027 | April 15, 2027 | May 1, 2027 |
Rutgers Early Action is not binding. Early Action applicants hear by January 31 (Mason Gross School of the Arts applicants by April 1) whether they are admitted, not admitted, wait listed or deferred to Regular Decision, and deferred students are encouraged to update their STARS record with senior year grades by the first week of February (Rutgers dates and deadlines). December 1 is also the last date to be considered for honors and merit scholarships. After the deadlines, Rutgers reviews applications on a rolling, space-available basis, but only for schools that are still open, and schools that fill are removed from the application. Oriel Admissions advises applying by November 1, so that a deferred student has time to add senior year grades before the Regular Decision review.
What does the Rutgers acceptance rate mean for New Jersey families?
In our view, Rutgers has moved from a likely admit for strong New Jersey applicants to a school that needs a real plan. New Jersey residents were admitted at 51.8% in fall 2025, the pool is larger, and the admitted SAT ranges are higher. Families building a list should treat Rutgers New Brunswick, and especially its Engineering, Business, Nursing and Pharmacy schools, as a target, not a safety, for students within the posted ranges, and as a reach for students below them. Our guide to choosing a college counselor in NJ and our pages for Princeton and Edison families cover admissions planning in those communities.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Rutgers Acceptance Rate
Rutgers New Brunswick admitted 45,800 of 78,122 first-year applicants for fall 2025, an acceptance rate of 58.6% by our calculation from its Common Data Set 2025-2026. The rate was 58.1% for fall 2024 and 65.3% for fall 2023.
Rutgers New Brunswick admitted 58.6% of first-year applicants for fall 2025, but its schools differ. Admitted students in Pharmacy had an SAT of 1410 to 1520 for fall 2026, and those in Engineering had an SAT of 1400 to 1520.
In fall 2025, out-of-state applicants were admitted at 64.5% and New Jersey residents at 51.8%, by our calculation from the Common Data Set. Rutgers admits more out-of-state students per seat because only about 7% of admitted out-of-state students enrolled.
Rutgers joined the Common App for students entering in fall 2024. First-year applications to New Brunswick rose from 43,347 to 68,614 in one cycle and reached 78,122 for fall 2025, and the acceptance rate fell from 65.3% to 58.1%, then 58.6%.
Yes. Rutgers New Brunswick and Rutgers Camden are test optional, and students who do not submit scores receive full consideration. The published SAT ranges reflect only students who chose to submit.
For fall 2026, the middle 50% GPA of regularly admitted students ranged from 3.6 to 4.1 in Mason Gross School of the Arts to 4.0 to 4.3 in the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy. Arts and Sciences admits had 3.7 to 4.2, and Nursing admits 3.9 to 4.2.
Rutgers Early Action is nonbinding and gives a decision by January 31. Schools can close to applications submitted after the December 1 deadline, and Oriel Admissions advises applying by November 1 so that a deferred student has time to add senior year grades.
Rutgers does not publish admit rates by school in its Common Data Set or admissions profile. Regularly admitted Rutgers Business School students for fall 2026 had an SAT of 1390 to 1510, an ACT of 31 to 34 and a GPA of 3.8 to 4.2.
Sources: Rutgers New Brunswick Common Data Set 2025-2026, Rutgers New Brunswick Common Data Set 2024-2025, Rutgers New Brunswick Common Data Set 2023-2024, Rutgers Undergraduate Admissions Profile, fall 2026, Rutgers Undergraduate Admissions Profile, fall 2025, Rutgers New Brunswick dates and deadlines, Rutgers: Move to Common App Sparks Record-Setting Student Applications (March 2024). All read October 26, 2026.
About Oriel Admissions
Oriel Admissions is a college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy, with offices in Princeton, New Jersey and New York. Our team pairs deep admissions expertise with a distinctive 360 approach spanning academic planning, extracurricular strategy, essays and application execution. To discuss your strategy, schedule a consultation.
