Rutgers-New Brunswick admissions for fall 2027 hinge on two deadlines: Early Action on Nov. 1, 2026 and Regular Decision on Dec. 1, 2026. Rutgers-New Brunswick received 78,156 first-year applicants for the fall 2025 class and enrolled 8,178. Admission is by school, and the bar differs by school: engineering and pharmacy admits have the highest scores. For New Jersey families with income of $65,000 or less, tuition can be $0 for all four years.
The figures below are from Rutgers Undergraduate Admissions and Rutgers-New Brunswick's Scarlet Guarantee page.
Fall 2027 deadlines
| Apply by | Decision by | Reply by | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Action (not binding) | Nov. 1, 2026 | Jan. 31, 2027 | May 1, 2027 |
| Regular Decision | Dec. 1, 2026 | Feb. 28, 2027 | May 1, 2027 |
Source: Rutgers Undergraduate Admissions, Application Dates & Deadlines, New Brunswick.
After Dec. 1, Rutgers considers applications on a rolling, space-available basis, and only to schools still open. Early Action applicants can be admitted, denied, wait-listed or deferred to Regular Decision; Rutgers encourages deferred students to update their Self-reported Transcript and Academic Record System (STARS) record with senior grades by the first week of February.
Applicants and seats by school (fall 2025)
| School | Applicants | Entering class |
|---|---|---|
| School of Arts and Sciences | 51,155 | 4,168 |
| Rutgers Business School-New Brunswick | 25,257 | 1,100 |
| School of Environmental and Biological Sciences | 17,842 | 974 |
| School of Engineering | 17,296 | 1,140 |
| School of Nursing-New Brunswick | 7,255 | 275 |
| School of Nursing-Newark | 4,706 | 79 |
| Mason Gross School of the Arts | 3,999 | 195 |
| Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy | 3,064 | 247 |
| Total (unduplicated) | 78,156 | 8,178 |
Source: Rutgers Undergraduate Admissions, How We Make Decisions (first-year class of 2025). Students can apply to more than one school, so school counts add up to more than the total.
Admitted students' scores, fall 2026 (middle 50%)
| School | SAT | ACT | High school GPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| School of Arts and Sciences | 1380-1520 | 30-34 | 3.7-4.2 |
| Rutgers Business School | 1390-1510 | 31-34 | 3.8-4.2 |
| School of Engineering | 1400-1520 | 32-35 | 3.8-4.3 |
| School of Environmental and Biological Sciences | 1360-1500 | 30-34 | 3.8-4.2 |
| School of Nursing-New Brunswick | 1320-1450 | 29-33 | 3.9-4.2 |
| Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy | 1410-1520 | 31-35 | 4.0-4.3 |
| Mason Gross School of the Arts | 1320-1490 | 30-35 | 3.6-4.1 |
Source: Rutgers Undergraduate Admissions, admissions profile of students regularly admitted for fall 2026.
Test scores are optional; Rutgers notes they're required for its 7-year BA/MD program.
Paying for it: four tuition-free years under $65,000
- Years 1-2: Scarlet Guarantee. For New Jersey students enrolling in fall 2026 or later with family AGI of $65,000 or less, Rutgers covers remaining in-state tuition and eligible fees.
- Years 3-4: Garden State Guarantee. The state covers tuition and fees for juniors and seniors at public four-year colleges at the same income limit.
- Tuition Aid Grant: up to $10,964 at public research universities like Rutgers in 2026-27.
Housing, dining and books aren't covered. See New Jersey's free college programs and TAG amounts.
What this means for you
- Apply by Nov. 1 for an Early Action decision by Jan. 31; Dec. 1 is the Regular Decision deadline, not a spring date.
- Pick your school carefully. Business and engineering draw thousands more applicants than they have seats.
- File the FAFSA by the state deadline (Sept. 15, 2027 for new students) to be considered for the Scarlet Guarantee and TAG.