🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants.

✅ Best for

  • Strong academic profile (SAT 1270–1480 · ACT 28–33 middle 50% + typically a 3.9+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • Students drawn to Business, Management, & Marketing or Computer & Information Sciences (the two biggest majors)
  • Research-oriented students (R1 — top tier of federal research funding)
  • Students who thrive in a large, programmatic environment

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1270, or ACT below 28, or unweighted GPA below ~3.80 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R1: Doctoral - Very High Research Activity
Total enrollment
37,751
20,000 and above
In-state tuition
$17,929
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$37,441
+$19,512 vs in-state
Admit rate
65.3%
Accessible
SAT middle 50%
1270–1480
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
28–33
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$74,479
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$61,263
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$74,479
4-year completion
84%
Median debt (completers)
$21,500
Cost of attendance
$36,993
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
28%

💰 True ROI

7.6× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$97,624
$24,406/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$50,348
vs sticker $147,972
10-yr earnings total
$744,790
$74,479/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.3 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Rutgers University-New Brunswick, the average net price is $24,406/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$16,343/yr
Family income $30-48k
$16,210/yr
Family income $48-75k
$18,282/yr
Family income $75-110k
$25,106/yr
Family income $110k+
$35,016/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Rutgers University-New Brunswick's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Rutgers University-New Brunswick →

Opens on Rutgers University-New Brunswick's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Rutgers University-New Brunswick actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
1,791 degrees · 33.3%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
2. Computer & Information Sciences
1,007 degrees · 18.7%
Typical career outcomes
Software Developer $132k Data Scientist $108k Information Security Analyst $120k Web Developer $85k
High-paying tech roles dominate. Median software roles cluster in the $90k-$130k range.
3. Engineering
969 degrees · 18.0%
Typical career outcomes
Mechanical Engineer $100k Electrical Engineer $107k Civil Engineer $93k Chemical Engineer $112k
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.
4. Health Professions
828 degrees · 15.4%
Typical career outcomes
Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
5. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
788 degrees · 14.6%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods. Bachelor's Degree 251 $78,177 $126,906
Computer and Information Sciences, General. Bachelor's Degree 613 $80,448 $125,303
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 224 $82,598 $108,296
Chemical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 100 $67,777 $100,729
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 418 $68,338 $100,695
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 344 $87,594 $99,155
Ceramic Sciences and Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 20 $69,162 $98,046
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 40 $69,320 $94,598
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 178 $71,569 $94,561
Industrial Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 41 $78,501 $94,382

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Rutgers University-New Brunswick

CS degrees (annual)
894
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Rutgers University-New Brunswick vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Rutgers University-New Brunswick doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 auto-merit scholarships on file
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
23 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Rutgers University-New Brunswick.
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($25,848 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($24,590 less)
CUNY Brooklyn College
NY · Public
$12,254/yr for $110k+ families ($22,762 less)
CUNY Hunter College
NY · Public
$12,259/yr for $110k+ families ($22,757 less)
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
NY · Public
$12,314/yr for $110k+ families ($22,702 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
Rowan University
NJ · Public
78% admit rate (vs 65% here)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit Rutgers University-New Brunswick into your overall strategy:

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