Rutgers University was ranked the 42nd best university in the nation by US News & World Report. What accounts for this reputation? And how competitive is the admissions process? 

Those who applied to join the Class of 2030 were recently informed of the fate of their applications. Plenty of these students have reason to celebrate. But these admissions decisions were not made public, leaving the rest of us in the dark about Rutgers University’s acceptance rate this year. To make matters worse, Rutgers has not done its due diligence in maintaining an up-to-date record of the Common Data Sets online, which is normally where we would turn for any and all admissions-related questions. But that’s not where this story ends. Read on to find out what we do know about the Rutgers admissions process.

Rutgers University Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics (Classes of 2030 — 2016)

Rutgers University Class Year	Total Applications Received	Total Applications Accepted	Overall Acceptance Rate
Class of 2030	Not Yet Published	Not Yet Published	Not Yet Published
Class of 2029	Not Yet Published	Not Yet Published	Not Yet Published
Class of 2028	Not Yet Published	Not Yet Published	Not Yet Published
Class of 2027	43,347	28,326	65.35%
Class of 2026	41,654	27,612	66.29%
Class of 2025	43,161	29,419	68.16%
Class of 2024	41,263	27,618	66.93%
Class of 2023	41,286	25,277	61.22%
Class of 2022	41,348	24,854	60.11%
Class of 2021	38,384	22,186	57.80%
Class of 2020	36,677	20,884	56.94%
Class of 2019	35,340	20,657	58.45%
Class of 2018	31,941	19,324	60.50%
Class of 2017	30,361	18,230	60.04%
Class of 2016	28,635	17,436	60.89%

Rutgers University’s Class of 2030 in Historical Perspective and a Call for Admissions Transparency

There’s something fishy about Rutgers University’s admissions statistics, namely, that the university hasn’t reported an acceptance rate in over three years! While not every school has reported statistics for the Class of 2030, as it has become increasingly in vogue to withhold this data to avoid media scrutiny, the vast majority of elite colleges have at least published their 2025-2026 Common Data Set for the Class of 2029, which is a federally mandated repository of all things admissions. Not Rutgers, though. This historic public research university, located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, hasn’t published a Common Data Set since 2023. It’s time they do their prospective applicants a favor and update these files!

However, the dated information we do have about the Rutgers admissions process indicates that it’s not becoming any more competitive each year. In fact, the opposite appears to be true, with the last four admission cycles on record producing acceptance rates exceeding 65%, well above the average of around 60% in prior years. While the last three cycles could have swung in the opposite direction, the historical acceptance rate suggests that Rutgers remains a moderately selective school.

The Demographics of Rutgers University Class of 2030

Unsurprisingly, just as we don’t have any concrete numbers regarding the Class of 2030, we also do not yet possess any demographic information on this new round of Scarlet Knights. Until Rutgers opts to publish their Common Data Sets (or at the very least release a press release on the Class of 2030), there’s no telling what the academic profile, gender breakdown, socioeconomic breakdown, geographic origins, or racial makeup of the class could be. We’ve been left entirely in the dark!

Getting Started with Ivy Coach on the Rutgers University Waitlist

If you’ve come this far down into this blog, chances are you’re looking for some guidance after you or your child were waitlisted to the Class of 2030. Well, you’ve come to the right place.

If you’re interested in optimizing your child’s case for admission off the Rutgers University waitlist to the Class of 2030, fill out Ivy Coach’s complimentary consultation form, indicate that Rutgers University has waitlisted you or your child, and we’ll be in touch with an outline of our services led by our team of former elite college admissions officers.