collageThe charts below indicate the approximate SAT and ACT score ranges and grade-point averages for the middle 50% of students regularly admitted to Rutgers for fall 2021. Please note: “Middle 50%” means that 25% of regularly admitted students exceeded these ranges and 25% of regularly admitted students had scores and grade-point averages below these ranges. Rutgers conducts a holistic review of each student’s application that takes into consideration many more factors than test scores and cumulative grade-point average.
Due to the uncertainty of future test dates and availability of standardized tests, Rutgers-New Brunswick will make submission of SAT and ACT test scores optional for students applying for spring or fall 2022 admission. More information on the test optional policy and test optional FAQS can be found here.
First-Year
| School/College | SAT score (M+ERW) | SAT-Math | SAT-ERW | ACT Score | High School GPA* | High School Percentile Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School of Arts and Sciences | 1290-1490 | 650-780 | 630-730 | 29-34 | 3.7-4.1 | 73-95 |
| Mason Gross School of the Arts | 1230-1410 | 600-710 | 630-710 | 28-32 | 3.6-4.1 | 65-95 |
| School of Environmental and Biological Sciences | 1270-1470 | 630-760 | 630-720 | 29-34 | 3.7-4.2 | 74-95 |
| School of Engineering | 1340-1510 | 700-780 | 640-740 | 31-35 | 3.8-4.2 | 76-95 |
| Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy | 1370-1510 | 700-780 | 660-740 | 31-35 | 4.0-4.3 | 85-95 |
| Rutgers Business School | 1350-1500 | 690-780 | 650-730 | 30-34 | 3.8-4.2 | 79-95 |
| School of Nursing–New Brunswick | 1280-1450 | 630-750 | 640-720 | 29-32 | 4.0-4.3 | 85-96 |
| School of Nursing–Newark | 1250-1380 | 620-700 | 610-670 | 29-32 | 4.0-4.2 | 85-96 |
*Grade-point average is on a weighted scale from 0 (“F”) to 4.5 (“A+”).
Transfer
| School/College | Cumulative College GPA** |
|---|---|
| School of Arts and Sciences | 3.2-3.8 |
| Mason Gross School of the Arts | 3.3-3.9 |
| School of Environmental and Biological Sciences | 3.2-3.8 |
| School of Engineering | 3.5-3.9 |
| Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy | 3.6-3.9 |
| Rutgers Business School | 3.4-3.8 |
| School of Nursing–New Brunswick | 3.2-3.7 |
| School of Nursing–Newark | N/A |
| School of Management and Labor Relations | 3.0-3.7 |
| Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy | 3.0-3.7 |
**Students transferring from a New Jersey county or community college should visit NJTransfer.org to view recommended courses.
Please note: “Middle 50%” means that 25% of regularly admitted first-year students exceeded these ranges and 25% of regularly admitted first-year students had scores and grade-point averages below these ranges. Rutgers conducts a holistic review of each student’s application that takes into consideration many more factors than test scores and cumulative grade-point average.
Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.
Average GPA: 3.73
The average GPA at Rutgers is 3.73.
(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA. This school did not officially report its average GPA, but we’ve estimated it here using data from over 1,000 schools.)
With a GPA of 3.73, Rutgers requires you to be above average in your high school class. You’ll need at least a mix of A’s and B’s, with more A’s than B’s. You can compensate for a lower GPA with harder classes, like AP or IB classes. This will show that you’re able to handle more difficult academics than the average high school student.
If you’re currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.73, you’ll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate. This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.
SAT and ACT Requirements
Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Most schools require the SAT or ACT, and many also require SAT subject tests.
You must take either the SAT or ACT to submit an application to Rutgers. More importantly, you need to do well to have a strong application.
Rutgers SAT Requirements
Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school’s average score.
Average SAT: 1300
The average SAT score composite at Rutgers is a 1300 on the 1600 SAT scale.
This score makes Rutgers Moderately Competitive for SAT test scores.
Rutgers SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)
The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1190, and the 75th percentile New SAT score is 1410. In other words, a 1190 on the New SAT places you below average, while a 1410 will move you up to above average.
Here’s the breakdown of new SAT scores by section:
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
| Math | 665 | 600 | 730 |
| Reading + Writing | 635 | 590 | 680 |
| Composite | 1300 | 1190 | 1410 |
SAT Score Choice Policy
The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.
Rutgers has the Score Choice policy of “Highest Section.”
This is also known as “superscoring.” This means that you can choose which SAT tests you want to send to the school. Of all the scores they receive, your application readers will consider your highest section scores across all SAT test dates you submit.
Click below to learn more about how superscoring critically affects your test strategy.How does superscoring change your test strategy?(Click to Learn)
For example, say you submit the following 3 test scores:
| Section | R+W | Math | Composite |
| Test 1 | 700 | 300 | 1000 |
| Test 2 | 300 | 700 | 1000 |
| Test 3 | 300 | 300 | 600 |
| Superscore | 700 | 700 | 1400 |
Even though the highest total you scored on any one test date was 1000, Rutgers will take your highest section score from all your test dates, then combine them to form your Superscore. You can raise your composite score from 1000 to 1400 in this example.
This is important for your testing strategy. Because you can choose which tests to send in, and Rutgers forms your Superscore, you can take the SAT as many times as you want, then submit only the tests that give you the highest Superscore. Your application readers will only see that one score.
Therefore, if your SAT superscore is currently below a 1300, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the SAT and retaking it. You have a very good chance of raising your score, which will significantly boost your chances of getting in.
Even better, because of the Superscore, you can focus all your energy on a single section at a time. If your Reading score is lower than your other sections, prep only for the Reading section, then take the SAT. Then focus on Math for the next test, and so on. This will give you the highest Superscore possible.
Rutgers ACT Requirement
Just like for the SAT, Rutgers likely doesn’t have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.
Average ACT: 28
The average ACT score at Rutgers is 28. This score makes Rutgers Moderately Competitive for ACT scores.
The 25th percentile ACT score is 25, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 31.
Even though Rutgers likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 25 or below, you’ll have a harder time getting in, unless you have something else impressive in your application.
ACT Score Sending Policy
If you’re taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.
Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.
This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school’s ACT requirement of 28 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you’re happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.
ACT Superscore Policy
By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.
We weren’t able to find the school’s exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to Rutgers, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 28.
Studying for the ACT instead? Want to learn how to improve your ACT score by 4 points?
SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements
Both the SAT and ACT have an optional essay section.
Rutgers hasn’t reported their stance on SAT Essay/ACT Writing, but most likely they consider it to be optional. Thus you don’t need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you’re applying to may require it.
SAT Subject Test Requirements
Schools vary in their SAT subject test requirements. Typically, selective schools tend to require them, while most schools in the country do not.
We did not find information that Rutgers requires SAT subject tests, and so most likely it does not. At least 6 months before applying, you should still doublecheck just to make sure, so you have enough time to take the test.
Final Admissions Verdict
Because this school is moderately selective, strong academic performance will almost guarantee you admission. Scoring a 1410 SAT or a 31 ACT or above will nearly guarantee you admission. Because the school admits 60.1% of all applicants, being far above average raises the admission rate for you to nearly 100%.
If you can achieve a high SAT/ACT score, the rest of your application essentially doesn’t matter. You still need to meet the rest of the application requirements, and your GPA shouldn’t be too far off from the school average of 3.73. But you won’t need dazzling extracurriculars and breathtaking letters of recommendation to get in. You can get in based on the merits of your score alone.
Admissions Calculator
What are your chances of admission at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey?Chances of admission with these scores:61.42%
Here’s our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are.
Note: Your admission decision relies not only on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but also on your coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This tool provides only a simplistic estimate of your chances of admission. Instead of treating this tool as a crystal ball, we recommend you consider the big picture of what your chance means:
- 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
- 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
- 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
- 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
- 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in
We recommend you apply to schools across a range of chances. Applying to some safety schools will guarantee you have a college to go to, while applying to some reach schools will give you a shot at getting into the school at the top of your range.
How would your chances improve with a better score?
Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?
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Application Requirements
Every school requires an application with the bare essentials – high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We’ll cover the exact requirements of Rutgers here.
Application Requirements Overview
- Common ApplicationNot accepted
- Universal ApplicationNot accepted
- Electronic ApplicationAvailable
- Essay or Personal StatementRecommended for all freshmen
- Letters of Recommendation
- InterviewNot required
- Application Fee$65
- Fee Waiver Available?Available
- Other Notes
Testing Requirements
- SAT or ACTRequired
- SAT Essay or ACT WritingNone
- SAT Subject Tests
- Scores Due in OfficeNone
Coursework Requirements
- SubjectRequired Years
- English4
- Math3
- Science2
- Foreign Language2
- Social Studies
- History
- Electives5
Deadlines and Early Admissions
-
- Offered?DeadlineNotification
- Regular Admission
- YesDecember 1February 28
- Early Action
- No
- Early Decision
- No
Admissions Office Information
- Address:65
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8097 - Phone:(732) 932-4636
- Email:admissions@ugadm.rutgers.edu
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