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Ah, Rutgers. Where one campus doesn't quite seem like enough, students get the opportunity of five campuses to choose from: College Avenue, Livingston, Cook, Douglass, and Busch. Each with its own unique charm, there's always somewhere for students to fit in at the university. Rutgers is well-known for its diversity, with a 50-50 percentage of males and females, as well as a population of 41.5 percent white, 26 percent Asian, 13 percent Hispanic, 7.5 percent African American, 7.2 percent international and 5.2 percent other. There are nearly 70 student organizations dedicated to religious and religious-cultural interests, as well as a center for social justice education and LGBT communities. Needless to say, all walks of life are a part of this university making it very welcoming to every student. Integrated in the city of New Brunswick as well as Piscataway, Rutgers University offers a college experience while also exposing students to urban settings and a taste of real New Jersey culture. On any given day, students can be seen studying at Alexander Library, running bake sales in front of sorority houses, shuffling to get onto Rutgers buses before class, or hanging out on the front porches of their off-campuses houses. Rutgers also recently joined the Big 10, and during the fall you'll find many students tailgating before a big football game and later in the stadium cheering the team on. Also, fun-fact: Rutgers was offered to join the Ivy League in the past, but denied the invitation. So with brains, brawn, diversity and New Jersey pride, Rutgers is definitely a school of surprises and excitement.
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The nightlife at Rutgers is notoriously known in New Jersey for being a wild scene. For most students under 21, house parties are plentiful on all campuses, but occur mostly on College Avenue. Those who hit the 21-age mark have the option of going out to the various college bars on Easton Avenue, or hitting up Downtown New Brunswick for a more relaxed scene. The most popular bars on Easton are Scarlet Pub, Olde Queens Tavern, Olive Branch and Brother Jimmy's. If you're looking for a Downtown NB experience, the best locations are World of Beer, Destination Dogs and Clydz. Rutgers students will go out in either rain or shine (or snow or hail or Hurricane Sandy), so there's always something fun to do on the weekend.
It's no secret that the Rutgers buses are a blessing and a curse. While the shuttle service offers transportation to and from every single campus, they are known for filling up quickly during rush hour and causing some to miss the first few minutes of class. However, all it takes is figuring out the schedule that works best for you. Many students manage their schedules to stay only on one campus throughout the semester, which eliminates the need for even taking a bus at all. If you absolutely have to take classes on multiple campuses, there are mobile apps you can download like the Rutgers University app or RU There Yet? that provide a consistently updated bus schedule for students to stay on track and make it to class on time.
While buses are serviced on the New Brunswick campus, most of the campuses themselves are small enough where getting from one end of the campus to the other doesn't take longer than twenty minutes. Since there are five campuses, traveling from one to the other can take a decent amount of time, but hey, that's what those buses are for! As for off-campus housing, most of the apartments and houses are on Cook/Douglass and College Avenue, making the walking distance to the bus or school buildings no more than twenty minutes (and that's if you live on the far outskirts of campus).
Whether you like to go hard every day of the week or hang out with a couple of close friends in your apartment on the weekend, there's a scene for anyone and everyone to join at Rutgers. Every weekend -- without fail -- there's a fraternity party taking place or bars filling to capacity. Rutgers has a reputation for being the party school of New Jersey where many friends like to visit or stop by to let loose on the weekend. New Brunswick is also known for its basement show music scene, as well as poetry clubs for people who don't want to deal with sweaty frats or overcrowded bars. While the off-campus areas of College Avenue can get pretty loud on the weekend, if you're not a partier then the dorms themselves are far enough from these excursions that you won't be disturbed.
The city of New Brunswick can get dangerous at times, which is why people typically warn not to wander off too far from the campus. College Avenue and Cook/Douglass are the areas that are closest to the actual city, and while most students don't spend too much time over there, it is colloquially known to be an area to avoid. However, as long as you're not wandering random streets at 3 a.m. on a Saturday night by yourself then you're more than likely safe from any harm. If a crime occurs that is either Rutgers-related or happens on/near campus, the university will send out an email citing the crime that took place and serving a warning for students to remain alert and safe.
If you go to Rutgers and haven't been to any off-campus restaurants or bars, you aren't a real student. For those who don't want to stray too far and prefer immediate access, Easton Avenue stretches for nearly a mile with all kinds of food choices from several pizza joints to Middle Eastern cuisine to cookie deliveries (seriously, you can have cookies delivered to your doorstep). If you are looking for a chicken buffalo quesadilla at 1 a.m. on a Saturday night after a wild party, there's Hansel n' Griddle. Downtown New Brunswick's restaurants vary from Catherine Lombardi to Old Man Rafferty's to Stage Left. This area is also popular for non-students, where you'll typically find families and couples dining on a Saturday night or Sunday afternoon. If you're looking for an impressive restaurant to take a date, Downtown NB is definitely the area to head to. College Avenue is best known for its restaurant and food areas, but there are places to eat on every campus. Livingston – having been most recently renovated – has multiple food places to eat from Starbucks to Qdoba to Henry's Diner, while Busch and Cook/Douglass have big dining halls and student centers that offer assortments of food options for all students.
While College Avenue is the smallest of all campuses, it is by far the most distinct. A majority of liberal arts majors take their classes on this campus, and most of off-campus housing is scattered along streets that meander from the main street. The neighborhood itself is pretty safe, and from a distance it seems almost suburban until you realize that every other house holds a group of college kids paying rent and throwing parties on the weekend. Most students know not to wander too far off into the deeper parts of New Brunswick, which have a reputation for not being that safe.
If you walked past Livingston campus a decade or two ago, it would be unrecognizable. Within the past few years Rutgers has revamped a majority of this campus, where new buildings, apartments, dorms and halls are now scattered throughout the area. Livingston can seem expensive at times – while the apartments are a hot commodity and require a lottery system where those of seniority usually eat up all the spots, it gets costly and is usually reserved for those who can spend the extra money. This campus is also secluded from any part of New Brunswick or Piscataway, making it one of the safer areas to live in. Overall, if you're looking for good dining hall food, Starbucks or a pleasantly aesthetic place to study or hang out, Livingston is the place to go.
Cook and Douglass are technically separate campuses but are most commonly referenced together because they are the only two that intertwine with each other. This campus is known for its beautiful, scenic views, and believe it or not, there is a farm where classes take place and horses can be seen. It is also one of the bigger campuses, where one bus takes a solid twenty to thirty minutes to get from one end to the other. Although, if you're looking for a pretty view on your way to class, it would be suggested to opt for talking a stroll.
Busch campus is similar to Livingston in that it has relatively newer buildings and one of the better dining halls. Many engineering or biology majors spend their countless hours in labs or calculus classes on this campus, and it definitely has a much more college-campus structure than College Avenue or Cook/Douglass. In comparison to the rest of the campuses, Busch and Livingston are more similar in safety, aesthetic and overall campus vibes, while College Avenue and Cook/Douglass share their own quirks and personalities.
Average rents within 5 miles of Rutgers University-New BrunswickMar 28, 2024.
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