Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Rutgers University-New Brunswick — Earnings vs Cost (vs National Average)
Rutgers University-New Brunswick at a Glance
Rutgers University–New Brunswick is the largest campus of Rutgers University, a public land-grant research university consisting of three major campuses in New Jersey. It is located primarily in New Brunswick and Piscataway. It is the oldest campus of the university, the others being in Camden and Newark. The New Brunswick campus is composed of several smaller campuses that are some distances away from each other: College Avenue, Busch, Livingston, Cook, and Douglass, the latter two sometimes re…
1766
260 years old
$2.0B
$1.99 billion (2023) (system-wide)
46,934
8,500
86 acres
300+
Identity
How to Apply to Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Official admissions pageFebruary 1
December 1 (Early Action)
Fee waiver
Is Rutgers University-New Brunswick Worth It?
Rutgers University-New Brunswick delivers solid financial returns for its graduates. At $24,406/year, it's priced 20% above average, while graduates go on to earn $74,479 — 38% above the national average.
The investment pays for itself in just 1.3 years — among the fastest payback periods of any college we track.
The 84% graduation rate means roughly 16% of students leave without a degree — taking on debt without the earnings boost that completion brings.
How Rutgers University-New Brunswick compares to peer public colleges of similar tier nationally
Ranked #7 of 12 on value score. Peers are matched by size, median earnings, SAT, and admission rate — not just geography.
| Rank | College | Value | Net price / yr | Median earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 100 | $14,600 | $72,424 |
| #2 | Stony Brook University | 76 | $18,784 | $74,502 |
| #3 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | 76 | $17,339 | $60,409 |
| #4 | University of California-Santa Cruz | 71 | $17,890 | $68,396 |
| #5 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 71 | $24,953 | $81,698 |
| #6 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 67 | $22,383 | $71,631 |
| #7 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 64 | $24,406 | $74,479 |
Peer group: public colleges within ±60% of Rutgers University-New Brunswick's student body size and within a similar academic tier (SAT ±80, admit rate ±10pp, median earnings ±25%).
Best Programs at Rutgers University-New Brunswick
The highest-earning program at Rutgers University-New Brunswick is Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at $72,100/year (4 years after graduation). The lowest is Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies at $21,500/year.
Your major matters more than the school name — a Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering graduate from Rutgers University-New Brunswick earns $72,100, while a Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies graduate earns $21,500. That's more than a 2× difference from the same institution. Choose your program carefully — it's the single biggest lever you control.
Debt also varies by program: Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering graduates carry $23,540 in median debt vs. $27,000 for Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies.
Return on Investment
Estimated 4-Year Cost
Based on $24,406/yr net price × 4 years
Earnings Premium
vs. national average of $53,787/yr
Payback Period
Time to recoup the total cost through higher earnings
10-Year Net Gain
Median earnings over 10 years minus total cost of attendance
Programs & Earnings by Major
Graduate earnings data by field of study (4 years after graduation):
| Major | Earnings (4yr) | Earnings (1yr) | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering | $72,100 | $72,100 | $23,540 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $70,300 | $70,300 | $21,250 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $70,300 | $70,300 | $25,000 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $67,900 | $67,900 | $12,500 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $65,500 | $65,500 | $24,777 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | $63,400 | $63,400 | $23,619 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | $62,100 | $62,100 | $13,108 |
| Civil Engineering | $61,400 | $61,400 | $22,497 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $61,000 | $61,000 | $24,422 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $59,400 | $59,400 | $23,000 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $57,100 | $57,100 | $21,803 |
| Mathematics | $55,300 | $55,300 | $23,382 |
| Information Science/Studies | $54,800 | $54,800 | $25,185 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $54,000 | $54,000 | $23,250 |
| Chemical Engineering | $53,600 | $53,600 | $25,735 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $51,300 | $51,300 | $22,375 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $51,300 | $51,300 | $21,500 |
| Economics | $47,000 | $47,000 | $24,099 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $45,000 | $45,000 | $19,369 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | $44,600 | $44,600 | $22,250 |
| Marketing | $43,200 | $43,200 | $21,500 |
| Chemistry | $41,100 | $41,100 | $21,500 |
| Public Health | $37,800 | $37,800 | $25,675 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $36,800 | $36,800 | $23,500 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $36,600 | $36,600 | $21,500 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $35,200 | $35,200 | $24,425 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $35,000 | $35,000 | $24,140 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $33,300 | $33,300 | $23,250 |
| Sociology | $32,300 | $32,300 | $23,750 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $31,900 | $31,900 | $22,000 |
| Political Science and Government | $31,800 | $31,800 | $23,829 |
| Social Work | $31,700 | $31,700 | $23,611 |
| Music | $31,300 | $31,300 | $26,959 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | $29,900 | $29,900 | $23,247 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $29,300 | $29,300 | $25,456 |
| History | $29,300 | $29,300 | $22,488 |
| Journalism | $29,200 | $29,200 | $24,774 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness | $29,000 | $29,000 | $25,000 |
| Nutrition Sciences | $28,500 | $28,500 | $21,500 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | $27,900 | $27,900 | $25,900 |
| Psychology, General | $27,900 | $27,900 | $24,439 |
| Animal Sciences | $27,400 | $27,400 | $25,250 |
| Philosophy | $25,900 | $25,900 | $22,750 |
| Biology, General | $25,800 | $25,800 | $24,380 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $25,400 | $25,400 | $25,088 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $23,900 | $23,900 | $25,000 |
| Anthropology | $23,400 | $23,400 | $21,000 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $21,500 | $21,500 | $27,000 |
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Quick Facts
- Institution Type
- public
- Location
- New Brunswick, NJ
- Student Body
- 37,751 students
- Admission Rate
- 58%
- Graduation Rate
- 84%
- Net Price (Annual)
- $24,406
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $74,479
- Median Student Debt
- $21,500