🏠 Rutgers University–New Brunswick — Parent Guide

🏠 How housing selection works at Rutgers University–New Brunswick

Rutgers University–New Brunswick does not require students to live on campus, but incoming freshmen who apply by the priority deadline are guaranteed housing. Rutgers' is spread across five distinct campuses — College Avenue, Busch, Livingston, Cook, and Douglass — each with its own , dining options, and bus connections. Students should note that classes may be on a different campus from their residence hall, so campus geography is an important factor in housing choice.

First-Year Housing:Freshmen apply for housing in the spring, selecting their preferred campus and indicating room-type and lifestyle preferences. Each campus has its own feel: College Avenue is the most central and social; Busch is the science and engineering campus; Livingston is the newest with modern suite-style buildings; Cook and Douglass are quieter, on the agricultural side of the Raritan River, and co-sponsored by the Cook and Colleges.

:Rutgers operates two programs that integrate academics into housing. The Cook/ serves students on the Cook and Douglass campuses with shared programming. provides honors housing with faculty programming, small-group seminars, and priority registration. Separate applications are required for both.

Livingston Campus — Modern Housing:Livingston's suite-style buildings are among the most popular on campus for returning students. Livingston also houses several LLC-style communities. The campus has its own dining, gym, and student center.

Upperclass Housing:Returning students apply for on-campus apartments through a continuing-student process with seniority-based priority. Many Rutgers juniors and seniors move off campus in New Brunswick and the surrounding Middlesex County communities.