Rutgers University

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, commonly referred to as Rutgers University or simply Rutgers (/ˈrʌtɡərz/ RUT-gərz), is a large public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College and was affiliated with the Dutch Reformed Church. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States, the second-oldest in New Jersey (after Princeton University), and one of nine colonial colleges that were chartered before the American Revolution.

In 1825, Queen's College was renamed Rutgers College in honor of Colonel Henry Rutgers, whose substantial gift to the school had stabilized its finances during a period of uncertainty. From its founding to the mid 20th century, Rutgers was a private liberal arts college. It has evolved into a major public research university since being designated the State University of New Jersey by the state's legislature in 1945 and 1956.

Rutgers has several distinct campuses. Since colonial times, Rutgers' historic core has been located along College Avenue at the College Avenue Campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey, as part of Rutgers University–New Brunswick, which includes the College Avenue Campus, as well as Douglass campus, Cook campus, both primarily in the city New Brunswick, and both the Busch and Livingston campuses on the north side of the Raritan River in Piscataway, as well as many buildings throughout downtown New Brunswick. Two other major campuses are located at Rutgers University–Newark, and Rutgers University–Camden. The university has additional facilities located throughout the state, including oceanographic research facilities at the Jersey Shore.

Rutgers is a land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant university, as well as the largest university in the state. Instruction is offered by 9,000 faculty members in 175 academic departments to over 45,000 undergraduate students and more than 20,000 graduate and professional students. As of Fall 2023, Rutgers University enrolls over 69,000 students across its three campuses, making it one of the largest universities in the United States. The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is a member of the Association of American Universities and the Universities Research Association.