•AVERAGE: 69
Founded in 1926, Rutgers University-Camden began with the merger of the South Jersey Law School and the College of South Jersey; the conjoined school was incorporated into the Rutgers University system in 1950. The southernmost of Rutgers’ campuses, Rutgers-Camden is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, PA, giving students and graduates easy access to the opportunities represented by the City of Brotherly Love. Rutgers-Camden draws on the centuries-old heritage of Rutgers University, but brings its own character to New Jersey as a dynamic, growing urban research university.
Academic Programs
Rutgers-Camden offers more than 40 undergraduate majors and 50 minors, but Camden is less known for its undergraduate program (only a tenth of the student body falls in the traditional, residential status) than for its status as the home of the Rutgers Law School, the School of Business, and the School of Nursing. As an urban campus in the heart of Camden, NJ, Rutgers-Camden caters to a population primarily of non-traditional, working adult, and professional students, and its most important programs match its student body. Rutgers Law is ranked in the top 100 national law schools by U.S. News & World Report, while the Camden Business School’s part-time MBA is ranked in the top 50 for graduate programs.With its relatively small student body – 6000, low for a public research university of its status – Rutgers-Camden is able to maintain a 10:1 student:faculty ratio that one would expect from a small liberal arts college. That means that Rutgers-Camden students, graduate and undergraduate alike, have the opportunity to engage with faculty at a deeper and more productive level than the average public research institution, working side by side on research projects and developing mentoring relationships. Rutgers-Camden also has an active study-abroad program, giving students a taste of international experience in Brazil, South Africa, and Cuba (in a historic agreement with the University of Havana).
Student Life
With just around 500 residential students, Rutgers-Camden is not the typical small liberal arts college; rather, Rutgers-Camden students live throughout the Camden and Philadelphia metropolitan area, and its 6000 and growing student body includes mostly commuters and online students. That doesn’t mean that student life isn’t dynamic and busy, however; it just shifts off-campus, to the wealth of world-class cultural amenities presented by America’s first metropolis. With a short train trip, students are in the heart of Philadelphia, with its museums, arts, sports, and restaurants. Or, students can stay in Camden, a city quickly coming into its own as a center of business and activity.More than 75 student-led organizations, including professional development, hobbies, and honor societies, help students build their own communities and find like-minded friends and colleagues. Rutgers-Camden also has a small but active Greek Life, with 12 organizations fostering community service and networking. The Rutgers-Camden Scarlet Raptors compete in 19 NCAA Division III varsity athletics, and a variety of intramural teams keep students active and keep the competitive spirit sharp.