Here's what you can find on each campus at Rutgers

It can be pretty overwhelming for first-year students to come to Rutgers for the first time. There are five different campuses spread out across the New Brunswick and Piscataway areas, an entire bus system to navigate and thousands of other students accompanying you during this new time in your life. Even for continuing students, we've been away from Rutgers for so long that it might feel like our first time all over again.

With that, it’s good to gain an understanding of what each of the five Rutgers—New Brunswick campuses have to offer prior to getting here. Whether you are a first-year or continuing student, here’s an overview of what you can expect to find on each campus:

College Avenue

The College Avenue campus is essentially the hub of Rutgers. It's located in the heart of New Brunswick and is within walking distance of downtown, local restaurants, businesses and much more.

This campus is also conveniently located directly next to the New Brunswick train station, so you can easily plan a weekend trip to New York City without having to worry about how you’re getting there.

Among the other attractions on this campus, The Yard @ College Avenue is one of the most popular. Located in the middle of the Sojourner Truth Apartments, the Yard is home to sporting event watch parties, Sunday morning yoga and movie nights, just to name a few. It's also surrounded by a variety of food options, such as RU Hungry, Krispy Pizza, honeygrow and Starbucks.

Here you can also find the Rutgers Barnes and Noble, where you can purchase Rutgers merchandise, look for your course textbooks and even just relax or study.

Voorhees Mall is another great place to relax in between classes on this campus. Voorhees Mall is essentially a large strip of trees, grass and paths for students to use when travelling between University buildings. Whether you choose to sit on one of the many benches or lay out on the grass, it’s the perfect area to take in some natural scenery despite being in the middle of a busy city.

Most importantly, the College Avenue campus is home to the Student Activities Center, where The Daily Targum's office is located!

Cook and Douglass

Located closest to the College Avenue campus, the Cook and Douglass campuses are the only two at Rutgers—New Brunswick that are directly connected to one another. They are most notable for being home to the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and Mason Gross School of the Arts.

This campus is probably the most nature-oriented campus. It's home to Rutgers farms, where you can visit a variety of animals and even pick up some fresh food from the Rutgers farm store. With this, you are almost guaranteed to see people patrolling the campus on horseback.

Cook and Douglass campuses are also located just minutes from Rutgers Gardens. Here you can experience a variety of different flowers, trees and even hiking trails that lead you to a hidden pine tree forest.

Passion Puddle is another popular attraction on this campus as it’s located directly next to a bus stop and offers optimal room to relax between classes and become one with nature.

You can also find Douglass Residential College here, which is a community for undergraduate women. If you choose to become a Douglass woman, you’ll have access to different programs and the ability to grow your skills around other like-minded individuals.

Busch

Busch campus is located on the side of the Raritan River opposite the College Avenue and Cook and Douglass campuses. It's home to the School of Engineering and the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy. Overall, this campus heavily consists of STEM-related classes and clubs.

Also, if you’re a fan of Rutgers football, then you’ll most likely find yourself here at SHI Stadium on game days in the fall. This campus is also great for those who might want to participate in Rutgers sports themselves as it’s home to the intramural sports fields.

You can also visit the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center on this campus, which has badminton and basketball courts, a fitness center and even an Olympic-sized swimming pool, among other things.

Livingston

Livingston campus is located next to Busch campus and is most notably home to the Rutgers Business School.

This campus also includes a variety of different food options, including Qdoba, Starbucks, 16 Handles and more. Additionally, here you can find Rutgers Cinema, a movie theater on campus, and kite+key, Rutgers’ technology store.

In addition to even more food options and study spaces, you can visit the Rutgers Zone in the Livingston Student Center. This is the perfect spot to hang out with friends as it has everything from food to arcade games to big screen TVs for sporting events.

Livingston campus is another prime location for Rutgers sports fans as this campus houses the Rutgers Athletic Center, where both the men’s and women’s basketball teams hold court during their seasons. 

While this is not a comprehensive list of every single thing you can find on the Rutgers—New Brunswick campuses, it's a good starting point to getting to know your way around the University. Remember to still take the time before the fall semester starts to explore for yourself what exactly Rutgers has to offer.