Rutgers among few universities maintaining vaccine mandate

Entering the 2023-2024 school year, Rutgers remains one of the few higher education institutions to still have a vaccine mandate in place for all students and employees.

In a recent survey of 311 institutions, 7.4 percent of colleges and universities still require vaccines for all students, according to the American College Health Association. Rutgers is the only New Jersey school still requiring the vaccine for all students, while Montclair State requires vaccines for individuals living on campus.

University guidance on face coverings in classrooms and most clinical settings states that masks "are not required at the University but are welcomed."

President Joseph R. Biden Jr. ended the federal coronavirus disease (COVID-19) public health emergency in May.

Lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases have also been on the rise since July in New Jersey. The first week of July saw 711 cases, while the end of last week, September 2, saw 2,881 cases.