College Avenue Campus

With its Federal architecture and tree-lined lawns, the College Avenue Campus is the historic heart of Rutgers University. It’s a lively and urban community where you’ll find the cafés and shops of downtown New Brunswick, a world-class art museum, and students and professors strolling under the trees of Voorhees Mall or down College Avenue—not far from the site of the first game of intercollegiate football (back in 1869, with Rutgers besting Princeton, 6–4). The campus is home to the School of Arts and Sciences, the largest school at Rutgers, as well as academic departments from anthropology to urban studies. It’s a place of endless inquiry and boundless spirit.

At a Glance

3,909 student residents
78 academic buildings
5 libraries
16 residence halls
68 student lounges
1 world-class art museum

Campus Must-Do’s...

Grab lunch at the grease trucks

Grab lunch at the legendary grease trucks—Good Morning America, the Travel Channel, Maxim, and Sports Illustrated have all covered them
Climb the rock wall at the College Avenue Gym
View a student art exhibition at the Mason Gross Galleries at Civic Square
Take a stroll to downtown New Brunswick for falafel or sushi
Study for an exam in the shade at the Voorhees Mall
Read alumnus Junot Díaz’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao—a book in which Rutgers–New Brunswick is prominently featured

Campus Dean and Dean of Students

The Campus Dean and the Dean of Students work collaboratively on programs and services to enrich students’ academic experience and help those seeking assistance. Their offices are located in the same building and they share a joint email account.

The Campus Dean, Matt K. Matsuda, organizes academic programs and events that bring faculty and students together beyond the classroom.

The Dean of Students, Timothy Grimm, focuses on campus well-being and assists students with medical, emotional, psychological, familial, or financial difficulties that are hampering academic success. If you find yourself struggling, the Dean of Students can help.

College Avenue Campus

Where It All Began
Here’s where it all began for Rutgers. The College Avenue Campus brims with history and culture. It’s home to classic buildings, the Zimmerli Art Museum, and the Rutgers Student Center. From the campus, you’re a short walk to downtown New Brunswick’s cafés and shops. View a detailed map of the College Avenue Campus.
Classes at the Sign of the Red Lion
In the days before the Revolutionary War, the earliest classes at Rutgers, then Queen’s College, were held at a former New Brunswick tavern, the Sign of the Red Lion. Original stones from the tavern are incorporated in a bench at the campus’s Voorhees Mall.
Old Queens
Designed by noted architect John McComb Jr., who also designed New York’s City Hall, Old Queens is the oldest building at Rutgers and one of the finest examples of Federal architecture in the United States. Today, Old Queens houses Rutgers’ central administrative offices.
A Crossroads
The Voorhees Mall is a campus crossroads—a verdant expanse framed by some of Rutgers’ most well-traveled academic buildings, such as Milledoler Hall, Murray Hall, and Scott Hall. The mall is home to 59 American elms (54 mature elms and seven replacements).
A Place to Read, Study, and Think
Alexander Library is the oldest and largest of Rutgers University’s libraries, yet it’s also a spot where everyone from first-year students to doctoral candidates to faculty researchers come together to explore their academic enthusiasms and obsessions, or just study quietly.
A Center for Health Care Education
Students gather for a College of Nursing class at the college’s 18,000-square-foot building in New Brunswick. Located at the intersection of Paterson, Bayard, and Joyce Kilmer streets, the building opened in the spring of 2009.
An Arts Hub
The Rutgers–New Brunswick community enjoys art openings and exhibits at the Mason Gross Galleries at Civic Square in downtown New Brunswick. The Civic Square Building houses the visual arts department of Mason Gross School of the Arts, with studios for painting, design, drawing, computer art, and photography.
University Center
Looking for apartment-style living on a college campus? University Center at Easton Avenue provides just that. A 12-story apartment complex, the building includes two-bedroom apartments, shops, and parking. It’s also home to the well-equipped Rutgers Fitness Center.
Hanging Out Downtown
From the College Avenue Campus, you’re just a quick stroll to downtown New Brunswick, a city with an eclectic variety of shops and eateries. You’ll find just about anything you need or want here, from Ethiopian food to nightclubs to boutique shops.
42 letters, $300
What were college students thinking back in the days of the American Revolution? In 1911, Rutgers paid $300 for 42 letters to and from student John Bogart detailing the concerns of students at Rutgers (then Queen's College) during the Revolution. The Bogart Letters are a trove of historical and sociological information.

What’s on the College Avenue Campus?

From academic departments and libraries to residence halls and dining options, discover services and facilities located on the College Avenue Campus.

Academic Departments
Campus Services
Dining Halls, Eateries, and Bookstores
Libraries
- Scholarly Communication Center
- Special Collections and University Archives
Recreation Facilities and Sports Venues
Research Centers and Institutes
- Explore centers and institutes located on the College Avenue Campus.
Residence Halls

Residence Halls: Living-Learning/Special-Interest Housing

Program Name	Residence Hall	Credit	Class	School/Major
Cinema Studies	Demarest	No	All	Any
Creative Writing	Demarest	No	All	Any
Culture Studies	Demarest	No	All	Any
French Language and Culture Living-Learning Community	Leupp	No	All	Any
German Language and Culture Living-Learning Community	Leupp	No	All	Any
History and Political Science	Demarest	No	All	Any
Latin Images	Frelinghuysen	No	All	Any
Music Appreciation	Demarest	No	All	Any
Paul Robeson	Mettler	No	All	Any
Performing Arts	Demarest	No	All	Any
Philosophy	Demarest	No	All	Any
Religion and Spirituality	Demarest	No	All	Any
School of Arts and Sciences Honors Housing	Brett	No	All	SAS
Sex, Sexuality, and Gender	Demarest	No	All	Any
Visual Arts	Demarest	No	All	Any
SAS: School of Arts and Sciences

School and Campus Deans’ Offices

Rutgers in Downtown New Brunswick

The College Avenue Campus extends into downtown New Brunswick, with complexes that include colleges and schools, research centers, exhibit space, and residence halls. The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and the Mason Gross School of the Arts are both located in the Civic Square Building on Livingston Avenue, steps from New Brunswick's arts district. Newly opened is the College of Nursing, located in New Brunswick’s health care hub.

A World-Class Art Museum Right on Campus

More than 50,000 works of art. Outstanding collections in areas as diverse as American stained glass design and Soviet dissident art from the Cold War period. Stroll over to the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, and you’ll be wowed by what you see. Learn more.

Where’s My Bus?

Get real-time campus bus arrival information, updated at regular intervals, with NextBus. Satellite technology and advanced computer modeling track individual vehicles on their routes. Learn more.

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College Avenue Campus

College Avenue Campus

What’s on the College Avenue Campus?