How to Apply to Mathematics at Rutgers University–New Brunswick: The Standard, Honors and Actuarial Options in the School of Arts and Sciences, with Admission, Prerequisites and Timeline for US Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

At Rutgers University–New Brunswick in New Jersey, the undergraduate mathematics major is offered by the Department of Mathematics in the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS). This guide draws on Rutgers’ admissions website and the department’s website, for US domestic students, international students (including those from China) and transfer students. Computer science is not covered here; this site has a separate article on it.

1. What the math major offers

• The department says it graduates about 150 majors a year, in three curriculum codes. The mathematics major has three options: the standard option (Option A), the Honors Track (Option B) and the Actuarial Track (Option C).
• Standard option: three terms of calculus (typically Math 151, 152 and 251), Introductory Linear Algebra (250), Differential Equations (252), an introductory computing course (01:198:107 or 111), and eight 3-credit mathematics courses at the 300 to 400 level, which must include Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning (Math 300), a real analysis course (311 or 312, or Honors Mathematical Analysis 411) and Linear Algebra (350) or an abstract algebra course (351 or 451).
• Honors Track: described as richer, more rigorous and more personal than the standard major, especially (but not exclusively) for students heading to graduate work in mathematics; it is tailored with a faculty advisor and the honors committee and normally includes the advanced honors sequences 411-412 and 451-452 and two semesters of one-credit honors seminars. Students who complete it earn a B.S. in Mathematics.
• Actuarial Track: for students who want to enter the actuarial profession; the department says graduates have the foundation to prepare for three Society of Actuaries exams (P, FM and MLC).
• Interdisciplinary majors and five-year programs: Biomathematics (curriculum code 122), a Statistics-Mathematics interdisciplinary major, a Mathematics plus MS in Statistics path, a Mathematics plus MS in Industrial and Systems Engineering path, a five-year Mathematics Education BA/MA, and a general Five-Year BA-MA program; see the department site.
• The major page calls itself condensed, says the online catalog is authoritative, and links to 2015–2017 catalogs. The pages read give no current 2026-27 catalog, so check Rutgers’s current undergraduate catalog.

2. How you get into the math major

• At application: Rutgers admits by school. The department’s site tells prospective students to see the School of Arts and Sciences admissions site; the department is part of SAS. Whether first-year applicants must choose math on the application and whether math has its own admission bar are not stated on the admissions pages read; ask the admissions office.
• Being admitted to the major: the department says a student must “normally” have completed three terms of calculus with a grade of C or better. Full-time students are expected to take at least one math course each term at an appropriate level with a C or better. To complete the major, Math 250, 251, 252 and 300 need a C or better, and all but at most one other math course must also be C or better; courses from other departments used for the major (such as computer science) need a C or better. At least four upper-level math courses, including one analysis and one algebra course, must be taken at New Brunswick.
• Math 300 is a prerequisite for 311, 350 and 351 and other upper-level courses; students need a C or better in 300 to take them.
• Specific rules and seat limits for moving into math from another major are not stated on the pages read. The department lists its undergraduate office, a Head Advisor and an Honors Advisor (Professor Lev Borisov).
• Entering the Honors Track: apply online or at Hill 303; admission is rolling, applications stay active and are reevaluated each semester, and students are admitted once their record shows they can complete the program. Interested students are encouraged to take honors sections of calculus and especially 300.

3. Prerequisites and placement

• High school courses (SAS): Admissions lists 16 academic units: English 4 years, a foreign language 2 years, mathematics 3 years (including Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II), science 2 years, and 5 other academic courses. It sets no separate precalculus requirement for SAS (precalculus is required only for engineering).
• Placement: students entering New Brunswick must take the Rutgers Placement Test in Mathematics, with exceptions for AP tests or transfer credit; no math course can be taken without placement by the test, an appropriate AP Calculus score or a C or better in an approved transferred course. The test measures readiness at algebra, precalculus and calculus levels. The department notes that results are honored for years but the knowledge may fade, so take the math courses you need early.
• Calculus sequences: Math 151-152 (and often 251) are required for mathematics, engineering, computer science and physical science majors; Math 135-136 is for other majors, and 152 is needed to continue to higher-level mathematics. Honors sections of 151, 152 and 251, and the advanced honors Math 291, require the department’s permission but not membership of a college honors program.
• AP credit: an appropriate AP Calculus score counts toward placement. The pages read do not list which score gives credit for which course; see the department’s placement pages.
• Competitions: Admissions does not say how math competitions are viewed; the department takes part in the Putnam Examination.

4. Rounds and materials (fall 2027 entry)

• You can use the Common App or the Rutgers Application, but only one.
• Early Action: November 1, 2026, with notification by January 31, 2027; not binding. Regular Decision: December 1, 2026, with notification by February 28. The reply date is May 1, 2027. To be considered for honors and merit-based scholarships you must apply by December 1. Later applications are reviewed on a rolling, space-available basis; SAS currently shows as open for US citizens and F-1 applicants.
• Spring 2027 start: October 1, 2026 (already past when this guide was prepared).
• The application fee amount is not printed on the pages read; check it in the application. Fee waivers exist for the National School Lunch Program, military service and dependents, and official College Board, NACAC, ACT and EOF waivers.
• Test-optional: Rutgers says it maintains test-optional and test-blind policies through 2027. Scores sent are considered, and the SAT and ACT are superscored; not sending scores is not a disadvantage. Rutgers encourages scores at or above the 50th percentile of its admissions profile.
• Essay: required; 250 to 650 words on the Common App with no supplemental essay (a short statement is needed if you want honors consideration); 3,800 characters on the Rutgers Application.
• Recommendations: Rutgers says letters of recommendation are not used for admission consideration.
• US high school applicants self-report grades through STARS (grades 9 to 11 and grade 12 courses in progress); discrepancies with the official transcript can lead to a rescinded admission.
• Admissions profile (fall 2026, middle 50%): SAS SAT 1380–1520 (Math 700–790, ERW 670–740), ACT 30–34, high school GPA 3.7–4.2, class rank percentile 75–95. For the class of 2025 SAS had 51,155 first-year applicants and an entering class of 4,168.

5. US domestic students

• Tuition (New Brunswick, academic year; no year is shown): New Jersey residents pay USD 15,381 tuition and USD 4,008 fees; non-residents pay USD 36,831 tuition and USD 4,008 fees. With food and housing, the totals are USD 25,449 commuting and USD 41,332 on campus for New Jersey residents, and USD 46,899 commuting and USD 62,782 on campus for non-residents. Part-time SAS tuition is USD 496 a credit for New Jersey residents and USD 1,197 for non-residents.
• Aid: New Brunswick uses a single award process for first-year fall merit scholarships, based on academic credentials within the admitted pool; apply by December 1, with no separate application. First-year admitted students are notified from early March. Scholarship recipients may qualify for extra need-based aid. The Scarlet Guarantee is a “last dollar” award covering in-state tuition and eligible fees for first- and second-year students, a supplement to New Jersey’s Garden State Guarantee (see the site for eligibility).
• Priority or guaranteed admission for New Jersey residents: not stated on the pages read. Eligible New Jersey residents can choose the EOF (Educational Opportunity Fund) option on the application.
• Rutgers is a sponsor of the National Merit College-Sponsored Merit Award (USD 1,000 a year, renewable, with a 3.0 cumulative GPA).

6. International students

• English tests are required if your secondary schooling was in a country where English is not the principal language; scores must be from the past two years and sent directly by the testing service. New Brunswick minimums: TOEFL iBT 79 for tests taken through January 21, 2026 and 4.5 on the new scale for tests from January 22, 2026; IELTS 6.5; Duolingo 115; PTE 53; MET 56; SAT EBRW 550; ACT English 21; Cambridge B2. Pharmacy and Nursing have higher minimums (for example Duolingo 130).
• Waivers: students who attended an English-medium school are reviewed case by case on request; a B or better in a college English composition course at an accredited US college also exempts you (not ESL, not courses outside the US, not online or correspondence).
• Academic documents: international applicants follow the first-year requirements plus the international documentation rules; non-English documents need a translation verified by a language professor or professional translator on letterhead. International students can use STARS, and after enrolling must have official academic records sent from the educational authority. Do not send sports or craft certificates or letters of recommendation.
• Funding and I-20: after accepting the offer, upload your passport page and the International Student Financial Statement (ISFS) with bank letters in the Rutgers Global portal; the documents must be signed and dated within six months of the I-20 application and cover the first year. The amount is not stated on the pages read.
• Tuition: F-1 and J-1 students pay the non-New Jersey resident rate, plus a USD 500 SEVIS administration fee, medical insurance and health fees, books and travel.
• Scholarships: all admitted international students on non-immigrant visas are automatically considered, with awards from USD 5,000 to 16,000 a year; they are limited, early applicants are more likely to receive them, and Rutgers advises applying by December 1 at the latest.

7. Applicants from China

• Whether and how the Gaokao is used is not stated on the pages read; ask Rutgers (RUInternational@admissions.rutgers.edu).
• Specific guidance on Chinese transcripts or provincial exam records is not given on the pages read; the general international requirements above apply: academic records, English results and financial documents.
• Applicants whose schooling ends after three years, or who have an equivalency or are home-schooled, have a separate “non-traditional applicants” page.

8. Honors, research and outcomes

• Honors College: a campus-wide program; Rutgers says the SAS Honors Program is being incorporated into it beginning fall 2025. Membership does not automatically admit you to honors math sections; you follow the department’s procedures.
• Honors in mathematics: graduates with outstanding performance may receive Honors, High Honors or Highest Honors, typically after two 400-level honors courses or equivalent work.
• Research: a summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, plus independent study and a directed reading program.
• Awards: the department gives scholarships and prizes each year; see its awards page for names and amounts.
• Outcomes: the department lists careers a math major may lead to, such as actuary, banking, computing, consulting, cryptography, education, finance, insurance, operations research, public health and statistical analysis (its words); it prints no employment figures.

9. Transfer students

• Who transfers: high school graduates with at least 12 college credits after leaving high school; fewer than 12 means a first-year application.
• Deadlines: fall 2027 entry February 1, 2027 (decision by April 15, reply May 1); spring entry October 1, 2026 (already past when this guide was prepared). SAS shows as open to transfer applicants.
• Review considers strength of program, grade trends, cumulative GPA, credits completed and English test results; an essay is recommended (3,800 characters). College transcripts must cover terms through the end of December for fall applicants; those with fewer than 24 college credits send a high school transcript. A minimum GPA for SAS transfer is not stated.
• Math credit: see the Head Advisor for evaluation of courses taken elsewhere, bringing a syllabus for courses outside New Jersey; continuing students need prior written approval from their college before taking courses elsewhere. The department will not approve courses of 3 or more credits given in sessions shorter than 5 weeks or taught off the host college’s campus, and courses over 10 years old receive elective credit only. A transfer credit chart and a math transfer credit application are available.
• Beyond three terms of calculus with a C or better for the major, GPA or linear algebra requirements for transfers into math are not stated on the pages read.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Common App or Rutgers Application; Early Action November 1 or Regular Decision December 1 (December 1 for honors and merit scholarships); testing optional; STARS; essay; no recommendations
• Take at least three years of high school math (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II), and precalculus or calculus if you can

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL 4.5 (new scale) or IELTS 6.5, or request a waiver; translated academic records; ISFS and bank letter after admission
• Ask admissions how the Gaokao is used

After entry:

• Take the math placement test; work through Math 151, 152 and 251, then 250, 252 and 300, with C or better; contact the Honors Advisor early if you want the Honors Track

Transfer students:

• February 1 for fall, October 1 for spring; at least 12 college credits; ask the math Head Advisor to evaluate math credits

Sources: Rutgers University, Mathematics: undergraduate overview; Mathematics: the major; Mathematics: prospective students; Mathematics: placement advice; Mathematics: calculus courses; Mathematics: honors; Mathematics: interdisciplinary majors; Mathematics: transfer students; Admissions: first-year applicants; Admissions: international applicants; Admissions: New Brunswick dates and deadlines; Admissions: how we make decisions and profile; Admissions: tuition and fees; Admissions: scholarships; Admissions: transfer applicants. The department’s major page refers to older catalogs, so check Rutgers’s current undergraduate catalog and the department for the latest; dates are for fall 2027 entry.