New Brunswick, with a population of about 42,000, is located in central New Jersey at Exit 9 of the New Jersey Turnpike and along the New York-Philadelphia railroad line. It is approximately 33 miles from New York City, with frequent express bus service available from a station near the College Avenue campus to terminals in central Manhattan. To the south, Princeton is 16 miles away, Philadelphia is about 60 miles, and Washington is less than 200 miles.

Rutgers attracts many distinguished visitors, lecturers, and performing artists not always available to less favorably situated institutions. In addition, the libraries, theaters, concert halls, museums, galleries, research institutes, clubs, and other educational, cultural, and recreational resources of the New York-Philadelphia region are easily accessible. Newark, the state's largest city, and Camden, which faces Philadelphia across the Delaware River, are characteristic northeastern American metropolitan centers. Each city is undergoing rapid development with a view toward providing for its region and for wider society. A distance of 20 miles separates the Newark campus of the university from the New Brunswick campus, and some faculty members and graduate students involve themselves in activities at both locations. The distance between New Brunswick and Camden is about 55 miles, making intercampus interchanges less frequent. However, the faculty participating in New Brunswick graduate programs includes members from Camden and from Newark.