Rutgers vs. Emory: Which university offers better undergraduate research opportunities?

For an undergraduate who wants the most accessible path into faculty-led research outside an honors program, Emory has the edge. Its smaller undergraduate population and lower student-to-faculty environment can make it easier to build relationships with professors and stay in a lab across multiple semesters.

At Emory, students can approach professors through their academic departments, and research can extend beyond Emory College into areas connected to the university’s health sciences and Atlanta-based research ecosystem.

Rutgers’ major advantage is breadth. As a very large research university, especially at New Brunswick, it has an enormous range of labs, institutes, and disciplines, from engineering and life sciences to social science, humanities, and public policy.

The tradeoff at Rutgers is that finding the right opportunity can be less streamlined. Students often need to navigate a larger department, identify individual faculty members, and be proactive early, particularly in popular STEM fields. A motivated student can build an excellent research record at Rutgers, but Emory is more likely to make the initial connection to a mentor feel personal and manageable.