Rutgers University–New Brunswick is the flagship university and birthplace of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, founded in 1766 as America’s eighth-oldest colonial college. Rutgers–New Brunswick is one of the nation’s leading public research universities, as evidenced by its membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU) and the Big Ten Academic Alliance, in which Rutgers–New Brunswick is the most diverse university. It is one of the United States’ original land-grant institutions and, along with the affiliated Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, home to a variety of degree-granting schools: Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers Business School, School of Arts and Sciences, School of Communication and Information, School of Engineering, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, School of Health Professions, School of Management and Labor Relations, School of Nursing, School of Public Health, School of Social Work, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Graduate School of Education, New Jersey Medical School, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, School of Dental Medicine, and School of Graduate Studies. Each school has individual requirements, policies, and fees. Rutgers–New Brunswick also includes more than 175 research centers, a premier Honors College, and the Douglass Residential College for Women. The university offers a wide range of opportunities for students to pursue their interests outside the classroom, including an NCAA Division 1 intercollegiate athletics program which competes in the Big Ten Conference. In addition to its numerous on-campus offerings, Rutgers University-New Brunswick is also situated in a prime location for students seeking entertainment, employment, and recreation options beyond the institution, with convenient access to New York City, Philadelphia, and the Jersey Shore.