The push for diversity in educational institutions has seen a significant milestone as Rutgers Law welcomes a record number of female students in its latest intake. According to reports, approximately 59 percent of the 400 students starting their law courses are women – the highest in the history of the prestigious law school.
This marks a significant leap from decades past, when male students dominated law school classes. Notably, Rutgers’ record-breaking does not end with the number of women enrolled. The new batch of students also sets records for diversity in other areas. For instance, roughly 48 percent identify as students of color, 24 percent are first-generation college graduates, and nearly 77 percent are first-generation law students. Also noteworthy is the variety of ages, states, and countries represented among the new law students.
Following the merger of their Newark and Camden campuses in 2015, Rutgers Law is now enjoying numerous successes, boasting better diversity statistics across their cohorts. The intake for Camden’s 2023 part-time program, for instance, consists of students who have set historic highs both for their academic achievements and for the portion of students from ethnic minorities (33 percent).
This commendable achievement by Rutgers could potentially serve as a blueprint for other educational institutions looking to improve diversity. For example, Penn State, which is currently in the initial stages of merging the Carlisle and University Park campuses, could well benefit from learning from the successful implementation at Rutgers. The successes at Rutgers are indeed worth toasting to, as they reflect the responsiveness of the institution to the evolving demands of our society for better diversity and inclusion.