<p>Rutgers is considered to be a “public ivy” based on its academic reputation. The “public ivy” status is given to schools which provide the academic rigor and experience that the private ivies do.</p>
<p>Additionally, Rutgers was asked to join the Ivy League, when it was being created, due to its antiquity, academic excellence, and the fact that the first football game was played between itself and Princeton. The Ivy League was originally just an athletic federation afterall. Rutgers instead decided to proceed with becoming a public institution and officially became Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey by acts of the NJ state legislature in 1945 and 1956.</p>
<p>Rutgers is also the 8th oldest instititution of higher learning in the country. Founded on November 10th 1766. This makes Rutgers older than Dartmouth and Cornell.</p>