Rider University

This review is not on the academics or admissions of Rider University, only on the grounds and walkability of the campus. The campus is large and mostly flat with few trees and mostly low level buildings which means plenty of sunshine but not a lot of shade. The buildings are neat and orderly but basic and certainly not architectural masterpieces of any kind. Overall, a nice place to get your 10k steps (or earn a degree, you’re choice.)

The school is great, genuinely. Most of the staff aside from a few outliers are very kind and clearly want to foster an environment conducive to learning for the students. However, there is one thing that no one really accounts for that is very impractical -- the number of electrical outlets. In every place on campus that students go to study -- Crans, the SRC, the BLC, residence hall lounges -- there are so few electrical outlets. There are maybe four electrical outlets for every 50 people in a space and realistically when everyone is trying to do school work or study on their computer, it just doesn't work. Great school though!

I have been admitted to the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada and Rider University. Initially, I chose UBC because it is one of the top schools worldwide. However, after some time, I realized that attending a prestigious institution is not as important as being at a university that appreciates your efforts and supports you through any obstacles. UBC offered me no scholarship, clearly valuing money above all else. In contrast, Rider University offered me the Dean’s Scholarship and other assistance. Rider provides scholarships to nearly 99% of admitted students. We students make the university’s name; they do not make ours. Thank you Rider for being an incredible institution!

We had a great time at Rider's Homecoming and Family Weekend! It was so much fun bringing the kids back to see where their daddy went to college.

Public safety sucks, poor lightning, not well lit, not enough Camara's , cops don't like to be called late at night cause they like to sleep. tuition goes up every yr.

Beautiful campus! Great school!

Worst University ever. Rider does not even have great program. It is completely a high school part 2. Almost Everything in this school is like a high school. Professors suck. School is a waste of time, effort and money. The school it self is not even selective. If your looking for a school to have fun and get a great career and rider is not the right school. Its business program even sucks. Almost half the courses they have now they should have had a long time ago. This school is going through problems and will never succeed. I am so happy i chose not to stay in this school. first semester was disaster, worst professors, worst experience completely like a high school. Rider is defiantly the worst school i has never seen and is a complete joke and waste of time. Don't chose this school.

Decent school but some of the dorms look very institutional, like a mental hospital. Good business program.

Don't know much about the schools education system- but I was there for four days staying on campus for DMA (Drum major academy) and the buildings we were staying in were awful. We stayed in Lincoln Hall and Wright Hall, personally I was in Wright. There were silverfish in my room, bugs in my windows some dead on the floor when I arrived. The screen was partly broken, the showers had mold in the shower heads, there were dead bugs in the showers. I don't know how often the communal bathrooms were cleaned on each floor (or even if janitors skipped it because of there being a camp having to reside in the building) but the showers were never cleaned during our stay, there was hair stuck in the drain and toilet paper all over the floor. (Again don't know how often that's done so if it wasn't supposed to be done then ignore that). The school has water refill stations on each floor and the one on my floor was broken :( so we had to go down to the boys floor to refill or go into the school. I will say this next thing is a bit of a personal preference issue but there were no elevators- so you had to lug all of your stuff up 3 flights of stairs- which isn't bad but imagine moving into a dorm and having loads of things to carry. It's not efficient and a pain but it's tolerable. In the Dining hall the bathrooms were covered with toilet paper so it didn't seem they were checked all that often. The staff was great though always considerate and wanted to make sure you had everything. Overall I wouldn't want to go there again or choose to go to college there if those are my living conditions.

I typically do not write Yelp reviews however the experience my son had at Rider University warrants this review. Also I'm forewarning other parents to not spend a dime sending your kids here. When we went to visit Rider for the student orientation they pulled out all of the stops for the incoming students and their families. The department heads of my son's major gave us a lovely song and dance about how their programs (theater acting/musical theater) were one of the best around. Terrific instructors, state of the art practicing spaces and professional ties to Broadway. I did find it strange that they didn't allow us to tour the dorms. And is it turns out there was a deceptive reason for that which I'll get to in a bit. The dorm rooms at Rider have a lot to be desired I wasn't anticipating a 5 star hotel but my son's room reminded me of a jail cell. Dirty cheap blinds were the only window covering. The furniture was severely outdated and in need of major repair. My son's hall was formerly a frat house (Omega House to be exact) and it showed. The carpets were filthy and the basement rec room consisted of ratty sofas, unused refrigerators that emitted a foul odor and a tv that worked on occasion. Not exactly the most inviting place to hang out. The bathrooms were a horror story. Many of the air vents looked like they hadn't been changed or cleaned in the last five years. When my son and his roommate showed me everything I was horrified that my son had to use these facilities. I've been at campgrounds that had nicer facilities. Another point of annoyance for my son was that he didn't have access to the cooling/heating control in his room. The CA's had the only access. If you've been to the East coast in both the late summer and winter you know how humid and it can get and how much temps drop. This was made even more annoying because only one of the windows was able to be open for any type of ventilation. Towards the end of the school year the university refurbished the room directly across the hall from my son to accommodate the community director and her husband. Perhaps that money would have been better suited to update the dilapidated dorm rooms. Rats were a major problem in Omega. The university's solution was to put out rat traps on each floor. Maybe footing the bill to call in professional exterminators might be a better idea. As far as class instruction and my son's major we couldn't have been more disappointed with the program. All of the attention and finances were thrown at the musical theater program (who's head is much to be desired and it's unclear as to why she chose a career in teaching at the college she'd be better suited as a jaded casting director in Hollywood.) The food situation was a whole other bad scene. My son is vegetarian and the university didn't offer a whole lot of healthy options. Never mind providing fresh fruits and vegetables. We spent a lot on his meal plan but more often than not he would go off campus to find something decent to eat. The people who work in the Bursar's office act like they have better things to do with their time other than answering your questions. When my son would try to get answers about tuition more often than not they were vague at best. It's unfortunate because I think there is potential for this University to be better but for some reason they kept missing the mark. I would strongly discourage anyone from attending Rider until they get their stuff together.

I really like the way the University is run was on campus for a few different conferences throughout the years. Place looks great students seem really engaged and happy. Great place .

I attempted to take a few classes here through their online portal which meant I had to go into the school rarely. What I met with was a liberal political indoctrination center. These people care little about my education, and had TONS of propaganda to demonize any political views outside the educratic liberal way of life. You're supposed to provide a non-biased education. Not shove bad mouthed words down my throat and insult my values. Education and skills are entirely secondary to them.

Don't go to this college. They promise you everything you want to hear and don't stand behind it. The place is dirty and old. Some proffessors are good. Look somewhere else. Stay away!

This school bought Westminster Choir College under the promise that they would never move the campus. Never, for those of you who aren't familiar with the terms, means that at no time in the future, under any circumstances, would Rider force Westminster Choir College to move. This has turned out to be an audacious lie. They are attempting now to close the Princeton campus down because of their own egregious financial mismanagement of the school. Additionally, the academic advisor I was given had the power to fail me in one of my most important classes (CONFLICT OF INTEREST). My ADVISOR said I should just go to school somewhere else. So, 17 years later, I finally came back and finished my degree at Rider instead of Westminster. Now, as a Rider graduate, when I attempted to get a transcript sent to a college I wish to attend for graduate studies, they farm out the transcript service to a shell corporation type scam company that doesn't actually have any humans working there, and when there is a technical problem that I cannot get immediately solved with a mistake of ONE LETTER in an entry, they point fingers at the other, telling me I have to get a refund from "the other party" and when I call them on it, tell me I have to pay all over again. My spouse and I both graduated from this piece of garbage school posing as a reputable university. DO NOT waste your money. You are paying for a service, and that includes CUSTOMER SERVICE. This university does not give a wet slap about you. They just want your money. Well, this was the final straw. Over $7, they just lost all of our support. That means not only financial support through alumni giving, it also means support of the school in the industry we are both still very actively a part of. I hope that $7 was worth it, Registrar's Office.

I can't seem to understand why people complain about this school as often as they do. I did my Bachelor's and Master's here and I had a good experience. The school was definitely generous in terms of scholarships, which is why I came here in the first place. I always earned really great grades, so they allowed me to take some Master's courses as an undergraduate instead of taking (and wasting money on) "filler" classes just to meet credit requirements, which I really appreciated. The tuition did rise yearly, however if you kept your GPA high you could apply for a "mini scholarship" that covered those costs and acted as a tuition freeze, so if you stayed on top of things you had potential to not be impacted by the raise. For undergrads, they have a really nice honors program (BHP) that I enjoyed a lot. You take 7 honors courses taught by professors from "conflicting" fields (like a neuroscientist and a classical music expert) and they're very eye opening and conducive to creative thinking. People say it's a suitcase school, but that's only true if you pack your suitcase up and decide to leave for the weekends. I stayed on the weekends, and although I had to plan a bit at times, I had no shortage of things to do. The school organizes things (like they took me rock climbing, white water rafting, to different sports events) so as long as you actually check your email and reach out to other students, you can be a part of things. There's nature trails in the area, and it's also close to a kayak rental place. I enjoyed all the nature and landscape here. Besides the organized events, of course there's still house parties and basement parties and all of those stereotypical college things going on if you're interested in those. I'm not saying the school is perfect, but no school is. Sometimes Rider does do somethings that are a bit silly. (For example, a few weeks after I graduated, I received an email asking if I had a large boat I'd be willing to donate to the school for an event ... what kind of recent college graduate has a large boat sitting around?!) But, I just laughed it off. If you're the kind of person who lets little issues and things like tarnish whole experiences, will you be happy at any school? So, I give the school 5 stars because I'm satisfied with the education I received. I worked hard, played hard, and left with the skills I need to succeed as a clinician.

I like chicken sandwiches. My kid likes them too. So I pay for college and my kid can't get a chicken sandwich for this weak organizations fear of offending a certain student population. Last time I looked you're hurting financially.

Great education but a back pack school. Friday afternoon once classes are done the place is a ghost town

This university is awful and my son sophomore year they took away his rider grant for a missed email then in the spring semester they removed his New Jersey tag Grand for no reason or explanation this university cost me an extra $14,000 dollars I would recommend anyone for this university they are very sneaky the way they take away grants and subsidies and never notify you when they bill you

My fellow fellow reviewer hit the nail on the head with his review, 1 star is gratuitous. I boarded there, and despite having terrific roommates, the shape of the rooms were horrible. Our internet was down for months while I was there, and the so-called understanding teachers were sure to keep their deadlines regardless. Food was abysmal, at best. Have to agree again with fellow reviewer, the way they treat students is practically inhumane. Even if you are of legal age, expect to be harassed for drinking and/or smoking. I watched as the crooked local pd practically authorized a fraternity to "take care of business" on a drunk partygoer who had broken a window. I had received a scholarship, left, never looked back. Never regretted my choice, and that was quite a long time ago. Save your money.

My alma mater! Huzzah for the c/o 2006! You definitely get what you put into your education here -- that is to say, if you want to do well, you will. The professors (especially those in the English department) are incredible and brilliant, and the school is small enough (at least, it was until the president started inundating the college with bigger and bigger freshman classes) to feel intimate and find a place for yourself. And, honestly, I'm picky about people, but I liked almost everyone I met here. The downside? You will get screwed hard by your academic department at some point (but your professors will be hugely sympathetic and helpful), the dorms aren't exactly the greatest (I did always love whatever room I was in), and it's a freaking expensive school (though it IS generous with the academic scholarships) . And the president really needs to get his priorities straight and stop trying to turn the school into Princeton. Because that's just not going to happen without Princeton's resources. I did honestly love my four years here, though, and I can't imagine a better college experience than the one I had. Meeting my fiance and some of my best friends here definitely contributed to how much I love this school. As did being a part of the school's award-winning newspaper. :)

This school is a h*** hole. every minute ive spent on campus I have never been able to get back. I feel like I have become less educated over the course of my BA degree. I am so excited to leave. also the dorms are ugly and NOT SOUNDPROOF. the only good feature of the dorms was the rats because they were my only friends. I spent every night with them as we feasted on the same Dalys dining commons scraps. but that is not enough to justify the low quality high cost education I received on this Roder Lawrenceville campus

Ok dorms. Little small but can work with. Not great food but the Starbucks inside the student rec center was scrumptious. Campus is moderate size with sports fields far away from dorms. Sorority house are to die for, beautiful Greek exterior and loud colors. Water is hard to get, I almost drowned in it. I'd recommend bringing your own mattress to sleep on, due to the provided ones aren't very comfortable. Dorms are a little dirty with some random stuff lodged into a vent. One good side about this college is that the rooms have air conditioning, which is a major plus.

Pros: I want to get these out of the way because they are few and far between. -The dining hall has its good days with a decent selection of food. -It's close to New Hope and Princeton which are nice areas to hang out in. -If you luck out, you might end up in the new "west village" apartments which are pretty nice. -Some of the teachers sincerely care about the students and go out of their way to help as best as possible. Cons: In general this is a private University run like a business as it must in order to sustain itself. Unfortunately as the business is so concerned with sustaining itself it fails to focus on how happy and satisfied the students are with their experience there. -Cost: In general the cost of going to Rider is up there with Princeton, Upenn, NYU, and many other far more prestigious schools. 3 miles away is TCNJ, a school you can attend for 35% of what it costs to attend Rider. Keep in mind TCNJ was rated #5 in 2011 for the happiest/most satisfied students across the United States. -Residence Life: Most of the residence halls are the architectural master piece of a post war vet who built them based on ww2 war baracks. (god rest his soul). They are completely outdated as per their furniture, technology, and especially their heating and cooling systems (most dont have cooling systems and the power supply is too out dated to support each room having their own window AC). Wireless internet connections are slower then my old 56k modem...if they exist at all. As per the heating system which does exist...it has two settings AFRICA HOT and OFF. So many students find them selves sleeping with the windows open in January in order to keep comfortable in January. -Academics: in my 4 years at Rider I experience 2 professors who really stood out because not only did they sincerely care about my learning but brought a unique and real life aspect to the classroom. Outside of those two.... Quite often, especially for business/math courses did you have a professor who's english made you question how they are legal in this country. It is hard enough to learn productions and operations algorithms to begin with let alone when your professor can not conjugate the verb "to be". Social Life: Unless you are an Athlete or a Greek. There isn't one. Let's face it....if you were one to party in High School or far from it...when you come to college you expect to find a house party, a Fraternity party, or even a few people in a dorm room with a good ol' game of beer pong (at least on the weekends). Social life at Rider is pretty much non-existent. In the interest of public appearance the University goes out of their way to implement a very strict set of rules and regulations when it comes to the consumption of alcohol and the congregating of students around it. What they fail to realize (or maybe they do and are just rolling the dice til their luck runs out) is that students are doing anything and everything they can to fake a social life in between these rules and regulations. From my experience the likelihood of a student drinking themselves to death is just as high if not higher then it would be if students did not have to drink their beer behind closed doors. Also, most of the staff under the age of 35 enforcing the Nazi alcohol regime are binge drinkers themselves. To summarize the University's administration and residence life baby sit the students instead of instilling a level of responsibility that makes them better prepared for the world outside of the Rider bubble. Greek Life: There are 2 Fraternities (social) and 4 Sororities (social). These 6 organizations for the most part hold true to their rituals and inter workings. Yet, as they relate to the Rider community and administration they are far from sovereign. As a result of a recent death at the University which was a result of an 18yr old consuming more coke and booz in such a short time then they can handle....the University has given up on seeing Greek life as a potential asset and rather a risk that needs to be controlled. If you want to be a part of a brotherhood and earn your way into a great networking tool then join a greek group at Rider....do not do it for the parties...or because you want to use it as a tool to positively influence the Rider experience. The red tape and bull shit in the BLC makes accomplishing this a living hell. The bottom line is...Rider is certainly not worth 45k/year.....Rider isn't worth half of that. If you are smart and you want to go to school in the Jersey area....go to community college for 2 years and then transfer to a public 4yr university. The job market will be the same...but you will have a lot less debt.

My daughter attended and graduated four years at Rider University. My Family and I were looking forward to being at her graduation and sharing the moment with her. When rain forced the 2014 ceremonies to be moved indoors, They issued 2 tickets to each graduate. BUT the facility was about 200 seats short. We were forced to watch on TV in another room. This whole experience was disgusting for my daughter and my family. I find it hard to believe that administrators of a university could not figure out how to have a venue available for ALL students to have family ay the graduation. This just tells a little bit about how the college is run. If I knew this four years ago I never would have suggested my daughter attend Rider University. Anyone who is thinking about attending Rider should ask the president if their parents will get to see them graduate.

I have had a good semester here although this is post-Bach work. I enjoy classes however I am a commuter so parking can be quite annoying. Pros- great teachers, printers in nearly every building, and a Starbucks on campus. Cons- parking, Commuter school, and okay dining halls