The vast majority of students take Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and the academic environment at the school is highly competitive.

The school's student body was 40.6% (263) Asian, 31.8% (206) White, 19.6% (127) Black, 4.0% (26) two or more races, 3.4% (263) Hispanic and 0.5% (3) Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander.

[7] The school does not publicly release endowment figures, however IRS filings indicate close to $60 million in investable assets alone.

Instruction began on August 15, 1768, under the school's first master Caleb Cooper, a graduate of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University).

Though officially nondenominational, the school's original mission was to train young men for the ministry, and its curriculum focused on theology and classical studies.

Progressive-minded headmasters like Eliot R. Payson (served 1891–1908), Myron T. Scudder (1908–1911) and William P. Kelly (1911–1934) consistently supported the implementation of new educational ideas and methods.

A shakeup of its faculty resulted in the hiring of several young, highly talented teachers and coaches, most of whom would remain at the school for decades.

In early 1958, Rutgers Prep purchased the Wells Estate (also known as Elm Farm) in nearby Somerset.

The new construction included a second gymnasium, an art studio, a music building, and a new library shared by all three school divisions.

Students are required to complete twenty course credits in order to graduate, accumulating a minimum of five credits per year, and are to take courses based in a traditional liberal arts curriculum that spans across several academic departments (English, History, Mathematics, Science, World Languages, Art, Computers, Music, and Drama).

Rutgers Preparatory School has also partnered with the Waksman Institute of Microbiology at Rutgers University, and by participating in its Waksman Student Scholars Program (WSSP), Upper School students are able to participate in, and contribute to, an authentic research project in molecular biology and bioinformatics.

[15] Each student in the Upper School is required to perform a minimum of ten hours of community service during each academic year as a condition for advancing to the next grade level and for graduation.

This community-service obligation may be fulfilled either through volunteer work with a non-profit organization, through a charity, or through a service that in some way benefits the school community (tutoring, etc.).

[19] In 2014, Rutgers Preparatory School received the Franklin Township Organization Environmental Stewardship Award, in recognition of contributions to the environment of Franklin Township, including participation in the "Rutgers Green Purchasing" and "River-Friendly School Certification" programs, recent construction of a new LEED certified building, new energy management installations, and development of an effective composting and recycling program.

It is also the only high school in the world to be granted Non-governmental Organization (NGO) status by the United Nations.

The historic Elm Farm house, built in the mid-18th century, was the home of local minister Abraham Beach, one of the co-founders of the school.

In 2009, the school broke ground on a multimillion-dollar, multi-phased endeavor that includes an expansion of the system of roads and parking on the campus, a widening of Easton Avenue, the addition of new athletic fields and tennis courts, and the construction of an entirely new complex.

The second floor of this new building was completed in Fall 2012, and includes several more upper school classrooms as well as a state-of-the-art all-division room and other multi-use spaces.

[21] Once in Middle School, all students still must take Band, Choir, or Orchestra, but the class only occurs 3 days a week.

In 2013 and 2014 flute players from the school's Music Department performed at Carnegie Hall with Sir James Galway.

Boys' teams include soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, lacrosse, wrestling, and cross country.

Girls' teams consist of soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball, cross country, tennis and lacrosse.