diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/helpers.py b/django/contrib/admin/helpers.py
index 57c74434f53..d713652ba44 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/helpers.py
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/helpers.py
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ class Fieldset(object):
     def _media(self):
         if 'collapse' in self.classes:
             extra = '' if settings.DEBUG else '.min'
-            js = ['jquery%s.js' % extra,
+            js = ['vendor/jquery/jquery%s.js' % extra,
                   'jquery.init.js',
                   'collapse%s.js' % extra]
             return forms.Media(js=[static('admin/js/%s' % url) for url in js])
diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/options.py b/django/contrib/admin/options.py
index cc20872049a..9534fad6f47 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/options.py
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/options.py
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ class ModelAdmin(BaseModelAdmin):
         js = [
             'core.js',
             'admin/RelatedObjectLookups.js',
-            'jquery%s.js' % extra,
+            'vendor/jquery/jquery%s.js' % extra,
             'jquery.init.js',
             'actions%s.js' % extra,
             'urlify.js',
@@ -1759,7 +1759,8 @@ class InlineModelAdmin(BaseModelAdmin):
     @property
     def media(self):
         extra = '' if settings.DEBUG else '.min'
-        js = ['jquery%s.js' % extra, 'jquery.init.js', 'inlines%s.js' % extra]
+        js = ['vendor/jquery/jquery%s.js' % extra, 'jquery.init.js',
+              'inlines%s.js' % extra]
         if self.filter_vertical or self.filter_horizontal:
             js.extend(['SelectBox.js', 'SelectFilter2.js'])
         return forms.Media(js=[static('admin/js/%s' % url) for url in js])
diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/static/admin/js/LICENSE-JQUERY.txt b/django/contrib/admin/static/admin/js/vendor/jquery/LICENSE-JQUERY.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from django/contrib/admin/static/admin/js/LICENSE-JQUERY.txt
rename to django/contrib/admin/static/admin/js/vendor/jquery/LICENSE-JQUERY.txt
diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/static/admin/js/jquery.js b/django/contrib/admin/static/admin/js/vendor/jquery/jquery.js
similarity index 100%
rename from django/contrib/admin/static/admin/js/jquery.js
rename to django/contrib/admin/static/admin/js/vendor/jquery/jquery.js
diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/static/admin/js/jquery.min.js b/django/contrib/admin/static/admin/js/vendor/jquery/jquery.min.js
similarity index 100%
rename from django/contrib/admin/static/admin/js/jquery.min.js
rename to django/contrib/admin/static/admin/js/vendor/jquery/jquery.min.js
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.9.txt b/docs/releases/1.9.txt
index ffa17391ecd..a3fb56c6c0f 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.9.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.9.txt
@@ -597,6 +597,9 @@ Miscellaneous
 * CSS and images in ``contrib.admin`` to support Internet Explorer 6 & 7 have
   been removed as these browsers have reached end-of-life.
 
+* The jQuery static files in ``contrib.admin`` have been moved into a
+  ``vendor/jquery`` subdirectory.
+
 * The text displayed for null columns in the admin changelist ``list_display``
   cells has changed from ``(None)`` (or its translated equivalent) to ``-``.
 
diff --git a/tests/admin_views/tests.py b/tests/admin_views/tests.py
index 825242c48c6..b0c74b31fa0 100644
--- a/tests/admin_views/tests.py
+++ b/tests/admin_views/tests.py
@@ -1104,8 +1104,8 @@ class AdminJavaScriptTest(TestCase):
         """
         with override_settings(DEBUG=False):
             response = self.client.get(reverse('admin:admin_views_section_add'))
-            self.assertNotContains(response, 'jquery.js')
-            self.assertContains(response, 'jquery.min.js')
+            self.assertNotContains(response, 'vendor/jquery/jquery.js')
+            self.assertContains(response, 'vendor/jquery/jquery.min.js')
             self.assertNotContains(response, 'prepopulate.js')
             self.assertContains(response, 'prepopulate.min.js')
             self.assertNotContains(response, 'actions.js')
@@ -1116,8 +1116,8 @@ class AdminJavaScriptTest(TestCase):
             self.assertContains(response, 'inlines.min.js')
         with override_settings(DEBUG=True):
             response = self.client.get(reverse('admin:admin_views_section_add'))
-            self.assertContains(response, 'jquery.js')
-            self.assertNotContains(response, 'jquery.min.js')
+            self.assertContains(response, 'vendor/jquery/jquery.js')
+            self.assertNotContains(response, 'vendor/jquery/jquery.min.js')
             self.assertContains(response, 'prepopulate.js')
             self.assertNotContains(response, 'prepopulate.min.js')
             self.assertContains(response, 'actions.js')