Private nonprofit · University

Caldwell University

Caldwell, New Jersey · Large suburb

71.3%
Admit rate
$24,691
Avg net price
57%
Graduation rate
$53,843
Median earnings

Caldwell University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Caldwell, New Jersey (large suburb setting), enrolling 1,575 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,575 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 71% admitNCAA Division II without footballCold wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Caldwell University's admitted students.

Admit rate
71.3%
SAT (mid 50%)
1130–1370
Avg GPA (est.)
3.57

Enter a test score to see where you land against Caldwell University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Caldwell University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Caldwell, New Jersey

Caldwell is a borough located in northwestern Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about 16 miles (26 km) west of New York City and 6 miles (9.7 km) north-west of Newark, the state's most populous city. Caldwell is located in the center of the Horseneck Tract. Settlement began about 1740 by Thomas Gould and Saunders Sanders. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
16 miles to New York, NY
To the ocean
12 miles
Nearest airport
11 miles to Teterboro (TEB)

How Caldwell University compares

Selectivity71.3%

More selective than 61% · #17 most selective of 43 in New Jersey

SAT average1260

Higher than 73%

Graduation rate57%

Higher than 56% · #20 of 47 in New Jersey

First-year retention77%

Higher than 53%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$53,843

Higher than 50% · #27 of 38 in New Jersey

Average net price$24,691

Cheaper than 30% · #35 cheapest of 46 in New Jersey

Median debt at graduation$25,000

Lower than 34%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment1,575

Larger than 51%

Percentiles compare Caldwell University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in New Jersey.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,963students
  • Undergraduate1,57580%
  • Graduate38820%

Undergraduates by gender

1,575undergrads
  • Women1,16974%
  • Men40626%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White21%
  • Black18%
  • Hispanic27%
  • Asian3.3%
  • Other or multiracial31%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,575
Graduate enrollment
388
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
49%
First-generation students
43%
Students over 25
5%
Median family income
$37,962
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$74,862
Endowment
$13,401,375

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
71.3%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1130–1370
SAT average
1260
SAT reading
540–630
SAT math
590–740
ACT composite
Average GPA (estimated)
3.57

Cost

In-state tuition
$40,848
Room & board
$14,188
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$54,073
Average net price
$24,691

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
57%
Graduated on time (4 years)
44%
First-year retention
77%
Transferred to another college
26%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$47,439
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$53,843
Median debt at graduation
$25,000
Students with federal loans
64%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
45%

About 13% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
44%
Low-income (Pell)
21%
First-generation
21%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
607
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
39%
Housing charge (year)
$7,236
Meal plan (year)
$6,538
Application fee
$50
Athletics
NCAA Division II without football
Varsity athletes
345 (181 men · 164 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (8)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)89
Soccer86
Lacrosse46
Baseball37
Basketball37
Softball23
Volleyball17
Bowling10

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.3 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
3
Property offenses (2022–2024)
5

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,005 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

2.7reported offenses a year
1.0 violent a year1.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
1.0
Burglary
1.0
Motor vehicle theft
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$18,059
$30–48k
$18,000
$48–75k
$22,793
$75–110k
$31,425
$110k+
$30,449

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$98,998

$22,793/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$22,722
average award, among those who get one

Caldwell University discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $22,722. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 444 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$53,843
Typical debt at graduation
$25,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
46%
Out-earn a HS grad
60%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$50,678
Men
$56,407

Men out-earn women by $5,729 (11%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
86°F
Winter low
21°F
Annual rain
48.6″
Annual snow
24″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Essex Fells Service Bldg, NJ US station (0.7 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Caldwell University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Caldwell University side by side →

Colleges near Caldwell University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.