Public · University

Kean University

Union, New Jersey · Large suburb

75.9%
Admit rate
$12,447
Avg net price
47%
Graduation rate
$57,237
Median earnings

Kean University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Union, New Jersey (large suburb setting), enrolling 11,433 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).

PublicMidsize · 11,433 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 76% admitNCAA Division III with football · New Jersey Athletic ConferenceCold wintersSnowyNear the coast

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
75.9%
SAT (mid 50%)
930–1150
Avg GPA (est.)
3.02

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

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

About Union, New Jersey

Kean University is located in Union, New Jersey, a large suburb setting.

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
12 miles to New York, NY
To the ocean
3 miles
Nearest airport
3 miles to Newark Liberty (EWR) · major hub

How Kean University compares

Selectivity75.9%

More selective than 53% · #20 most selective of 43 in New Jersey

SAT average1040

Higher than 14%

Graduation rate47%

Higher than 33% · #26 of 47 in New Jersey

First-year retention76%

Higher than 49%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$57,237

Higher than 60% · #26 of 38 in New Jersey

Average net price$12,447

Cheaper than 83% · #14 cheapest of 46 in New Jersey

Median debt at graduation$23,250

Lower than 50%

Student–faculty ratio17 : 1

Lower than 23%

Undergraduate enrollment11,433

Larger than 90%

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

Kean University campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

13,580students
  • Undergraduate11,43384%
  • Graduate2,14716%

Undergraduates by gender

11,433undergrads
  • Women7,13062%
  • Men4,30338%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White24%
  • Black21%
  • Hispanic39%
  • Asian4.5%
  • Other or multiracial11%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
11,433
Graduate enrollment
2,147
Student–faculty ratio
17 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
48%
First-generation students
46%
Students over 25
19%
Median family income
$32,770
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$94,392
Endowment
$77,558,866

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

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,968 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From New Jersey89%
  • Other U.S. states4.3%
  • International7.0%

Most first-years stay in state — Kean University draws overwhelmingly from New Jersey.

7% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
75.9%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
930–1150
SAT average
1040
SAT reading
460–565
SAT math
470–585
ACT composite
Average GPA (estimated)
3.02

Cost

In-state tuition
$14,299
Out-of-state tuition
$22,446
Room & board
$18,264
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$26,949
Average net price
$12,447

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)
47%
Graduated on time (4 years)
25%
First-year retention
76%
Transferred to another college
24%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$46,603
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$57,237
Median debt at graduation
$23,250
Students with federal loans
41%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
46%

About 22% 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
25%
Low-income (Pell)
48%
First-generation
49%

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
1,905
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
17%
Application fee
$75
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
New Jersey Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
535 (316 men · 219 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 (13)

Football95
Track and Field (Outdoor)82
Lacrosse65
Soccer61
Baseball37
Volleyball36
Cross Country35
Basketball33
Softball23
Field Hockey22
Golf20
Swimming16
Tennis10

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
13
Property offenses (2022–2024)
11

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (13,905 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.

8.0reported offenses a year
4.3 violent a year3.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
2.0
Motor vehicle theft
2.0
Fondling
1.7
Arson
1.3
Statutory rape
0.3
Aggravated assault
0.3
Burglary
0.3

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
$7,374
$30–48k
$7,859
$48–75k
$12,136
$75–110k
$20,146
$110k+
$20,110

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
$57,085

$12,136/year × about 4.7 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.

75%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$4,921
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 75% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $4,921. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

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 1,904 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)
$57,237
Typical debt at graduation
$23,250
Debt vs. one year's pay
41%
Out-earn a HS grad
63%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.1 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
$53,804
Men
$63,350

Men out-earn women by $9,546 (18%) 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
87°F
Winter low
26°F
Annual rain
46.6″
Annual snow
31.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.7JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Newark Intl AP, NJ US station (3.4 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 Kean University

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

Colleges near Kean 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.