Kean University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Union, New Jersey. It enrolls 11,433 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
73/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes36
Value89
Affordability83
Selectivity32
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Kean University admits 75.9% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
75.9%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
930 – 1150
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Kean University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
8.3 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $12,447 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$14,299
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$22,446
Room & Board (on-campus)
$18,264
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,656
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,324
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,846
Total Cost of Attendance
$26,949
Application fee: $75 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$7,374
$30,001 – $48,000
$7,859
$48,001 – $75,000
$12,136
$75,001 – $110,000
$20,146
Over $110,000
$20,110
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$4,12510%percentile
$8,25025%percentile
$23,250Medianpercentile
$28,00075%percentile
$36,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $18,320
↓ $4,930
No Pell $14,500
↓ $8,750
Dependent students $15,250
↓ $8,000
Independent students $21,601
↓ $1,649
Female students $17,750
↓ $5,500
Male students $15,750
↓ $7,500
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $10,000, less than completers ($23,250), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
56% of students who start here finish within six years, and 76% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
56%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
76%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $57,237 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$57,237
Earning > $25K
81%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$44,100
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$55,500
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$45,000
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$49,700
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$50,500
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $11,400, about 21% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
15.7 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 74% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 11,433 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 46% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
11,433
Part-Time
14%
First-Generation
46%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 39.2%4,476
White 23.9%2,735
Black 21.2%2,420
International 6.1%701
Asian 4.5%513
Other 2.3%260
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Kean University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Kean University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
83 distinct programs across
22 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 17 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
17:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$12,610
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$72M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$88,291
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
370 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
55
15%
$122,458
Associate Professors
72
19%
$101,309
Assistant Professors
135
36%
$83,690
Instructors
1
0%
$49,236
Lecturers
107
29%
$68,138
Pros & Cons of Kean University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Kean University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Best for:
Based on the data, Kean University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kean University
The questions families ask most about Kean University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Kean University hard to get into?
Not especially. Kean University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 75.9%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Kean University?
75.9% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Kean University?
Aim for 1150 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 930 and 1150 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Kean University cost?
Budget around $12,447 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Kean University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $57,237 a year against a net price of $12,447, about 4.6 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Kean University known for?
Mostly Psychology, Business Administration, Biology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Kean University graduates earn?
About $57,237 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Kean University accredited?
Yes. Kean University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Kean University?
11,433 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Kean University?
56% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Kean University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Kean University located?
Kean University is located in Union, New Jersey.
What programs does Kean University offer?
83 different programs, most commonly Psychology, Business Administration, Biology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Kean University?
17 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in New Jersey
Other colleges in New Jersey share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
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