Kean University
Union, New Jersey · Public · 75.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 61/100 · Fair Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Kean University, a comprehensive regional public in Union, NJ, scores 61 out of 100 and lands in Fair Value tier. Kean has 11,433 students and serves a heavily Pell-eligible (47.9%) urban population with a strong working-class identity. The cost stack is genuinely affordable: in-state tuition $14,299, net price $12,447, total 4-year cost $49,788. Average 6-year earnings of $38,000 climb to a median $57,237 at year 10, payback period is 8.5 years, and debt-to-earnings is 0.612. Median debt is $23,250. The earnings premium subscore of 86 is notably high, driven by Kean's strong nursing, computing, and education pipelines feeding into the NY-NJ metropolitan labor market. The drag on the score is the 46.6% completion rate and the 63.3% three-year repayment rate, both of which reflect the population mix: many Kean students work full-time and commute, which depresses graduation and repayment metrics that assume traditional full-time enrollment patterns. For students who finish, Kean offers good value.
Kean University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $14,299/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $22,446/yr |
| Average net price | $12,447/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $49,788 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $57,237 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $38,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,250 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $246 |
| Estimated payback period | 8.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 46.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 11,433 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $14,299/year ($22,446/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $12,447/year, or roughly $49,788 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $7,374/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,110/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $23,250, which works out to about $246 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($38,000) and comes to 0.61, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $7,374 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $7,859 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $12,136 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $20,146 |
| $110,001+ | $20,110 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $7,374 net. The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $7,859, very similar. For Pell-eligible students, Kean's effective cost is largely covered by Pell plus TAG (New Jersey's state grant), leaving minimal net cost. This is a genuinely strong access proposition for working-class New Jersey families.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $12,136 and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $20,146, a meaningful step-up. Middle-income families face the steepest aid cliff between these two brackets.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $20,110 net, very slightly less than the $75-$110K bracket ($20,146). This is a marginal inverted-bracket flag, likely reflecting sample composition rather than policy. High-income families pay close to the middle-bracket figure, with no major additional premium pricing.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Kean University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $51,052 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $65,332 | C |
| Biology | $61,291 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $58,644 | C |
| Teacher Education | $58,885 | C+ |
| Communication and Media Studies | $54,277 | D |
| Accounting | $72,446 | C |
| Marketing | $61,602 | C |
| Design and Applied Arts | $56,666 | D |
| English Language and Literature | $54,749 | D |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Psychology
Psychology is Kean's largest program with 374 graduates, posting $31,475 in 1-year earnings and $51,052 at year four. The 0.794 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a D grade against $25,000 of debt. The pattern is the national psychology paradox at scale: huge undergraduate cohort, weak undergraduate-only earnings, and meaningful career payoff that depends on graduate work or licensure. Many Kean psychology graduates likely move into counseling, social work, or HR roles where progression compounds.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Admin graduates 249 students with $45,782 in 1-year earnings and $65,332 at year four. The 0.59 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a C grade against $27,018 of debt. This is a clean working-NJ-metro business pipeline: graduates enter operations, sales, and management roles in regional employers with steady wage progression. Debt is comfortably serviced and the 10-year curve points to mid-six-figure outcomes for the strong half of the cohort.
Biology
Biology graduates 192 students with $34,522 in 1-year earnings and $61,291 at year four. The 0.769 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a D grade. As at most schools, biology produces compressed first-year earnings followed by a sharp 4-year jump as graduates enter medical, dental, PA, nursing, or graduate biology pathways. Students should plan for additional credentialing; the bachelor's alone is not a strong terminal credential here.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education graduates 146 students with $54,447 in 1-year earnings and $58,885 at year four. The 0.496 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a C+ grade. Kean is a teacher-pipeline school, and the data reflects the strong starting salaries that NJ public-school districts offer. Debt of $27K is comfortably serviced on $54K of starting pay, and the step-and-lane curve compounds with master's-degree progression.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is Kean's highest-graded ROI program: 30 graduates, $101,039 in 1-year earnings, $96,821 at year four, and a 0.205 debt-to-earnings ratio earning an A grade. The unusual feature is that year-one earnings exceed year-four earnings, likely reflecting that the most recent grads benefit from current-year nursing-wage premiums that older cohorts did not capture. Debt of $20,750 against $101K starting is trivially serviceable.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 58.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 63.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 58.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 63.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Kean University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 75.9% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 470-585 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 460-565 |
| Enrollment | 11,433 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 47.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $10,488 |
Kean admits 75.9% of applicants, a moderately open-access posture. SAT mid-ranges of 470-585 in math and 460-565 in reading position Kean as a fit for academically average applicants from the New Jersey public-school system. ACT data is not reported. The 46.6% completion rate against the admit rate reflects the structural reality of an urban commuter university where life circumstances (work, family, transit time) compete with persistence as much as academic preparation does.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kean University (this school) | 61 | $12,447 | $57,237 |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis | 67 | $11,668 | $55,198 |
| Rowan University | 66 | $22,408 | $59,988 |
| Empire State University | 61 | $11,676 | $54,080 |
| University of Idaho | 59 | $14,831 | $54,670 |
| Bloomfield College of Montclair State University | 50 | $28,014 | $61,415 |
Who Thrives Here
Kean fits New Jersey commuter students with a clear pre-professional target (nursing, teaching, accounting, IT) who would benefit from a low-cost public option that places into the NYC-NJ metro labor market. With 11,433 students and a 47.9% Pell rate, the campus is large, diverse, and economically working-class. Strong fits are students with at least moderate academic preparation, a defined major, and the ability to manage commuter university dynamics. Weaker fits are students seeking a traditional residential experience or specialized humanities focus where Kean's data shows weaker outcomes.
The Verdict: A Reasonable Bet - With Caveats
Kean University is a fair-value bet, but how well it pays off depends a lot on you. At $12,447 a year after aid ($49,788 over four years), with the typical graduate earning $57,237 a decade out, the cost takes about 8.5 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates. What to keep an eye on: its 46.6% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 63.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%).
Median debt of $23,250 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $38,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Kean University: Common Questions
Is Kean University worth it?
In our view, it's a fair-value bet - whether Kean University is worth it depends a lot on your major and aid package. It scores 61/100 on our ROI scale. At $12,447 a year after aid ($49,788 over four years) against $57,237 in typical earnings a decade out, the cost takes about 8.5 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Kean University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $12,447 a year, or roughly $49,788 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Kean University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $57,237 ten years after enrolling, roughly $15,437 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Kean University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 8.5 years for Kean University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Kean University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $23,250, against average earnings of $38,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Kean University?
The six-year graduation rate is 46.6%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.