Kean University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 76%, Kean University is an accessible public university in New Jersey. Because it admits most qualified applicants, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what Kean University weighs, where it ranks among New Jersey schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1180, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Kean University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Kean University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Kean University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Kean University?
Kean University admits most qualified applicants (around 76%), but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Kean University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Kean University hard to get into?
Kean University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 76% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Kean University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Kean University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Kean University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Kean University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Kean University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Kean University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1040 SAT?
About 88% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1040 SAT, the middle of Kean University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1150 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/kean-university.
How to get into Kean University
Built from Kean University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Here is how to get into Kean University, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Kean University carries about a 3.16 core GPA and a 1100 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 930 to 1150 SAT. Submit a score at 1040 or higher; below 930, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Kean University rates rigor of secondary school record and academic GPA highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Kean University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.kean.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Kean University, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, Kean University received 12,142 applications and admitted 9,335, an acceptance rate of 76.9%. 1,968 enrolled. Only about 21% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Kean University enrolls about 11,433 undergraduates in total, 61% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 17 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Kean University?
Admitted students at Kean University post SAT scores of 930 to 1150 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1040. A score above 1150 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 930 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Kean University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Kean University looks for
What Kean University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, Kean University leans most on rigor of secondary school record and academic GPA. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Kean University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Kean University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Kean University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Kean University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $26,949 a year. Tuition and fees are $14,299 for NJ residents and $22,446 for out-of-state students, a $8,147 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $12,447 a year, and it ranges from $7,374 for families earning under $30,000 to $20,110 for families earning over $110,000. 48% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Kean University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Kean University students ten years after entry are $57,237 ($46,603 at the six-year mark). 47% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 76% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $23,250; 41% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Kean University compares in New Jersey
Kean University ranks #12 most selective of 20 schools in New Jersey in our database.
Among the 20 New Jersey schools we track, Kean University ranks #12 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Princeton University (5%) and Stevens Institute of Technology (48%) sit nearby, which makes New Jersey a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Kean University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around Kean University with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Indiana University Indianapolis, Tennessee Tech University, and The Citadel. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kean University's acceptance rate?
Kean University admitted 9,335 of 12,142 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 76.9% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 21% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Kean University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 930 to 1150 on the SAT. A score above 1150 is in the top quarter of admits. Kean University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Kean University test-optional?
Yes. Kean University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Kean University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Kean University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $12,447 a year against a sticker price of about $26,949. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $7,374 on average.
What do Kean University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Kean University are $57,237 a year among students who received federal aid, and 47% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Kean University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Kean University weighs rigor of secondary school record and academic GPA most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Kean University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Kean University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Kean University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Kean University specifically.
How does residency affect admission to Kean University?
As a public university, Kean University typically admits in-state students at a higher rate, and tuition differs sharply by residency. Select your home state in the calculator to fold the in-state effect into your estimate.
What are the admission requirements for Kean University?
Kean University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.