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Kean University: Liberty Hall Fire Co. and Visitor Center, Union, NJ
Photo: Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

College · Catholic life on campus

Kean University

  • LocationUnion, NJ
  • Type and sizePublic · 4-year · 13,352 students
Official website

Kean University is not a Catholic college. This rating measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes.

Kean University's Catholic campus ministry, Kean Catholics, combines an Office of Campus Ministry with the Catholic Newman Club and is an outreach project of the Archdiocese of Newark. The ministry lists a weekly Monday Mass and weekly Monday confession on campus, a weekly Thursday Bible study, and a Thomistic Institute student chapter.

Mass, confession, and adoration

Confirm with the parish

Mass 1

  • Monday4:00 PMMSC Room 226 · Fall 2026 semester, September 14 to December 7, 2026. The ministry notes additional times may be added.

Confession 1

  • Monday3:15 PMMSC Room 226 · Weekly, 3:15 to 3:45 PM, starting September 14, 2026, ahead of the Monday Mass.

Times come only from official parish, chaplaincy, or school pages, and can change with the season. Last verified Oct. 12, 2026.

Sources for these times (1)
  1. Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “Mass on Campus Mondays, 4-4:30pm, MSC Room 226 September 14-December 7”
    Mass on campus is offered on Mondays from 4:00 to 4:30 PM in MSC Room 226, September 14 to December 7, 2026.
    “Sacrament of Confession Mondays, 3:15-3:45pm, MSC Room 226 *Mass follows at 4:00pm Starts September 14, 2026”
    Confession is offered weekly on Mondays from 3:15 to 3:45 PM in MSC Room 226, starting September 14, 2026.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of Kean University, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches1 mi2 mi3 miImmaculate Conception Church: 1.0 mi1Saint Catherine's Church: 1.1 mi2Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church: 1.1 mi3Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church: 1.3 mi4Saint Vladimir's Catholic Church: 1.6 mi5Our Lady of Fatima: 1.8 mi6Kean Catholics (Office of Catholic Campus Ministry): 0.6 miKean University (campus)N1 mi
CampusCatholic centerCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. Immaculate Conception Church — 1.0 mi
  2. Saint Catherine's Church — 1.1 mi · 1000 North Broad Street, Hillside
  3. Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church — 1.1 mi
  4. Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church — 1.3 mi · 971 Suburban Road, Union
  5. Saint Vladimir's Catholic Church — 1.6 mi
  6. Our Lady of Fatima — 1.8 mi

Within 3 miles, as mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The map may be incomplete. Confirm with the parish or diocese.

Catholic life scorecard

Each line is one thing we looked for. A check means yes, a half means partly, a dash means no. “Not enough information” means official sources did not say.

BCatholic life on campus: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.

Catholic life on campus

74 of 100 points on what we could document.

  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic campus ministry serving this campus (Catholic center, campus ministry, or chaplaincy)Yes
    Sources (2)
    1. Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Kean Catholics is composed of the Office of Campus Ministry and the Catholic Newman Club, and is an outreach project of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.”
      Kean's Catholic campus ministry and Newman Club are an outreach project of the Archdiocese of Newark.
    2. Campus Ministry | Archdiocese of Newarkrcan.org/campus-ministry · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Kean University Campus Ministry & Newman Club”
      The Archdiocese of Newark's Newman Apostolate lists Kean University's campus ministry and Newman Club among its participating universities.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Dedicated Catholic center or chapel on or next to campusNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Priest chaplain assigned to campus ministryPart-time or shared priest (Fr. Gabriel Camacho is listed as chaplain; his bio lists a parish assignment as Parochial Vicar and a parish school role; the chaplaincy is recorded as part-time.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Our Team | Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com/our-team · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Rev. Gabriel Camacho Chaplain”
      A priest, Rev. Gabriel Camacho, is listed as the chaplain of Kean Catholics.
      “St. John the Apostle Church is Fr. Gabe’s first assignment as Parochial Vicar.”
      Fr. Gabe's listed parish assignment is St. John the Apostle Church, where he is Parochial Vicar; he is also listed as spiritual director of the parish school.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Weekday Mass at the campus ministry1–4 weekdays (One weekday Mass (Monday) on campus is listed for the Fall 2026 semester.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Mass on Campus Mondays, 4-4:30pm, MSC Room 226 September 14-December 7”
      Mass on campus is offered on Mondays from 4:00 to 4:30 PM in MSC Room 226, September 14 to December 7, 2026.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Sunday Mass at the campus ministry or a campus chapelNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Scheduled confession at the campus ministryWeekly or more often
    Sources (1)
    1. Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Sacrament of Confession Mondays, 3:15-3:45pm, MSC Room 226 *Mass follows at 4:00pm Starts September 14, 2026”
      Confession is offered weekly on Mondays from 3:15 to 3:45 PM in MSC Room 226, starting September 14, 2026.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic student groups and missionary outreach (e.g., FOCUS, Saint Paul's Outreach, Knights of Columbus, Bible studies)Two or more (Two student groups are listed: the Catholic Newman Club and the Thomistic Institute chapter at Kean.)
    Sources (2)
    1. Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Kean Catholics is composed of the Office of Campus Ministry and the Catholic Newman Club, and is an outreach project of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.”
      Kean's Catholic campus ministry and Newman Club are an outreach project of the Archdiocese of Newark.
      “Bible Study Thursdays, 2:30-3:30pm, CAS Room 205”
      A weekly Bible study meets on Thursdays from 2:30 to 3:30 PM in CAS Room 205.
    2. Thomistic Institute | Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com/thomistic-institute · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Our goal is to make the Catholic intellectual tradition vibrantly present at Kean University.”
      The Thomistic Institute chapter at Kean is a student group that holds lectures and seminars on the Catholic intellectual tradition.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Formation programs (retreats, OCIA/RCIA, service, small groups)Two or more kinds (Two kinds of formation are listed: a retreat (Source & Summit) and a weekly Bible study.)
    Sources (2)
    1. Event Calendar | Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com/calendar · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Register here for our Intercollegiate Overnoght retreat!”
      An intercollegiate overnight retreat, Source & Summit, is scheduled for October 16 to 18, 2026.
    2. Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Bible Study Thursdays, 2:30-3:30pm, CAS Room 205”
      A weekly Bible study meets on Thursdays from 2:30 to 3:30 PM in CAS Room 205.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic church within walking distance (computed from OpenStreetMap)Within 1 mile of campusComputed from OpenStreetMap church locations.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Published weekly schedule of Mass, confession, and adoration1 to 5 times a week (2 weekly times documented: 1 Mass, 1 confession, 0 adoration.)Computed from the verified Mass, confession, and adoration times listed on this page (each day a time is offered counts once).

Grades come from the documented indicators under the published rubric. “Not enough information” does not mean the school lacks it.

Strengths

  • A weekly Monday Mass and a weekly Monday confession are listed on campus.
    Sources (1)
    1. Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Mass on Campus Mondays, 4-4:30pm, MSC Room 226 September 14-December 7”
      Mass on campus is offered on Mondays from 4:00 to 4:30 PM in MSC Room 226, September 14 to December 7, 2026.
      “Sacrament of Confession Mondays, 3:15-3:45pm, MSC Room 226 *Mass follows at 4:00pm Starts September 14, 2026”
      Confession is offered weekly on Mondays from 3:15 to 3:45 PM in MSC Room 226, starting September 14, 2026.
  • The ministry lists a priest chaplain and a campus minister.
    Sources (1)
    1. Our Team | Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com/our-team · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Rev. Gabriel Camacho Chaplain”
      A priest, Rev. Gabriel Camacho, is listed as the chaplain of Kean Catholics.
      “Lucia began as the Catholic Campus Minister at Kean University in September of 2021.”
      Lucia Pasternak is the Catholic Campus Minister at Kean University.
  • Student groups and programs include the Catholic Newman Club, a Thomistic Institute chapter, a weekly Bible study and an overnight retreat.
    Sources (3)
    1. Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Bible Study Thursdays, 2:30-3:30pm, CAS Room 205”
      A weekly Bible study meets on Thursdays from 2:30 to 3:30 PM in CAS Room 205.
    2. Event Calendar | Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com/calendar · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Register here for our Intercollegiate Overnoght retreat!”
      An intercollegiate overnight retreat, Source & Summit, is scheduled for October 16 to 18, 2026.
    3. Thomistic Institute | Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com/thomistic-institute · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Our goal is to make the Catholic intellectual tradition vibrantly present at Kean University.”
      The Thomistic Institute chapter at Kean is a student group that holds lectures and seminars on the Catholic intellectual tradition.

Concerns

  • The only weekday Mass listed on campus is on Mondays.
    Sources (1)
    1. Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Mass on Campus Mondays, 4-4:30pm, MSC Room 226 September 14-December 7”
      Mass on campus is offered on Mondays from 4:00 to 4:30 PM in MSC Room 226, September 14 to December 7, 2026.
  • The ministry office is listed at a Hillside address rather than on the Union campus.
    Sources (1)
    1. Contact Us | Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com/contact · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “The Office of Catholic Campus Ministry Nathan Weiss Graduate College, Room 218 215 North Avenue, Hillside, NJ 07205”
      The Office of Catholic Campus Ministry is listed at 215 North Avenue, Hillside, NJ 07205.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

The Catholic center

Kean Catholics (Office of Catholic Campus Ministry)

  • Address: 215 North Avenue, Hillside, NJ 07205
  • Distance from campus: 0.6 mi (straight line from the campus point in federal IPEDS data)

View on map ↗

Source: keancatholics.com, verified Oct. 12, 2026

Catholic clubs and student life

10 groups and regular activities · 5 on campus, 2 off campus, 3 location not published

Other 3

  • Revival Night with the Franciscan Friars of the RenewalOff campus
    November 6, 2026
    Evening gathering at the Basilica in Newark.
    keancatholics.com
  • SEEK conference tripOff campus
    Each January
    Annual trip for students to FOCUS's SEEK conference, supported by ministry fundraising.
    keancatholics.com
  • Catholic Psych mentoring
    Individual mentoring from Catholic Psych Institute mentors, offered to Kean students at a reduced fee.
    keancatholics.com

Faith formation 2

  • Newman NightsOn campus
    Tuesdays, 7:30 PM
    Weekly gathering for fellowship, prayer, learning and fun, open to all students.
    keancatholics.com
  • Catholic Bible StudyOn campus
    Thursdays, 2:30 to 3:30 PM
    Weekly Bible study in CAS Room 205.
    keancatholics.com

Clubs and groups 2

  • Catholic Newman ClubOn campus
    Student-run Catholic club advised by the Office of Campus Ministry; it includes a Hispanic Ministry for Spanish-speaking students.
    keancatholics.com, keancatholics.com
  • Thomistic Institute chapter at KeanOn campus
    Student chapter that organizes lectures, seminars and reading groups on the Catholic intellectual tradition.
    keancatholics.com

Liturgy and prayer 2

  • Holy Day Masses on campusOn campus
    Holy Days of Obligation, such as December 8, 2026
    Masses on campus for Holy Days.
    keancatholics.com, keancatholics.com
  • Mass on the Mountain
    November 7, 2026
    Annual fall hike with an outdoor Mass, open to students from other colleges.
    keancatholics.com

Retreats 1

  • Source & Summit intercollegiate overnight retreat
    October 16 to 18, 2026
    Intercollegiate overnight retreat with advance registration.
    keancatholics.com

Everything listed is published by the school, its campus ministry, or the parish. Ask the campus minister what’s happening this semester.

Catholic campus ministry

Sources (3)
  1. Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “Kean Catholics is composed of the Office of Campus Ministry and the Catholic Newman Club, and is an outreach project of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.”
    Kean's Catholic campus ministry and Newman Club are an outreach project of the Archdiocese of Newark.
  2. Campus Ministry | Archdiocese of Newarkrcan.org/campus-ministry · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “Kean University Campus Ministry & Newman Club”
    The Archdiocese of Newark's Newman Apostolate lists Kean University's campus ministry and Newman Club among its participating universities.
  3. Contact Us | Kean Catholicskeancatholics.com/contact · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “The Office of Catholic Campus Ministry Nathan Weiss Graduate College, Room 218 215 North Avenue, Hillside, NJ 07205”
    The Office of Catholic Campus Ministry is listed at 215 North Avenue, Hillside, NJ 07205.

Reach out

Contact details for Lucia Pasternak (Campus Minister) and 3 official social and news channels are available to signed-in users.

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Academic Excellence

CAcademic Excellence: Mixed (grade C): 55 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
56 of 100
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.47%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.76%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,040
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.17 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$13,363

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

Cost and value

Federal data, shown separately. Cost, debt, and earnings are never part of any grade.

Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
11,234
Total students13,352
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$12,447
Cost of attendance (per year)$26,949
Median federal debt at graduation$23,250
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
47%
First-year retention76%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$57,237
Admission rate76%
Students receiving Pell grants48%
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1040
SAT reading & writing460–565
SAT math470–585
ACT composite—
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value index: 58 / 100 (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Local Church

Archdiocese of Newark

His Eminence Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, Archbishop of Newark

Formal address: “Your Eminence”

Source: rcan.org, rcan.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

Diocese determined from the county, using the diocese’s county list (Wikipedia). Confirm with the diocese.

About this school’s data

Questions families ask

Is Kean University a Catholic college?
No. Kean University is not a Catholic college. Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead. Catholic students are served by Kean Catholics (Office of Catholic Campus Ministry and Catholic Newman Club).
What is Kean University’s Catholic Life Score?
70 out of 100 (grade B). It measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes, together with academics.
Where is Mass celebrated at Kean University?
Mass is listed at MSC Room 226. Days and times are on this page; please confirm with the parish or campus ministry before you go.

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