Kean University
PRE-2: Points of Distinction

Kean University has been elevated to “national university” status in the U.S. News & World Report 2022-2023 Best Colleges rankings, reflecting the University’s continued ascent in research and scholarship.

Kean ranked 46th out of 439 national universities in increasing social mobility for students, a measure recognizing Kean’s success in supporting economically disadvantaged students throughout their path to graduation. This is the fourth year in a row that Kean has been recognized for social mobility, the first three years as a regional university.

The University is also named one of the most economically and ethnically diverse national universities in the United States, and is included on the list of top public schools among national universities.

“We are gratified by the strong showing Kean University makes in this year’s U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, including rising from regional university to national university. More importantly, we are proud of the incredible work behind those numbers, including our stronger focus on research, growing doctoral programs, and of course our continued commitment to diversity and inclusion as we support all students,” said Kean President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D.

National universities offer a range of undergraduate majors, plus master's and doctoral programs, and emphasize faculty research or award professional practice doctorates, according to U.S. News. Kean moved from “regional” to “national” because of the University’s new status as a Professional/Doctoral University granted earlier this year by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. Other New Jersey universities in the national ranking include Princeton University, Stevens Institute of Technology and New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Separately, Kean has also been named the first Urban Research University in the State of New Jersey.

“Kean University continues its powerful ascent in both research and teaching – and next, we seek to raise our profile even further by achieving designation as an R2 Research Institution by the Carnegie Commission,” Repollet said. “I have long said that Kean Cougars climb higher – and our latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges show that others recognize that, too.”

In other milestones this year, Kean also welcomed its largest freshman class ever.

The U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings evaluate more than 1,450 colleges and universities on up to 17 measures of academic quality. U.S. News publishes the rankings each year to give prospective students and their families helpful data on factors such as social mobility, graduation rates and graduate indebtedness.

With more than 16,000 students attending three New Jersey campuses, one international campus, Wenzhou-Kean University in Wenzhou, China, and Kean Online, Kean has long worked to give all students the tools they need to earn their degree and achieve their goals.

Kean is dedicated to supporting students who are the first in their family to go to college, those with diverse backgrounds, and those from underserved communities. The University offers numerous scholarship opportunities, as well as academic assistance, social service and other support programs.

The University offers more than 50 undergraduate degree programs and more than 70 options for graduate study.

Kean Board of Trustees Chair Steve Fastook ’06H said he is proud of the University’s accomplishments and expects more to come.

“At Kean, we are dedicated to supporting our students by providing them opportunities and services that help them achieve their educational goals,” Fastook said. “I congratulate all at Kean who have worked so hard to set Kean to move forward on our path. I look forward to seeing how high we Cougars can climb.”

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Kean installed EV charging stations for the Fall 2022 semester. Students, faculty and staff receive 4 hours of free charge time daily. The NJDEP provided partial funding for the EV stations through a grant.

On Campus Transportation via Electric Buses

Kean was recently awarded nearly $2 million grant from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection to purchase electric buses. The new buses will replace older diesel-fueled buses and trolleys, which, as part of the grant,
will be destroyed rather than sold.

Three electric buses are being manufactured for Kean, and we are expecting to add 2 more in the future. This will offer an even more environmentally friendly commuting experience for students/faculty/staff on campus.

Kean was designated as the state’s first urban research university, recognizing Kean’s growing role in conducting research and generating solutions to issues in urban communities statewide. On Kean's Urban Impact podcast, the complex issues facing urban communities are examined through meaningful conversations with scholars, community leaders and others who are driving change.

Under this context, Kean University is home to The John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research. The Institute comprises integrated policy centers and initiatives that support informed public policy. It serves as a vital, non-partisan resource for New Jersey decision-makers, supporting the development and implementation of real-world solutions. The Urban Mayors Policy Center at the Institute manages the New Jersey Urban Mayors Association (NJUMA), whose 32 urban and urban-rural member-municipalities are dedicated to working with state and federal lawmakers and officials to develop appropriate and effective public policy measures that benefit the state's urban centers and to help lawmakers understand how public policy affects New Jersey's cities and municipalities. It also includes the Center for the Urban Environment (CUE), which strives to protect communities Of Color and low-income communities from disproportionately high amounts of pollution by addressing environmental justice (EJ) issues on the local, state and national levels; the Center for the Positive Development of Urban Children, offers an integrated approach that utilizes best practices, professional development, policy analysis and research to examine the vulnerability and resiliency of urban children to improve upon their health, well-being and educational outcomes; the Center for Health Policy Development, which is focused on ensuring that the social determinants of health are at the core of all health policy; the Center for Economic and Workforce Development, Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Kean EDA University Center), which ensures New Jersey’s urban communities have policies, programs, practices and partnerships leading to resilient businesses, living-wage jobs and a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem and is the result of several years of organizing mayors across New Jersey to collectively advocate for the funding and collaborative infrastructure needs of their local economies; and the Urban Research and Policy Collaborative (formerly the Center for Urban Policy Research), which, in collaboration with the integrated network of Watson Institute policy centers and core partners, including the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus (NJLBC) and Urban Mayors Association (NJUMA), aspires to advance innovative and transformative change through policies grounded in applied research for the benefit of urban communities and all New Jerseyans.