Seton Hall University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Hoboken, New Jersey · Private nonprofit · Selective · CDS 2025-2026
Seton Hall University is a private nonprofit university in Hoboken, New Jersey that admits about 43% of applicants, making it a selective school. The average family pays about $40,468 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science and Computer Engineering, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 89% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 1.4 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Seton Hall University is a private institution located in Hoboken, New Jersey with a selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Seton Hall University admits between a quarter and half of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 43%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1447 and an ACT composite around 33. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $40,468 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Seton Hall University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Seton Hall University?
Admitted students at Seton Hall University typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Seton Hall University weight in admissions?
Seton Hall University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Academic GPA
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Class rank
- • Standardized test scores
- • Interview
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Volunteer work
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Work experience
SAT and ACT scores Seton Hall University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 700–770, with an EBRW midpoint near 700. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 31–34. A score at or above this school's 75th percentile materially improves your child's odds, particularly when paired with a rigorous course load.
| 25th percentile | 1370 |
| 50th percentile | 1420 |
| 75th percentile | 1470 |
| % submitting SAT | 36.14% |
| 25th percentile | 32 |
| 50th percentile | 33 |
| 75th percentile | 34 |
| % submitting ACT | 4.08% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 47.54% |
| Top 25% of class | 78.7% |
| Top 50% of class | 95.8% |
| % submitting class rank | 25% |
How much does Seton Hall University actually cost?
Published tuition is $60,952 for in-state students and $60,952 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $18,650 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $40,468 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 20% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $65,530 |
| Room and board | $20,744 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $40,468 |
| Application fee | $75 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Seton Hall University
| Regular deadline | January 5 |
| Notification date | April 1 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | November 15 |
| ED acceptance rate | 70% |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | December 1 |
Will my child graduate from Seton Hall University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at Seton Hall University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Seton Hall University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science and Computer Engineering. Across all programs, Seton Hall University confers roughly 738 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Mechanical Engineering program report a median income of about $101,241 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 159 | $101,241 |
| Computer Science | 132 | $139,452 |
| Computer Engineering | 111 | $136,926 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 104 | $121,314 |
| Applied Mathematics | 80 | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 65 | $94,580 |
| Chemical Engineering | 47 | $101,659 |
| Civil Engineering | 40 | $96,100 |
Is Seton Hall University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Seton Hall University disclosed 6 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 1.4 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 0 violent offenses and 5 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at Seton Hall University?
About 47% of undergraduates at Seton Hall University live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 13% of men join a fraternity and 16% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in New Jersey parents ask about
- Princeton University5% acceptance
- Rutgers University-New Brunswick65% acceptance
- Stevens Institute of Technology79% acceptance
- New Jersey Institute of Technology79% acceptance
- Montclair State University73% acceptance
- Rowan College at Burlington County78% acceptance
- Bergen Community College69% acceptance
- College of New Jersey78% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Seton Hall University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Seton Hall University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Seton Hall University
What GPA do I need for Seton Hall University?
Admitted students at Seton Hall University typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses.
What SAT or ACT score does Seton Hall University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 700–770, with an EBRW midpoint near 700. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 31–34.
How much does Seton Hall University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Seton Hall University after grants and scholarships is $40,468 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Seton Hall University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Seton Hall University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Seton Hall University?
Seton Hall University accepts about 43% of applicants out of roughly 10,499 who apply each year. That makes it a selective school.
Is Seton Hall University test-optional?
Yes. Seton Hall University is test-optional, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at Seton Hall University?
About 89% of students at Seton Hall University graduate within six years, and 75% finish in four years. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
Does applying Early Decision improve my chances at Seton Hall University?
Seton Hall University's Early Decision acceptance rate is about 70%, compared with its overall rate of 43%. Applying ED can meaningfully improve admission odds, but it is a binding commitment to enroll if accepted.
What does Seton Hall University look for in applicants?
Seton Hall University rates GPA as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Seton Hall University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Seton Hall University is a private nonprofit institution located in Hoboken, New Jersey.
What are the most popular majors at Seton Hall University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Seton Hall University by annual graduates are Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science and Computer Engineering. The school awards about 738 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Seton Hall University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Seton Hall University reported 6 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 1.4 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at Seton Hall University?
At Seton Hall University, 47% of undergraduates live on campus, 13% of men are in fraternities, 16% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by Seton Hall University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.