Dr. Miguel Cardona (left), Secretary of Education and Cindy Marten, Deputy Secretary | https://www2.ed.gov/news/staff/bios/index.html
Dr. Miguel Cardona (left), Secretary of Education and Cindy Marten, Deputy Secretary | https://www2.ed.gov/news/staff/bios/index.html
Of the 10 institutions in the county, five provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Healthcare Training Institute, Yeshiva Gedolah Zichron Leyma and Kean University.
At least 10,613 people applied to Union County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 23,424 students enrolled in the universities, including 21,385 in undergraduate and 2,039 in graduate programs. In total 7.7% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of Hispanic (38.4%) and Black or African American (24.5%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Kean University stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 12,884 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union County Vocational Technical School | -- | -- | 108 |
| UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ | -- | -- | 7,796 |
| Empire Beauty School-Union | -- | -- | 83 |
| Lincoln Technical Institute-Union | -- | -- | 1,625 |
| Kean University | 10,485 | 8,703 | 12,884 |
| Yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok | 18 | 16 | 59 |
| JFK Muhlenberg Harold B. and Dorothy A. Snyder Schools | 6 | 6 | 582 |
| Robert Fiance Beauty Schools-North Plainfield | -- | -- | 178 |
| Healthcare Training Institute | 61 | 61 | 69 |
| Yeshiva Gedolah Zichron Leyma | 43 | 21 | 40 |
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