Great Minds. Greater Purpose. Welcome to the Class of 2030

[Halldan]

Great Minds. Greater Purpose. Welcome to the Class of 2030.

Seton Hall University is welcoming approximately 1,560 first-year students to campus, representing 42 states and 17 countries. The Class of 2030 was selected from a pool of 28,070 applicants.

www.shu.edu

Seton Hall University is welcoming approximately 1,560 first-year students to campus, representing 42 states and 17 countries. The Class of 2030 was selected from a pool of 28,070 applicants, approximately 2,300 more than the year prior, another sign of growing interest in a Seton Hall education.

That growth has been accompanied by increased selectivity. The University’s admission rate has fallen from 79 percent in 2023 to 67.5 percent in 2026, a decline of nearly 12 percentage points in three years. At the same time, the academic profile of incoming students remains strong, continuing a broader trend of gains over the past decade.

“Seton Hall is proud to welcome the Class of 2030, an accomplished and diverse group of students who bring tremendous talent, ambition and greater purpose to our community,” said Kathleen (Katie) McCarthy, M.B.A. ’17, vice president for enrollment management. “We look forward to seeing all they will accomplish in the years ahead.”

Among the 33 percent of incoming students who submitted standardized test scores, the average SAT score was 1323 and the average ACT score was 29. The average high school GPA for the incoming class is 3.68, up from 3.55 in 2016.

A University of Opportunity
The Class of 2030 also reflects Seton Hall’s longstanding role as a university of opportunity, bringing together students from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. More than 40 percent of incoming freshmen are the first in their families to attend college and 41 percent are Pell Grant-eligible.

The class reflects the inclusion of the communities Seton Hall serves, with 62 percent of incoming students identifying as students of color and 61 percent identifying as female. These varied perspectives and experiences strengthen classroom discussions, campus life and the University community.

Founded in 1856, Seton Hall remains grounded in its Catholic mission and its commitment to being a home for the mind, heart and spirit. Guided by the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and our patroness and intercessor, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the University welcomes students of all faiths and backgrounds into a community that encourages intellectual growth, service to others and the pursuit of greater purpose.

Categories: Campus Life

 

[HallX2]

Only 33% submitted standardized test scores? When did we go to making it optional?

 

[NIL BAD]

Makes you wonder how lists like this can even be compiled without standardized test scores. Everything else can be manipulated.

 

[PhishingPirate088]

Makes you wonder how lists like this can even be compiled without standardized test scores. Everything else can be manipulated.

View attachment 1405393

lol how can the world continue without SATs and ACTs!

Shut it down

 

[SHUSource]

A huge component of any Niche.com ranking is anecdotal, from user reviews. So it's not quite as meaningless as, say, Princeton Review, but it's not worth much.

Think of the fruitcakes who leave Google Reviews.

That said, this list isn't too egregious. Seattle U. and College of St. Mary made me raise an eyebrow, but really, it doesn't look too bad.

 

[HALL85]

My first supervisor was a foreign born chemist from Eastern Europe who coined a phrase “What number you want?” In our lab.

I give little credence to self-reported accolades/back patting by a school, especially when only 33% of incoming students report standardized test scores. I’d be more curious about the percentage of tuition being subsidized by the school. I give less credence to social media lists.

 

[PhishingPirate088]

My first supervisor was a foreign born chemist from Eastern Europe who coined a phrase “What number you want?” In our lab.

I give little credence to self-reported accolades/back patting by a school, especially when only 33% of incoming students report standardized test scores. I’d be more curious about the percentage of tuition being subsidized by the school. I give less credence to social media lists.

Poorly written article and use of standardized tests..prob not a true number for what it’s worth

 

[newshu1]

wow down to a 67% acceptance rate lol, what a great statistic!

 

[IronKaz1]

Figured we would be in top 20 no bueno. Fairfield is better? never heard of university of minnesota not associated 2 the gophers

 

[hallwins]

Figured we would be in top 20 no bueno. Fairfield is better? never heard of university of minnesota not associated 2 the gophers

Yes as is Fordham which is shockingly not on the list.

 

[PirateBlue08]

Holy Cross! Heather didn't exactly walk away with oogatz

 

[PirateBlue08]

Had no idea Santa Clara was Catholic or a good school.

 

[HallGuy2323]

Good thing for me then that list means oogatz to me.

I guess we’ve reached the point here now where us youngins have to explain what is AI and what isn’t.

That list is 100% AI created clickbait with no meaning or formula behind it. Pages like that one put out a million different AI posts to get clicks and somebody somewhere gets paid.

 

[Fishjam]

Some of those stats on the incoming class are partly responsible for why there is much less student interest in the basketball team/games. Over recent years there has been a changing of the demographics of SH students. The things that appealed to previous students do not interest the current students. Have to change the experience and the marketing to appeal to new demographics.

 

[SHUSource]

Had no idea Santa Clara was Catholic or a good school.

It's definitely both.

 

[cernjSHU]

So based on the stats SAT 1320 and GPA 3.6, I would not be able to get into Seton Hall. Question becomes is why is the perception of Seton Hall so much worse than when I attended in 1985 as a freshman?

 

[lloyde dobler]

So based on the stats SAT 1320 and GPA 3.6, I would not be able to get into Seton Hall. Question becomes is why is the perception of Seton Hall so much worse than when I attended in 1985 as a freshman?

SAT scores are higher now than they used to be. Every school twists numbers around to make themselves look great. You’d probably still get in.

 

[SHUSource]

Right. That "average SAT score of 1323" is the equivalent of about a 950 in the late '80s, if that. (And these were the ones who elected to submit their scores.) Grade inflation is harder to quantify, but no less real.

Back then, kids with a 1300-plus SAT and 3.6 GPA were aiming realistically at Ivies.

 

[Fishjam]

So based on the stats SAT 1320 and GPA 3.6, I would not be able to get into Seton Hall. Question becomes is why is the perception of Seton Hall so much worse than when I attended in 1985 as a freshman?

They changed the way they score the SAT back in the late 90s. Basically added about 200 points to the scores. And gradually over the years they have made the tests easier and easier. They also allow calculators and prep courses have gotten better and more accessible.

As for grades/GPAs, grade inflation has been in full effect for the last 30 years at all levels. Teachers are under pressure to give out high grades and its just easier to avoid confrontations and to give the illusion that your students are doing well. Colleges realize its bad for business to be tough graders. Make the students happy, avoid students leaving due to poor GPAs, send out press releases showing how well students are doing, how many make Deans List, etc.

As an example, Seton Hall's student-athletes had a cumulative 3.534 GPA in 2025/26.. When I was a student athlete in the 90s the average was at least a full point lower and you could count the number of athletes who got a 3.5 on 1 hand.

 

[SHUSource]

They changed the way they score the SAT back in the late 90s. Basically added about 200 points to the scores. And gradually over the years they have made the tests easier and easier.

This has been done a number of times. I was aware of it first in about 1990 or '91, but I'm sure that wasn't the first time, either. And I know there were at least a few subsequent adjustments to scoring and material since then.

 

[IronKaz1]

whoever brought up Fordham yes they were very hard 2 get into so idk bout the list

 

[SHUSource]

Yeah, Fordham was a very surprising omission.