Seton Hall University: Acceptance Rates, Tuition, and Rankings

Okay, so Seton Hall had a good week. International Education Week shout-outs, a professor snagging a fellowship, and even a double-overtime basketball win. The press releases are flowing. But as usual, I’m asking: what do the numbers say? Let's inject some reality into the PR blitz.

Beyond the Empanadas: Measuring "Meaningful Opportunities"

International Education Week (IEW) is undoubtedly a positive initiative. Celebrating cultural exchange is hard to argue against. The article highlights events like "Coffee and Tea with the Career Center" and "Passport to Empanadas." Sounds great. But let's quantify "meaningful opportunities." How many students actually attended these events relative to the total student body? What was the reported satisfaction rate? Details like that are suspiciously absent.

We see claims of "approximately 100 students" at the "Taste of Friendsgiving." Seton Hall has an undergraduate enrollment of roughly 6,000. That's 1.6% participation. A rounding error, statistically speaking. Now, maybe the impact on those 100 students was profound. But without data on pre- and post-event intercultural competence (difficult to measure, I admit), it's hard to see past the surface-level optics. Did attendance translate to increased enrollment in study abroad programs, or participation in internationally-focused clubs?

And this is the part of the report that I find genuinely puzzling: the absence of any hard numbers measuring the outcomes of IEW. Plenty of anecdotal evidence, zero metrics. Is this a strategic choice to avoid scrutiny, or simply a lack of focus on quantifiable results? For more details, see Bridging Cultures, Building Community: IEW Highlights and Reflections.

Physics Fellowship: A Win, But Is It Scalable?

Professor Peter Morse's KITP fellowship is undeniably impressive. Getting recognized by a top-tier physics institution is a feather in Seton Hall's cap. The university emphasizes its commitment to both teaching and research, and this fellowship seems to validate that claim.

However, let's consider the broader implications. The article quotes Morse emphasizing collaboration and connecting students with the wider world. Two undergrads are presenting at the 2026 APS Global Summit. Good for them. But how many physics undergrads aren't getting that opportunity? What percentage of the department benefits directly from this fellowship? Is this an isolated success story, or a replicable model?

The university highlights the support Morse received from various faculty members and administrators. This is crucial. But what systems are in place to ensure all faculty have access to similar mentorship and resources? Is there a formal grant-writing support program? Are junior faculty given protected time for research? I've looked at hundreds of these filings, and the lack of detail here is a red flag. Without institutionalized support, individual achievements, however laudable, remain just that – individual.

Radical Finance: Backer's Bold Claim, But Is It Realistic?

Associate Professor David Backer's book on public school finance proposes some radical solutions: regional tax base sharing, a federal value-added tax, and green banks derisking teacher pension investments. Bold ideas, no doubt. But are they politically viable?

Backer argues that the current system is a consequence of decades of policies shaped by the belief that schools can "do more with less," a notion he argues research has disproven. I agree with his basic premise: funding matters. Investment in infrastructure and teacher pay correlates with better educational outcomes. (Correlation, of course, doesn't equal causation, but the link is pretty strong.)

However, Backer's proposals require a level of political consensus that seems increasingly unattainable in the current climate. Regional tax base sharing? Good luck getting wealthy districts to sign on to that. A federal value-added tax? That's political suicide for most politicians. A "Green New Deal for Schools" sounds good on paper, but the devil is always in the details (the implementation).

He shared, “We have very lofty values in this country around public education: democracy, citizenship, public goods, excellence, freedom, choice, success,” he shared. “But the way our schools rely on material values, like property values, stock and bond prices and pension returns, are completely at odds with those other values.” This is a valid point, but it doesn't change the fundamental challenge: convincing taxpayers to pony up more money for schools, especially when they may not see a direct benefit.

Smoke and Mirrors?

Seton Hall is putting out a positive narrative, and that's their job. But it's my job to look past the press releases and ask the tough questions. Are these achievements translating into measurable improvements for the entire student body and faculty? Or are they just isolated wins used to burnish the university's image? The data, or rather the lack of data, suggests the latter. Until Seton Hall starts providing more transparent and quantifiable metrics, I remain skeptical.