Accounting at Kean University

Kean's accounting program lands squarely in the middle tier of New Jersey options—ranking 40th percentile statewide—but there's a significant earnings gap to consider. At $46,386 starting and $56,960 after four years, graduates earn roughly $7,000 less than the typical New Jersey accounting graduate and $14,000 less than what top Rutgers campuses deliver. With nearly half the student body receiving Pell grants, many families here are counting on accounting's traditionally solid ROI, but this program underperforms the state median by enough to matter over a career.

The debt picture offers some relief: $27,000 is manageable for an accounting degree, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58 that stays within professional norms. The 23% earnings growth from year one to year four suggests graduates do gain traction as they progress toward CPA certification or move into better positions. However, even that four-year mark leaves them well below what many New Jersey accounting programs achieve right out of the gate.

For families weighing Kean against other in-state options, this comes down to access and expectations. If your child gained admission to Rutgers or TCNJ, those programs deliver substantially higher earnings that would justify any modest difference in cost. If Kean represents the most realistic path to an accounting career, the degree still leads to viable employment—just recognize you're accepting lower earnings potential than most New Jersey accounting programs provide.