The proposed merger between Kean University and New Jersey City University took a big step forward Thursday as the two public universities formally agreed to move to unite their schools.
The presidents of both public universities met at Kean Hall in Union County to sign a preliminary agreement to merge.
Under the deal, New Jersey City University would be renamed Kean Jersey City. Kean University’s name would remain unchanged.
The tentative deal, known as a letter of intent, is subject to regulatory and accreditation approvals, along with a final agreement between the two universities.
“By coming together, we are creating a stronger, more resilient public higher education system that meets the needs of New Jersey’s students and communities. Together, Kean and NJCU reaffirm our responsibility as anchor institutions to uplift and empower the people we serve,” said Kean president Lamont Repollet, the state’s former education commissioner.
Kean University enrolls approximately 17,000 students while New Jersey City University has 5,500 students, officials said previously.
It could take up to 24 months to complete a merger, Kean’s president said in March after New Jersey City University’s Board of Trustees started the process by accepting Kean’s proposal.
Kean University President Lamont O. Repollet, on left, and New Jersey City University Interim President Andrés Acebo signing a letter of intent advancing a proposed merger of both universities, at Kean University in Union Township.Photo courtesy of Kean University
New Jersey City University —a nearly century-old higher education institution in Hudson County — has been in a financial crisis for years. The merger with Kean is designed to enable the Jersey City school to continue operating.
Kean would assume New Jersey City University’s assets and liabilities, under the deal. Kean would also appoint a chancellor to lead Kean Jersey City while assuming executive oversight of the campus.
New Jersey City University students would become students of Kean University, school officials said.
“Through a collaborative process rooted in student and community engagement, I’m confident we will unite our campus communities in a way that celebrates our distinct cultures and builds a more vibrant, inclusive and innovative university for the next century,” said Andrés Acebo, New Jersey City University’s interim president.
New Jersey City University was assigned a monitor by the state in 2023 and directed to identify a potential university partner. School officials explored a possible merger with Montclair State University before proceeding with Kean.
“The State is pleased to see New Jersey City University and Kean University take this important step toward a strategic merger,” state Secretary of Higher Education Brian Bridges said.
An integration planning team with representatives from both universities will begin coordinating the merger with Bridges’ office, a process that could include shared services agreements between the schools, officials said.
Neither university has said whether a merger might result in staffing cuts.
The partnership would preserve New Jersey City University’s role in serving first-generation, adult and historically underserved students, officials said. It also would enhance Kean’s recent designation as an R2 research university, a designation reserved for doctoral universities with high research activity.
Kean Jersey City would be the latest expansion for Kean, which was founded in 1855 as the Newark Normal School. It became the New Jersey State Teacher’s College in 1937 and Kean College in 1973 before becoming a university in 1997.
Kean University is headquartered in Union County. Its main campus is in Union Township, with additional locations in Hillside and Elizabeth.
Kean also has an Ocean County campus, called Kean Ocean, in Toms River. In 2019, it opened Kean Skylands in Jefferson in Morris County.
Overseas, Kean University has a large, degree-granting campus in China through a partnership with Wenzhou University.
Kean has about three times as many as New Jersey City University. Kean held its 2025 commencement on Tuesday for 3,500 graduates and undergraduates.
New Jersey City University was founded in 1927, became a college in 1935 and was granted university status in 1998. Its commencement ceremony is on May 28.
Luke Visconti, chair of New Jersey City University’s Board of Trustees, said the board “is optimistic that the collaborative dialogue over the coming weeks and months will yield a partnership model that honors the unique strengths and traditions of both institutions while creating a stronger, more resilient university that better serves our students and communities.”
Stories by Rob Jennings
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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.