Seton Hall lands $8.4M state grant for campus upgrades

Seton Hall University secured $8.4 million in state funding to modernize science labs, law school facilities and student spaces on its South Orange campus, part of a broader push to keep New Jersey students from heading out of state for college.

The grant comes from the state’s Higher Education Facilities Trust Fund, which distributes money from New Jersey’s Capital Improvement Fund to upgrade aging campus infrastructure across the state’s colleges and universities.

Seton Hall will use the money to renovate science laboratories in the McNulty Hall science complex, upgrade technology systems in the law school, and improve student life facilities including dining areas and recreational spaces. The university expects the projects to begin this summer and wrap up by fall 2027.

“These investments allow us to compete with schools that are pulling our best students away from New Jersey,” said Seton Hall President Joseph Nyre in a statement. “Modern facilities are essential to attracting top-tier faculty and keeping talented students in state.”

The funding represents the largest single state grant Seton Hall has received in more than a decade, according to university officials. The private Catholic university enrolls about 10,000 students and has been working to expand its science and technology programs to meet growing demand from students and employers.

New Jersey has struggled to retain college-bound students, with roughly 30% leaving the state for higher education, according to state data. The exodus costs the state an estimated $2.3 billion annually in lost economic activity and future tax revenue.

The Facilities Trust Fund has distributed more than $120 million to New Jersey colleges since 2019, with Rutgers University receiving the largest share at $45 million for various campus projects across New Brunswick, Newark and Camden.

Seton Hall’s grant comes as the university faces enrollment pressures common to many private colleges. The school’s undergraduate enrollment has remained relatively stable over the past five years, but officials say facility upgrades are crucial to maintaining that stability as competition for students intensifies.

The science lab renovations will focus on chemistry and biology facilities that haven’t been substantially updated since the 1990s. The law school improvements will add collaborative learning spaces and upgrade courtroom simulation facilities used for student training.

Construction is expected to create about 150 temporary jobs, primarily for contractors based in Essex and Union counties.