
Caldwell University is a private Catholic university founded in 1939 by the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell. It opened as Caldwell College for Women, giving women access to higher education grounded in the Dominican tradition of study and service.
The institution later became coeducational and adopted the name Caldwell University in 2014. Those changes help explain its present mix of undergraduate and graduate programs: it retains a religious identity while enrolling students across a range of academic and professional fields. Applicants comparing older records with current university information may encounter both the Caldwell College and Caldwell University names.
Caldwell University offers undergraduate and graduate study in the liberal arts, sciences, business, education, health fields, and other professional disciplines. Its academic organization includes schools focused on arts and sciences, business and computer science, education, and nursing and public health.
Representative undergraduate fields include biology, psychology, criminal justice, business, computer science, education, and nursing. Graduate options include education and health-related study, among other fields. For applicants, the relevant distinction is the specific credential: admission to the university does not necessarily mean admission to a selective major or clinical placement. Nursing, teacher preparation, and other professionally oriented programs may have separate progression, fieldwork, or licensure requirements.
The reported student-to-faculty ratio is 12 to 1. That institution-wide measure describes enrollment relative to faculty; it does not predict the size of a particular course, laboratory, or clinical group.
Caldwell University is in Caldwell, New Jersey, in suburban Essex County. Its location gives students a campus outside a major city while keeping Newark and the wider New York metropolitan area within regional reach.
Commuting is a significant part of the campus experience: approximately 70% of students commute, according to the reported housing profile. Students planning to travel regularly should compare their actual route and class schedule with available public transportation, since a regional connection does not necessarily make every trip convenient. Newark Liberty International Airport is the nearest major airport and may be useful for students traveling longer distances.
Caldwell University describes its educational mission through its Catholic and Dominican identity, with an emphasis on liberal arts learning, intellectual inquiry, ethical judgment, and service. These are the university's stated priorities, not independently measured outcomes for every student.
The Dominican affiliation is part of the institution's history and campus identity, but prospective students need not assume that every academic program is religious in content. Applicants who want to know how the mission affects their education should examine the current core curriculum, service opportunities, and any religious-studies requirements for their intended degree.
Name of the institution
Caldwell UniversityLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
Suburb: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
1,000 - 4,999Religious affiliation
Catholic (Roman Catholic Church)School type
UniversityMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersFoundation year
1939Caldwell University is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Certificate of less than 1 year
Certificate of at least 1 year, but less than 2 years
Bachelor's degree
Postbaccalaureate certificate
Master's degree
Post-master's certificate
Doctor's degree - research/scholarshipData last updated on November 5, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.