Highly Regarded

Union has a highly regarded public school system. There are seven elementary schools: Battle Hill, Central Five/Jefferson, Connecticut Farms, Franklin, Hannah Caldwell, Livingston, Washington. Full-day kindergarten and a 2.5 hour pre-kindergarten is offered. Union has two middle schools, Burnet and Kawameeh, and one high school, Union High. The system provides over 8,000 students with rigorous academic challenges and limitless opportunities.

In addition, Union hosts Kean University — one of New Jersey’s nine state universities. Kean occupies 150 acres in Union and Hillside Townships, and offers 48 undergraduate and 28 graduate degree programs to serve more than 13,000 students. With four undergraduate colleges and the Nathan Weiss Graduate College, Kean’s academic programs cover an exceptional range of disciplines. In 2001, TIME magazine highlighted the university in its “Colleges of the Year” issue. TIME judged Kean as having superior programs aimed at helping freshmen successfully adapt to college life. Kean has 1,200 on-campus residents with an average class size of 21 students.

The area is also served by Union County College, the oldest community college in New Jersey. Union County College has four campuses that boast advanced data and voice infrastructures, supporting the latest in computer hardware and software. Union County College offers 89 programs of study, and gives students the chance to participate in a wide range of activities, including a five-star chapter of the honor society of Phi Theta Kappa, an award-winning student newspaper, a modern fitness center, and a range of athletic programs.