Moody's Affirms Seton Hall's Baa1 Credit Rating, Outlook Stable

Seton Hall University has once again demonstrated its financial resilience and strategic strength, as Moody’s Ratings affirmed the University’s Baa1 issuer and revenue bond ratings, maintaining a stable outlook. This affirmation underscores Seton Hall’s prudent financial management, consistent operating cash flow and strong liquidity position in the face of ongoing challenges in the higher education sector.

Moody’s cited several key factors contributing to the affirmation, including Seton Hall’s solid wealth and liquidity, its strong brand as a premier Catholic university and its consistently positive operating performance. The university has successfully maintained an average EBIDA margin of 13 percent from fiscal years 2020 through 2024, reflecting disciplined financial oversight and revenue growth through strategic investments in academic programs and facilities.

“Given the overall higher education economic environment, we are pleased with their rating,” said interim vice president for finance and chief financial officer Edward J. Bishof Sr. ’80/M.B.A. ’88. “This affirmation reflects the University’s ongoing commitment to financial sustainability, strategic growth and maintaining the high-quality educational experience that Seton Hall is known for.”

Despite sector-wide demographic shifts and increasing reliance on tuition revenue, Seton Hall remains well-positioned due to its strategic planning and investment in academic excellence. Seton Hall’s stable outlook reflects Moody’s confidence in the university’s ability to sustain steady enrollment, maintain its firm financial footing and continue enhancing its academic offerings. The rating agency also highlighted that enhanced liquidity, increased donor support and continued financial discipline could contribute to future upgrades.

Moody’s affirmation reflects Seton Hall University’s financial stability and strategic planning amid the changing dynamics of the higher education sector. The university’s ability to maintain its credit rating underscores its fiscal management and long-term sustainability.

An online version of the press release is available, here.

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, US News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek. Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and a more than110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be among the most diverse national Catholic universities in the country. A new independent economic analysis of the University found that Seton Hall provides a significant impact on New Jersey's economy, totaling over $1.6 billion annually and creating and sustaining nearly 10,000 jobs. In recent years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. The University's beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, is only 14 miles from New York City -- offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall's nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, New Jersey, houses Seton Hall’s College of Nursing, its School of Health and Medical Sciences as well as the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. For more information, visit www.shu.edu.