Caldwell University Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
FOUNDED IN 1939 BY THE SISTERS OF SAINT DOMINIC, CALDWELL UNIVERSITY PROMOTES INTELLECTUAL, SPIRITUAL, AND AESTHETIC GROWTH TO A DIVERSE POPULATION AND WELCOMES ALL CULTURES AND FAITH TRADITIONS. INSPIRED BY ST. DOMINIC DE GUZMAN AND OUR CATHOLIC HERITAGE, WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS AND PREPARE THEM THROUGH THE LIBERAL ARTS AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES TO THINK CRITICALLY, PURSUE TRUTH, AND CONTRIBUTE TO A JUST SOCIETY.
- Income
- $85.3 million
- Spending
- $85.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- -1.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 90%
- Employees
- 923
- Volunteers
- 24
- Highest pay
- $449,803, president
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 48 out of 100. Higher than 29% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 48% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 0% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 14% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 22 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2522 of 23 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $72.6 million spent. IN THE FALL 2024 TERM, THE UNIVERSITY SERVED A DIVERSE BODY OF 16,177 UNDERGRADUATE AND 388 GRADUATE STUDENTS. SEVENTEEN PERCENT OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AS BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN, TWENTY-SIX PERCENT AS HISPANIC OF ANY RACE, FOUR PERCENT AS ASIAN, AND ONE PERCENT AS MULTIRACIAL. CALDWELL UNIVERSITY WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AS A HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION IN MARCH 2020. WOMEN COMPRISE FIFTY-NINE PERCENT OF THE UNIVERSITY'S UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS.TWENTY-TWO PERCENT OF CALDWELL STUDENTS ARE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS REPRESENTING THIRTY-NINE COUNTRIES, INCLUDING A SIZEABLE GROUP OF STUDENTS FROM NEPAL. FOUR HUNDRED EIGHTY-EIGHT STUDENTS LIVE ON CAMPUS. A 12:1 STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO HIGHLIGHTS THE INDIVIDUALIZED MENTORSHIP AND INSTRUCTION THAT CHARACTERIZE A CALDWELL EDUCATION. TO ENABLE ACCESS TO THE UNIVERSITY FOR ALL DESERVING STUDENTS, CALDWELL CONTRIBUTED OVER $39M OF TOTAL FINANCIAL AID FOR SCHOLARSHIPS, GRANTS, AND OTHER AID. NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT OF STUDENTS RECEIVE SOME TYPE OF FINANCIAL AID (FEDERAL, STATE, LOANS, INSTITUTIONAL, AND/OR PRIVATE). STUDENTS CHOOSE CALDWELL BECAUSE OF ITS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PROGRAMS; SMALL CLASS SIZES; LOW TUITION; GENEROUS FINANCIAL AID; SECURE AND BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS; EMPHASIS ON DEVELOPING GLOBAL CITIZENS; PERSONALIZED ATTENTION AND ADVISING; VIBRANT STUDENT CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES; CONVENIENT AND FLEXIBLE CLASS SCHEDULES; STRONG ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES; AND A LOCATION IN ONE OF NEW JERSEY'S BEST TOWNS WITH CLOSE PROXIMITY TO NEW YORK CITY. NINETY-FIVE PERCENT OF RECENT BACHELOR'S DEGREE EARNERS ARE WORKING OR ENROLLED IN FURTHER EDUCATION. CALDWELL OFFERS OVER THIRTY UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS AND OVER THIRTY GRADUATE DEGREE AND CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING DOCTORAL PROGRAMS IN EDUCATION LEADERSHIP AND A DOCTORAL PROGRAM IN APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS, THE FIRST IN NEW JERSEY. NEW ACADEMIC PROGRAMS ADDED INCLUDE A RANGE OF PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATES IN BUSINESS AND COMMUNICATIONS FIELDS. RECENT ATHLETIC AND STUDENT LIFE PROGRAMS LAUNCHED RECENTLY INCLUDE MEN'S RUGBY AND WOMEN'S ACROBATIC AND TUMBLING HAVE PROVEN POPULAR. ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AND SERVICES INCLUDE PROFESSIONAL AND PEER TUTORING; ACADEMIC COACHING; CAREER DEVELOPMENT SERVICES; A LEARNING COMMUNITY FOR UNDERPREPARED STUDENTS; AN HONORS PROGRAM; ACADEMIC INTERNSHIPS; AND THE EOF MENTORING AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS FROM DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS. CALDWELL WAS REACCREDITED IN 2025 BY THE MIDDLE STATES COMMISSION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION. SPECIALIZED ACCREDITATION FURTHER ATTESTS TO PROGRAM QUALITY AND VIGOR, PROVIDING GRADUATES WITH A DIFFERENTIATED CAREER CREDENTIAL AND ENABLING THEM TO STAND OUT COMPETITIVELY DURING HIRING AND ACCEPTANCE INTO ADVANCED DEGREE PROGRAMS. SPECIALIZED ACCREDITORS THAT HAVE AWARDED ACCREDITATION TO CALDWELL'S PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE ACCREDITATION COUNCIL FOR BUSINESS SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS; COUNCIL FOR ACCREDITATION OF COUNSELING AND RELATED EDUCATION PROGRAMS; TEACHER EDUCATION ACCREDITATION COUNCIL; COMMISSION ON COLLEGIATE NURSING EDUCATION, COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION OF ALLIED HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND THE ASSOCIATION FOR BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS INTERNATIONAL. CALDWELL OFFERS ONE OF ONLY TWO CACREP-ACCREDITED ART THERAPY PROGRAMS IN THE NATION. CALDWELL IS A LEADER IN APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS, A SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINE KNOWN TO HELP CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS. THE COLLEGE'S STATE-OF-THE-ART AUTISM CENTER BENEFITS CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES IN NEW JERSEY.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Worth knowing.
Not individually listed by the IRS as eligible, which is usual for local chapters covered by a parent organization's exemption. The master file records contributions to it as deductible.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1946.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
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