[9] Like many Catholic universities in the United States, Seton Hall arose out of the Council of Baltimore, held in Maryland in 1844, with the goal of bringing Catholicism to higher education in order to help propagate the faith.

[10] The Diocese of Newark had been established by Pope Pius IX in 1853, just three years before the founding of the college, and it necessitated an institution for higher learning.

Initially, Seton Hall had only five students – Leo G. Thebaud, Louis and Alfred Boisaubin, Peter Meehan, and John Moore.

[10] By the 1860s, Seton Hall College was continuing its rapid growth and began to enroll more and more students each year.

During the 19th century, despite setbacks, financially tight times, and the American Civil War, the college continued to expand.

The construction of the Walsh Gymnasium began as part of a project initiated in 1939 that would cost $600,000 (equivalent to $13.1 million in 2023).

Although the college, set up under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Newark, was a separate legal entity from the university, it had an interlocking board of trustees.

New ties were established with the private and industrial sectors, and a growing partnership developed with federal and state governments in creating programs for the economically and educationally disadvantaged.

In 1984, the Immaculate Conception Seminary returned to Seton Hall, its original home until 1926, when it moved to Darlington (a section of Mahwah centered on a grand mansion and estate).

After a three-and-a-half-year investigation, a 60-count indictment charged two freshmen students, Sean Ryan and Joseph LePore, with starting the fire and felony murder for the deaths that resulted.

[22] LePore and Ryan pleaded guilty to third-degree arson and were sentenced to five years in a youth correctional facility with eligibility for parole 16 months after the start of their prison terms.

On the 150th anniversary (1856–2006) of the university's founding, Seton Hall initiated the Ever Forward capital campaign to raise a total of $150 million.

The funds were directed to many areas throughout the university, however a majority went toward building and reconstructing campus facilities and historic sites.

In fall 2007, the university opened the new $35 million Science and Technology Center, completing one of the major campaign priorities ahead of schedule.

[24] On April 30, 2010, the archbishop John J. Myers expressed concern about a planned offering of a course on same-sex marriage at Seton Hall University, saying it "troubles me greatly".

An initial round of improvements totaling nearly $100 million concluded in 2014 with the opening of a new fitness center, academic building, parking garage, and an expansion of the Aquinas Hall dormitory.

[28][better source needed] Seton Hall announced the formation of two additional academic units in 2015 – the School of Medicine and the College of Communication and the Arts.

The Archbishop of Newark, who serves as the president of the board, retains the power to appoint the remaining five members of the body.

The main campus of Seton Hall University is situated on 58 acres (23 hectares) of suburban land on South Orange Avenue.

[34] Also since the beginning of the college, the South Orange Rail Station has served as an integral means to campus commuters.

[43] Additionally, Seton Hall celebrated Earth Day 2010, marking the event with demonstrations about composting and rainwater collection, a group hike, and an outdoor screening of the environmental documentary "HOME".

It is at the corner of Raymond Boulevard and McCarter Highway in the business and high-tech heart of downtown Newark, New Jersey and was completed in 1991.

[48] The IHS campus located in Nutley, New Jersey is dedicated to students seeking a career in health professions.

The original name of the Seton Hall University yearbook was title The White and Blue from 1924 to 1942, with the exception of 1940.

[64] The university seal combines attributes from the Bayley coat of arms and the Seton family crest.

Renowned crest-maker, William F. J. Ryan designed the current form of the Seton Hall crest, which is notable for its three crescents and three torteau.

Charles A. Byrne of the class of 1937 wrote the original lyrics[66] in 1936 and the university adopted the alma mater during the 1937 school year when the dean first read it to the student body.

[71] Seton Hall athletics is best known for its men's basketball program, which won the 1953 National Invitation Tournament (NIT); were the 1989 NCAA tournament national runners-up following a defeat to Michigan in the final, 80–79 in overtime; and are New Jersey's most successful representative during March Madness by number of wins.

Seton Hall also has club programs participating in ice hockey, rugby union, lacrosse, and men's volleyball and soccer.

[72] All Seton Hall sports have their home field on the South Orange campus except for the men's basketball team which currently plays at the Prudential Center in Newark after previously calling the Meadowlands home,[73] and the club ice hockey team which plays at Richard J. Codey Arena in West Orange.