Kent State University at Kent

Public · Moderately Selective · OH

Photo: David Wilson (CC BY 2.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationOH · Midwest

SettingSuburban

Undergrads19,320

Student:faculty20:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate49%

6-yr grad rate63.7%

Drop-out rate19.1%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$13k

Out-of-state tuition$23k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity27%

Gender diversity62%

International4%

Identity—

Overview

Kent State is a public research university in northeast Ohio built around a distinctive mix of programs — an unusually strong fashion school for a public institution, aeronautics with its own airport, and a long-respected journalism school — alongside the deep historical weight of being the site of the May 4, 1970 shootings, a history the university actively commemorates rather than treats as background.

Academics

The Kent State University Fashion School is the program's biggest academic differentiator, running its own on-campus museum and offering study opportunities in New York City and Paris that give students industry access rare at a public university of this size. Aeronautics students train through the university's own College of Aeronautics and Engineering, using Kent State's own airport rather than an outside partner, and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication has a long track record producing working reporters and editors across print and broadcast. Nursing benefits from strong regional hospital partnerships. Curriculum style is generally practical and major-focused rather than heavily open-curriculum.

Campus & student life

The Kent campus in northeast Ohio has a classic college-town feel, with a mix of residential and commuter students and a strong draw from across Ohio. The May 4 Memorial and Visitors Center are a permanent, visible part of campus, and the events of 1970 are marked with an annual commemoration rather than a quiet plaque — it shapes the university's identity in a way few campus histories do. Golden Flashes athletics compete in the Mid-American Conference, giving campus a solid if not marquee Division I sports culture, and the fashion program's museum and runway shows add a genuine creative-arts energy to student life beyond athletics.

Getting in

Admission is generally accessible, with the fashion school and journalism program sometimes drawing more competitive, portfolio- or interest-driven applicants than the university average — fashion applicants in particular benefit from showing real design or merchandising interest beyond grades alone. The broader undergraduate process is largely credentials-based rather than essay-heavy, consistent with Kent State's role as a large regional public research university serving Ohio students first.

After graduation

Fashion school graduates go on to design, merchandising, and buying roles in New York and beyond, aided by the program's NYC study connections. Journalism graduates have a long track record in regional and national newsrooms. Aeronautics graduates move into commercial aviation and flight instruction, and nursing graduates are well placed with northeast Ohio hospital systems.

Worth knowing

Prospective students and families should know the May 4 history is not treated as a footnote — the memorial and visitors center are active parts of campus life and orientation, and it's worth understanding that history before enrolling. The fashion school's NYC and Paris programs are a genuine differentiator worth asking about directly, since they're less universally known than the university's overall reputation.

kent.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate86.3%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1010–1240 · ACT 18–25

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying