Kent State University

ABOUT UNIVERSITY

Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1910 as a normal school for teacher education, the institution began holding classes in 1912 in temporary facilities before opening its first permanent buildings in 1913. Over time, it expanded significantly in both size and academic scope. Today, the university operates an eight-campus system across Northeast Ohio, including its main campus in Kent and seven regional campuses in Ashtabula, Burton, East Liverpool, Jackson Township, New Philadelphia, Salem, and Warren, along with additional facilities in Cleveland, Independence, Twinsburg, New York City, and Florence, Italy. The Kent campus spans more than 1,000 acres and includes 119 buildings. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the university gained international attention for student activism opposing U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, particularly following the tragic Kent State shootings in 1970. As of 2022, Kent State is the third-largest university in Ohio, enrolling more than 34,000 students across its eight campuses, with over 25,000 at the main campus alone. The university offers more than 300 degree programs, including associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. It is a member of the University System of Ohio and is classified as an R1 institution for very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.