Kent State University-Salem Campus

Kent State University (also known as Kent, Kent State, or KSU) is one of America’s largest university systems, the third largest university in Ohio and the largest residential university in northeast Ohio. From its roots as one of Ohio’s original four-corner universities, Kent State University focuses on teaching and research excellence to serve the public good. Kent State distinguishes itself as a magnet for high-achieving students. Kent State is a traditional, selective, residential public research university while its seven regional campuses serve multicounty regions of Northeast Ohio. The eight campuses provide extensive access to degree programs from the associate to doctoratal and medical degrees. The university’s academic programs and facilities attract students, faculty, and visitors from across the nation and the world.

Kent State is centered in Kent, Ohio, United States, about southeast of Cleveland, northeast of Akron, and northwest of Youngstown. With 34,056 students across eight campuses, Kent State is one of the largest employers in northeast Ohio.

History

In 1910, the Kent State Normal School was established as a college for training public school teachers as part of the Lowry bill which also created a sister school in Bowling Green, Ohio, now known as Bowling Green State University. The new school was constructed on land donated by William S. Kent (grandson of Marvin Kent, the namesake for the city of Kent) in what was then the eastern edge of Kent. The first president was John Edward McGilvrey, who served from 1912 to 1926. By 1915, the school was named Kent State Normal College, then Kent State College (after it was authorized to issue Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees, and Kent State University in 1935 when it received university status by Governor Martin L. Davey, a native of Kent.

In 1967, Kent State became the first university to run an independent, student-operated Campus Bus Service. It was unique in that it provided jobs for students, receiving funding from student fees rather than bus fares. Campus Bus Service was the largest such operation in the country until it was sold to the Portage Area Transportation Authority (PARTA) in 2004.

Kent State University (also known as Kent, Kent State, or KSU) is one of America’s largest university systems, the third largest university in Ohio and the largest residential university in northeast Ohio. From its roots as one of Ohio’s original four-corner universities, Kent State University focuses on teaching and research excellence to serve the public good. Kent State distinguishes itself as a magnet for high-achieving students. Kent State is a traditional, selective, residential public research university while its seven regional campuses serve multicounty regions of Northeast Ohio. The eight campuses provide extensive access to degree programs from the associate to doctoratal and medical degrees. The university’s academic programs and facilities attract students, faculty, and visitors from across the nation and the world.