Kent State University campus
Kent, United States
Photo: Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA)

Kent State University

Kent·university

#1001-1200

QS Rank

80%

Acceptance rate

$23,590

Tuition/yr

35,000

Enrollment

About Kent State University

Public research university in Ohio. Strong business, education, and STEM programs.

Kent State University is a public research university founded in 1910 in Kent, Ohio, approximately 40 miles south of Cleveland. It enrolls around 21,700 students across its main campus, with roughly 1,900 international students from nearly 100 countries.

The university holds particular global distinction through its Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, whose research underpins the flat-panel display industry. Its School of Fashion is ranked among the top five fashion graduate programs in the United States, and its undergraduate engineering program (non-doctorate) ranked No. 46 nationally in the 2026 U.S. News rankings, a 16-spot improvement. Business, nursing, computer science, and journalism round out its stronger undergraduate offerings.

The main campus in Kent spans a mid-sized college town setting in northeastern Ohio. Kent State is the highest-ranked public university in northern Ohio per U.S. News, sitting at No. 232 among all national universities and No. 129 among public institutions in the 2026 edition.

World University Rankings

QS World University Rankings (2026)#1001-1200
US News Best Global Universities (2025)##232

Campus & Location

Province

OH

Campus setting

Suburban

Cost of living: Housing: USD 750–1,200/mo. Food: USD 320–500/mo. Northeast Ohio college town; very affordable. KSU fashion and nursing programmes are nationally known.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

All graduates from CRICOS-registered programs qualify for 12-month Optional Practical Training (OPT). STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total of US work authorisation.

For Nepali students

  • Kent State has a documented Nepali student community, the university has publicly featured groups of Nepali students in engineering, computer science, biotechnology, and business, making it easier to find a peer network from day one.
  • International undergraduate tuition is approximately $23,590 per year (2025–2026), placing it in the affordable tier among U.S. public research universities; the university reports merit scholarships that can collectively cover up to $68,000 over four years for eligible international students.
  • STEM-designated programs in engineering, computer science, and related fields qualify graduates for the 3-year OPT STEM extension, giving Nepali graduates up to three years of US work authorization after completing their degree.
  • The university's strengths in engineering, nursing, and applied sciences align well with the most in-demand fields among Nepali students, and its social mobility ranking signals an institutional track record of supporting students from lower-income and first-generation backgrounds.

Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents

A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:

GPA 3.060%+ in NEB +2, B+ average in Cambridge A-levels, or Second Division in a TU bachelor's degree.
GPA 3.370%+ in NEB +2 or First Division in a TU bachelor's degree.
GPA 3.675%+ in NEB +2 or First Division with Distinction in a TU bachelor's degree.
IELTS 6.5The most common graduate minimum — achievable with 2–3 months of focused preparation. IELTS 7.0+ needed for the most competitive programs.

Use our GPA converter to translate your exact score to the 4.0 scale.

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Data last verified: 2026-06-18 · Source: https://www.kent.edu. Information may change — verify with Kent State University’s official website before applying.