Kent State University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 86%, Kent State University is an accessible public university in Ohio. Because it admits most qualified applicants, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what Kent State University weighs, where it ranks among Ohio schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1180, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Kent State University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Kent State University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Kent State University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Kent State University?
Kent State University admits most qualified applicants (around 86%), but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Kent State University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Kent State University hard to get into?
Kent State University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 86% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Kent State University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Kent State University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Kent State University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
How to get into Kent State University
Built from Kent State University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Here is how to get into Kent State University, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Kent State University carries about a 3.05 core GPA and a 1190 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1010 to 1240 SAT (18 to 25 ACT). Submit a score at 1125 or higher; below 1010, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Kent State University rates academic GPA and state residency highest. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Kent State University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.kent.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Kent State University, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, Kent State University received 22,365 applications and admitted 19,379, an acceptance rate of 86.6%. 4,278 enrolled. Only about 22% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Kent State University enrolls about 19,320 undergraduates in total, 62% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 20 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Kent State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Kent State University scored between 1010 and 1240 on the SAT (average 1099). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 18 to 25. A score above 1240 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1010 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Kent State University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Kent State University looks for
What Kent State University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, modeled from its selectivity and profile.
In its review, Kent State University leans most on academic GPA and state residency. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. The full breakdown is charted below; with no reported data published, it is modeled from schools of this selectivity and type, so treat it as a planning guide rather than an official rubric.
SAT score positioning at Kent State University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Kent State University cost after financial aid?
Kent State University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $30,567 per year. Tuition and fees are $13,232 for OH residents and $23,082 for out-of-state students, a $9,850 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $20,787 a year, and it ranges from $15,280 for families earning under $30,000 to $26,278 for families earning over $110,000. 29% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Kent State University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Kent State University student who received federal aid earns $45,388 a year, up from $40,179 at six years. 64% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 81% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $24,500; 50% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Kent State University compares in Ohio
Kent State University ranks #39 most selective of 45 schools in Ohio in our database.
Among the 45 Ohio schools we track, Kent State University ranks #39 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Denison University (17%) and Kenyon College (31%) sit nearby, which makes Ohio a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Kent State University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around Kent State University with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Ball State University, East Tennessee State University, and Lamar University. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kent State University's acceptance rate?
Kent State University admitted 19,379 of 22,365 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 86.6% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 22% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Kent State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1010 to 1240 on the SAT and 18 to 25 on the ACT. A score above 1240 is in the top quarter of admits. Kent State University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Kent State University test-optional?
Yes. Kent State University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Kent State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Kent State University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $20,787 a year against a sticker price of about $30,567. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $15,280 on average.
What do Kent State University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Kent State University are $45,388 a year among students who received federal aid, and 64% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Kent State University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Kent State University weighs academic GPA and state residency most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Kent State University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Kent State University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Kent State University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Kent State University specifically.
How does residency affect admission to Kent State University?
As a public university, Kent State University typically admits in-state students at a higher rate, and tuition differs sharply by residency. Select your home state in the calculator to fold the in-state effect into your estimate.
What are the admission requirements for Kent State University?
Kent State University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.