Kent State freshman class largest since before COVID-19 but overall enrollment down

Kent State University’s Class of 2026 has arrived on the Kent campus in strong numbers – 4,251 to be exact, an increase of nearly 7% over the previous year.

However, KSU's total dropped by 2.2% on the main campus and 4.5% systemwide.

KSU spokesman Eric Mansfield said the main campus enrollment fell from 25,630 to 25,007 students this fall. When regional campuses are included, enrollment dropped by 4.5%. Total enrollment at all campuses at is 33,209, down from 34,761 last year

KSU said this is the largest class since before the pandemic and the eighth-largest incoming class in the university’s 112-year history.

The newest Golden Flashes boast an average high school GPA of 3.5 and hail from 39 states, Washington, D.C. and 31 countries.

“Our entire student body is ready to thrive with a more normal, pre-pandemic feel to the college experience, and our first-year students have arrived with tremendous energy and a focus on making the most of their time here at Kent State,” Kent State President Todd Diacon said in a prepared statement.

First-generation students make up 34% of the freshman class, and a record 19% are from underrepresented groups, including African American, Hispanic, Native American and multiracial students.

One-in-seven students is a member of the largest incoming group of new students to ever be accepted into Kent State’s Honors College. This program enrolls students who have demonstrated the potential for significant academic and creative ability in high school by taking rigorous coursework such as AP, IB, honors or college credit, along with other activities and leadership experiences.

Kent State’s first-year class also includes 93 international students, more than double the previous year. These students are part of a 19% increase in the total number of international students studying at the Kent campus; this includes nearly 1,000 graduate students, a 43% increase from the previous year.

“The world has taken notice of the outstanding educational opportunities Kent State has to offer,” said Sean Broghammer, KSU'S vice president for enrollment management. “Our office of global education has successfully shared the good news around the globe that we have much to offer for students seeking a degree in the United States.”

Diacon said the Kent campus graduation rate reached 65.8% last year, the second-highest rate since 2000.

KSU has 8,132 students at its seven regional campuses: 1,052 at the Ashtabula campus, 429 at the East Liverpool campus, 1,272 at the Geauga campus, 790 at the Salem campus, 2,440 at Stark, 977 at Trumbull and 1,172 at the Tuscarawas campus. Although overall regional campus enrollment had dropped slightly, it was not immediately clear whether freshman enrollment had increased as it had at the Kent campus.

Kent State has a retention rate of 78.5% of returning students to the Kent Campus. KSU credits its student support services designed to help students every step of the way.

Altogether, the university’s current enrollment includes students from all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and nearly 100 countries.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: KSU says freshman class is largest since before pandemic