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Downtown Kent 2013Photo: JonRidinger · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Kent

Kent is a college town: 37 of every 100 residents are students

Kent State University at Kent (21,683 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Ohio, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town37% of residents are studentsKent State University at Kent

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Kent. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
5
35,238 students on campus
Nearest college
1.1 mi
Kent State University at Kent
Residents in college
37%
Above OH (6%)
Nearest community college
19.4 mi
Stark State College · $4,790 tuition
Nearest public university
1.1 mi
Kent State University at Kent · $13,232 in-state
Students on campus in Kent
21,683
next to 27,737 residents

What stands out about college in Kent

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town37 of every 100 Kent residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.A university in KentKent State University at Kent has 21,683 students on campus in Kent, 64% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Kent State University at KentLiving in Ohio, Kent State University at Kent charges $13,232 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $23,082. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 19.4 miles awayStark State College in North Canton: tuition and fees $4,790 a year for Ohio residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Kent

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

37 of every 100 Kent residents are in college (OH: 6).

21,683students on campus at Kent State University at Kent, next to 27,737 residents (dorm students count as residents)
4,592college students live in Kent households rather than dorms
23.8median age · OH 39.7
55%of residents are women · OH 51% (±2.2 points)
59%of homes rented · OH 33%
$991median rent · 4% below the state
KentKent, OH
Cost of living$991/mo median rentB−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIB−HealthCDC estimatesBJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundBHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Kent’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income B

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 26.8% of Kent residents are below the poverty line, 17.2% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 6 points either way). 61% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living B−

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (37% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health B

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Kent’s median age is 23.8 (Ohio 39.7), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety B−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Kent

Two private colleges within 10.5 miles, and three public colleges within 9 miles.

5 mi10 mi15 miKent State University at KentUniversity of Akron Main CampusNortheast Ohio Medical UniversityKent
University or collegeCommunity college
Kent State University at KentUniversity or college · Public · 21,683 on campus · In Kent86%admitted$21knet price64%graduate$45kearningsEarnings are reported for all 8 campuses that file with it.Fortis College-Cuyahoga FallsUniversity or college · For-profit · 489 on campus · 5.5 mi · Cuyahoga Falls$23knet price47%graduate$35kearningsEarnings are reported for all 3 campuses that file with it.Northeast Ohio Medical UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 1,009 on campus · 6.9 mi · RootstownGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.University of Akron Main CampusUniversity or college · Public · 11,844 on campus · 9 mi · Akron60%admitted$14knet price52%graduate$47kearningsEarnings are reported for all 2 campuses that file with it.Herzing University-AkronUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 213 on campus · 10.5 mi · Akron95%admitted$19knet price19%graduate$37kearningsEarnings are reported for all 11 campuses that file with it.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $30–48k, where Kent’s median household income ($42,964) falls.

University of Akron Main Campus9 mi · Akron · sticker $26,284$10,131a year
Kent State University at KentIn Kent · sticker $30,567$15,718a year
Herzing University-Akron10.5 mi · Akron · sticker $27,417$18,858a year
Fortis College-Cuyahoga Falls5.5 mi · Cuyahoga Falls · sticker $30,500$26,314a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Kent: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Kent State University at KentFortis College-Cuyahoga FallsUniversity of Akron Main CampusHerzing University-Akron
Kent State University at Kent64% graduate$45k earnings*$24k typical debt
University of Akron Main Campus52% graduate$47k earnings*$23k typical debt
Fortis College-Cuyahoga Falls47% graduate$35k earnings*$13k typical debt
Herzing University-Akron19% graduate$37k earnings*$22k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Kent State University at Kent (8); Fortis College-Cuyahoga Falls (3); University of Akron Main Campus (2); Herzing University-Akron (11).

Majors

What students study in Kent

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Kent State University at Kent, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 21%Health professions 14%Visual & performing arts 8%Psychology 8%Education 8%Communication 6%Everything else 34%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing471 graduates a year
$78k4 yrs out
Psychology, General353 graduates a year
$42k4 yrs out
Design and Applied Arts261 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations255 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations232 graduates a year
$61k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods192 graduates a year
$42k4 yrs out
Marketing157 graduates a year
$63k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections155 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Kent

Is Kent a college town?

Yes. 37 of every 100 Kent residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Ohio. Kent State University at Kent has 21,683 students on campus, next to 27,737 residents.

What colleges are in Kent?

Kent State University at Kent is inside the city. Stark State College is 19.4 miles away in North Canton.

Why is Kent’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 26.8% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 17.2% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 6 points).

What is the closest community college to Kent, and what does it cost?

Stark State College in North Canton, 19.4 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,790 a year for Ohio residents; the federal net price, $5,986, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Kent State University at Kent?

Kent State University at Kent admitted 86% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,010–1,240 on the SAT.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Kent. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →