U.S. News & World Report has once again confirmed Kent State University’s academic strengths with the university’s inclusion on several lists in the 2025 Best Colleges rankings.
In the newly released rankings, Kent State continues to be recognized among the Top Public Schools in the nation. Kent State ranks No. 126 among U.S. public institutions and is the highest-ranked institution in northern Ohio on the list.
“Kent State continues to demonstrate its excellence as a top public institution and premier national university, as evidenced by these latest rankings,” Kent State President Todd Diacon said. “This recognition reaffirms our ongoing dedication to providing accessible, high-quality education and fostering an environment where our students, faculty and staff can thrive and achieve remarkable success.”
Diacon added that the new U.S. News Best Colleges rankings complement another key study by Money that ranked Kent State as the most affordable college in Ohio in its 2024 Best Colleges analysis.
“That affirmation of the return on investment in a Kent State education is what families in Ohio and beyond need to know,” Diacon said.
Kent State also is named to the Best National Universities list in the 2025 Best Colleges rankings. Kent State ranks No. 231 among all national public and private universities. Kent State is again the highest-ranked public institution in northern Ohio on the Best National Universities list.
Kent State is recognized on numerous lists in the 2025 Best Colleges edition with two programs ranking in the top 100 among all private and public institutions in the country. Kent State is the highest-ranked public institution in northern Ohio on the Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (Non-Doctorate) list, moving up an impressive 24 spots compared to last year’s list to now rank at No. 62 in the nation. Kent State also continues to be the highest-ranked public institution in northern Ohio on the Best Undergraduate Nursing Programs list, ranking at No. 96.
Kent State’s academic programs are also recognized on the Best Undergraduate Business Programs list (the highest-ranked public institution in Northeast Ohio), the Best Undergraduate Psychology Programs list (the highest-ranked public institution in Northeast Ohio), the Best Undergraduate Economics Programs list (the highest-ranked public institution in Northeast Ohio) and the Best Undergraduate Computer Science Programs list (the highest-ranked public institution in northern Ohio).
Among national universities, Kent State is also included on the Top Performers on Social Mobility list. This list measures how well schools graduated economically disadvantaged students.
Kent State’s impressive rankings and strong reputation help attract prospective students to visit campus and experience the university’s welcoming community firsthand.
This latest edition of the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings, now in its 40th year, evaluates nearly 1,500 national colleges and universities on up to 17 measures of academic quality and places an emphasis on social mobility and outcomes for graduating college students. For more information about the U.S. News 2025 Best Colleges rankings, visit www.usnews.com/best-colleges.
For more information about Kent State, visit www.kent.edu.
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Photo Caption:
New Kent State University students wave rally towels and cheer during 2024 Convocation.
Media Contacts:
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595