Meet the Class of 2022
The Kent Campus looks a bit more crowded these days. The 4,363 first-year students who arrived on the campus this fall are the largest class in university history, with 100 more students than a year ago and topping the previous record high in 2016.
But that’s not the only thing noteworthy about them—the new class also reached record highs in academic quality, with an average GPA of 3.4 and average ACT score of 23.5. Nearly half of the new freshmen came with more than 16 college credits—the equivalent of a full semester—from courses they completed in high school.
In addition to the growing number of first-year students, the number of out-of-state students rose nearly 10 percent this year. And the number of first-generation students also rose, up nearly 7 percent compared to last year.
The class size for underrepresented freshmen also set records as one of the largest in history, and the success gap between underrepresented and non-underrepresented is closing with the help of improved retention rates, up nearly a percentage point.
This year’s freshman class also saw an increase in international students. Students on the Kent Campus come from 28 countries, with the top four foreign countries being China, Brazil, India and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, classes began at the American Academy, a new partnership between Kent State and Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, a major university in Brazil, for students who want a global experience while earning their degree.
Areas of enrollment growth also include a spike in undergraduate and graduate students in Kent State’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design and the College of Public Health.
Enrollment on the campuses of Kent State University at Ashtabula, Kent State University at Trumbull and Kent State University at Tuscarawas also improved.
—Kristin Anderson
- 1st Generation Student - 35%
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Top Colleges Enrolled: Arts and Science 24%
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The Arts 13%, Top majors enrolled: Exploratory 12%, Nursing 8%
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Students Enrolled 20,091 Total Applications
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Average ACT 23.5, Average GPA 3.4
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Shortest Distance (Bike): Kent Ohio to Furthest Distance (Plane): Australia
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15% in the Top 10% of their high school class
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35% Male and 65% Female
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Ethnicity Pacific is 0.1%, Native American 0.2%, Asian 1.7%, Intl 2.0, Mixed 3.2%, Unknown 3.4%, Hispanic 3.9%, Black 10.2%, White 75.4%
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28 Countries - Top Four: The People's Republic China, Brazil, India and Saudi Arabia