Kent State University at Kent
Kent, Ohio · Public · 86.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 30/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Kent State University at Kent scores 30 (Below Benchmark). The headline numbers are moderate in isolation - $13,232 in-state tuition, 63.7% completion rate (66/100, the strongest sub-score), $24,500 median debt - but they combine to produce weak ROI: a 21.5-year payback period (24/100), 0.731 debt-to-earnings ratio (23/100), and 66% three-year repayment rate (29/100) all signal a real problem. The 0.125 earnings premium (23/100) is the structural weakness: Kent State graduates don't out-earn high-school workers by enough to justify the cost structure. Kent enrolls 19,320 students with a 28.5% Pell rate. The program-level data shows the typical pattern: nursing, construction management, CS, and accounting produce B grades; the large humanities, education, and arts cohorts produce D and F grades. Kent's reputation in fashion, journalism, and design means many students choose lower-ROI majors here.
How Kent State University at Kent scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score30/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period21.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Kent State University at Kent
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $13,232/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $23,082/yr |
| Average net price | $20,787/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $83,148 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $45,388 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $33,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $260 |
| Estimated payback period | 21.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 63.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 19,320 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $13,232/year ($23,082/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $20,787/year, or roughly $83,148 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $15,280/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $26,278/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $24,500, which works out to about $260 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($33,500) and comes to 0.73, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $15,280 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $15,718 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $17,296 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $23,685 |
| $110,001+ | $26,278 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $15,280 net, with mild bracket inversion: $30,001-$48,000 pays $15,718, slightly more. Pell stacking helps but cannot fully offset the schoolwide 0.731 debt-to-earnings strain. The math works for completers in nursing or CS; it struggles in humanities.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Households earning $48,001-$75,000 pay $17,296 and $75,001-$110,000 pay $23,685. The middle-to-upper-middle income step-up is steep. Middle-income four-year cost of $69,184 to $94,740 against $45,388 in 10-year earnings is workable only in STEM, applied-professional, or business majors.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $26,278 net, or $105,112 over four years. Out-of-state full-pay Kent State students face the steepest value gap.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Kent State University at Kent with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $78,263 | B |
| Psychology | $42,328 | D |
| Design and Applied Arts | $56,540 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $62,265 | C |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | $61,055 | C |
| Teacher Education | $41,717 | D |
| Marketing | $63,440 | C |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $48,569 | D |
| Finance and Financial Management | $71,330 | C+ |
| Communication and Media Studies | $49,375 | D |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is Kent State's largest applied-professional program with 471 graduates, $66,990 first-year and $78,263 four-year earnings against $26,250 debt for a 0.392 debt-to-earnings ratio and B grade. Ohio healthcare market is strong, and Kent's BSN pipeline absorbs graduates well at Cleveland-area hospitals. Most reliable major economically.
Construction Management
Construction Management produces 52 graduates with $64,652 first-year and $89,959 four-year earnings against $24,041 debt for a 0.372 debt-to-earnings ratio and B grade. Strong Ohio infrastructure-spending environment absorbs graduates well. Among the school's best non-nursing economic outcomes.
Computer Science
Computer Science has 81 graduates with $60,051 first-year and $91,614 four-year earnings against $25,000 debt for a 0.416 debt-to-earnings ratio and B grade. Cleveland and Akron tech-sector placement supports the year-4 earnings jump. Solid STEM choice.
Design and Applied Arts
Design and Applied Arts has 261 graduates (one of Kent's largest programs reflecting the school's fashion-design and graphic-design reputation), but produces a D grade: $36,351 first-year and $56,540 four-year earnings against $26,000 debt for a 0.715 debt-to-earnings ratio. Top-portfolio students substantially outperform the median.
Psychology
Psychology has 353 graduates (one of Kent's largest) with $28,474 first-year and $42,328 four-year earnings against $25,000 debt for a 0.878 debt-to-earnings ratio and D grade. The familiar pre-grad-school terminal-degree problem. The high graduate count signals many students use this as a default major without clear post-grad plans, which produces weak terminal-degree economics.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 60.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 66.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 51.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 62.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Kent State University at Kent’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 86.3% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 500-610 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 510-630 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-25 |
| Enrollment | 19,320 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 28.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $10,622 |
Kent State admits 86.3% of applicants with SAT mid-ranges of 500-610 math and 510-630 reading, and ACT mid-range 18-25. The 63.7% completion rate fits a pattern in which prepared students complete and succeed in stronger-earning majors, while underprepared students often persist in humanities and arts programs with weaker outcomes.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Kent State's completion rate is 63.7%.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent State University at Kent (this school) | 30 | $20,787 | $45,388 |
| University of Akron Wayne College | 48 | $6,032 | $46,600 |
| Boise State University | 45 | $21,610 | $51,658 |
| University of Akron Main Campus | 38 | $13,946 | $46,600 |
| East Tennessee State University | 35 | $15,983 | $44,859 |
| New Mexico State University-Main Campus | 31 | $8,889 | $39,067 |
Who Thrives Here
Kent State fits Ohio residents qualifying for in-state tuition, committed to majors in nursing, construction management, accounting, computer science, or business, and able to keep net price near the $15,000-$17,000 range through Pell and OCOG stacking. With 19,320 students and 28.5% Pell, the school is mid-sized and predominantly middle-income. Out-of-state students paying $23,082 tuition get an even weaker deal.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Kent State University at Kent scores 30/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,787 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $45,388 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 21.5 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.73 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 66.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $24,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $33,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.73. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Kent State University at Kent: Common Questions
Is Kent State University at Kent worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Kent State University at Kent scores 30/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,787 a year after aid against $45,388 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 21.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Kent State University at Kent cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $20,787 a year, or roughly $83,148 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Kent State University at Kent graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $45,388 ten years after enrolling, roughly $3,588 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Kent State University at Kent?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 21.5 years for Kent State University at Kent. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Kent State University at Kent graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $24,500, against average earnings of $33,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.73. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Kent State University at Kent?
The six-year graduation rate is 63.7%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.