Kent State University At Kent

Kent State University at Kent's published cost of attendance is $30,567. Financial aid reshapes that figure across income levels: low-income families pay approximately $15,280, families in the lower-middle income band pay around $15,718, middle-income families pay about $17,296, families in the upper-middle income band pay approximately $23,685, and higher-income families pay around $26,278.

Azimuth ranks Kent State University At Kent #755 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

Kent State's aid structure combines federal, state, and institutional aid. The university participates in federal need-based programs (Pell Grants, Direct Loans) and state grant programs, with institutional aid layered on top to help close the gap between sticker price and what families pay.

Merit scholarships are also available for qualifying students. Most aid is need-based, though the specific mix of grants, loans, and work-study varies by individual financial circumstances.

Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $24,500, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $21,394; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $56,839, median federal debt of $24,500 projects to a monthly payment of about $277 under standard ten-year repayment.

For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of Kent State University At Kent earn median 4-year earnings of $56,839, placing Kent State University At Kent in the 31.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn at roughly the same level as similar students at comparable institutions, placing Kent State University At Kent in the 56.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth ranks Kent State University At Kent #831 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Kent State University At Kent also sits in the 9.2 percentile for median low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions, with low-income graduates earning $36,400.

The earnings pattern at Kent State University At Kent is anchored by Business, which forms the core of the institution's degree output. Nursing stands out as the highest aggregate-return major, combining meaningful cohort scale with solid median earnings four years after enrollment.

Among the top programs by graduate volume, Nursing leads with 533 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $78,263, and Azimuth ranks the program #192 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Psychology, General and Business Administration also enroll large cohorts — 343 and 276 graduates respectively — with median 4-year earnings of $42,328 and $62,265.

The On the higher-earning end, Design and Applied Arts program graduates 250 students with median 4-year earnings of $56,540, and Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations posts median 4-year earnings of $61,055 across 239 graduates.

Kent State University At Kent's program mix is anchored in Business, with meaningful enrollment across health, education, and applied professional fields — a signature consistent with a comprehensive public research university serving a broad regional student population in Ohio. The university's largest programs span Business (22% of graduates), Education (9%), and Arts (8%), reflecting a portfolio oriented toward stable, workforce-ready careers rather than a narrow research concentration.

Across 71 programs serving roughly 5,056 students annually, the institution offers breadth that supports diverse career pathways. The strongest financial outcomes cluster in applied business and technology-adjacent fields.

Nursing stands out as the program combining substantial cohort scale with competitive earnings, making it the institution's primary economic driver across the degree portfolio. Azimuth ranks Nursing #192 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $78,263 — the highest four-year figure at the institution.

Digital Marketing follows with median earnings of $63,440, and Azimuth ranks it #136 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Business Administration and Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations round out the top earning programs, each delivering median earnings of $62,265 and $61,055 respectively four years after enrollment, per the [how Azimuth evaluates programs](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) methodology.

By enrollment, Nursing is the largest program with 533 graduates, followed by Psychology, General (343 graduates) and Business Administration (276 graduates). These high-volume programs anchor the university's workforce pipeline into regional and national labor markets.

Fields like Design and Applied Arts and Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations represent pathways where graduates enter local-labor and public-sector careers — fields with steady regional demand in Ohio but more moderate earnings trajectories than the institution's top-earning programs. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) framework provides useful context for how these program families align with national wage trends.