Kent State University (also known as Kent, Kent State, and KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio, United States. In addition to the main campus in Kent, which is the largest and oldest campus and serves as the administrative center, Kent State operates seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in Ashtabula, Burton, East Liverpool, Jackson Township, New Philadelphia, Salem, and Warren, Ohio, with additional facilities in Cleveland, Independence, and Twinsburg, Ohio, New York City, and Florence, Italy.

As of September 2015, Kent State is one of the largest universities in Ohio with an enrollment of 41,005 students in the eight-campus system and 30,067 students at the main campus in Kent It is ranked by the Carnegie Foundation as one of the top 77 public research universities in the US and one of the top 76 in community engagement. In 2010, Kent State was ranked as one of the top 200 universities in the world by Times Higher Education. Kent State offers over 300 degree programs, among them 250 baccalaureate, 40 associate’s, 50 master’s, and 23 doctoral programs of study, which include such notable programs as nursing, business, history, library science, aeronautics, journalism, fashion design and the Liquid Crystal Institute.

Kent State’s athletic teams are called the Golden Flashes and the school colors are shades of navy blue and gold, officially “Kent State blue” and “Kent State gold”.The university sponsors 16 varsity athletic teams who compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level. Kent State is a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East division and has been a member of the conference since 1951. The university athletic facilities are mainly on campus, featuring the 25,319-seat Dix Stadium and the 6,327-seat Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center.