Kennesaw State University, in Kennesaw, Georgia, is one of the largest public universities in this country. That does not make it better or worse than a small school. It makes it different, with its own logic of scale, its own admissions numbers, and its own way of organizing money. My job here is not to tell you whether it is the right university for your child. I do not know that, and no one who does not know the two of you knows it. My job is to explain, using the official data that the United States government publishes about it, what kind of institution it really is, so that you can thoughtfully incorporate it into the decision you will make as a family.
Let’s take it one piece at a time, as we should.
What kind of university is it exactly?
Kennesaw State is a public four-year institution. The federal Carnegie classification system, which organizes the country’s universities according to what they do, places it among doctoral universities with high research activity. More recent data also classify it as a large, primarily nonresidential school.
That word, “nonresidential,” deserves a pause because it sounds harsher than it is. It does not mean there are no residence halls—there are, and we will return to that. It means that, under Carnegie’s technical criteria, either fewer than one in four undergraduate students lived in institution-provided housing or fewer than half attended full time. The data do not clarify which of those two conditions was met. What they do tell you, in practical terms, is this: if your child will commute from home, what you need to calculate is not only tuition. It is the bus, gasoline, and hours on the road.
The same system classifies it, in its graduate profile, among institutions with research doctorates and, in its undergraduate profile, among those that receive many transfer students. If your child is thinking of coming here after studying somewhere else, that label is a signal, not a guarantee. Before enrolling, ask in writing which courses will be accepted and which will not. That conversation takes place with the university; it cannot be guessed from national data.
Kennesaw State reports offering programs through the doctoral level as its highest level, and its academic offerings are classified primarily at the bachelor’s level or above. That is an institutional fact: it does not tell you whether the exact major your child is interested in extends through graduate study or whether it is a good fit. That must be verified program by program.
One piece of context worth making clear from the start: Kennesaw State is not listed as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this national directory, 138 have at least one of those three designations. Not having them says nothing about which communities it serves today or how your child will feel there. Ask about that directly by speaking with current students and student-life offices.
Where it is and what daily life is like
Kennesaw is in Cobb County, within the Atlanta metropolitan area. That does not mean the campus is downtown: its census code identifies it as suburban, within the urbanized area but outside the principal city. The only way to know what that feels like from day to day is to visit.
If your child is thinking of living at home and driving every day, here is a simple suggestion: travel the route together on a weekday at the time their actual classes would take place. The travel time shown on a map is almost never the real travel time.
A community of nearly forty-five thousand people
You have already seen the total: 45,069 students enrolled in the official fall count, the highest size category the government uses. Compared with the 519 selective-admission, public four-year schools that make up its reference group in this census, it is among the largest: at most one in ten has more students.
Of that total, 40,509 are undergraduates and 4,560 are graduate students. Above all, it is a bachelor’s-level institution.
Here is something worth emphasizing because it is easy to confuse: the fact that the school is enormous does not mean its classes are enormous. Those are two different questions. If this matters to you, ask for the actual class sizes in the first year and in the major that interests your child. Institutional scale does not answer that question.
Who makes up that community? Among undergraduates, 16 out of every 100 students identified as Hispanic or Latino in the fall of 2023—a clear presence, above the midpoint of its comparison group, though not in the highest quarter. They are not a majority, but neither are they an unusual presence. The campus is nearly evenly divided between men and women, 50 and 50. Students ages 25 to 64 are a minority, 12 out of every 100: this is still primarily a campus of young people who have recently finished high school. And out of every 100 first-time students, 96 reported a permanent address in the same state of Georgia. If your family’s address is in another state, this matters greatly for cost: ask now which rate would apply and what requirements are used for classification, because that tuition classification is a separate process from this population count.
How the academic year works
Kennesaw State organizes the year by semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. It is the standard calendar, with consistent dates for everyone.
The university reported accepting credit from AP examinations as well as what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, licenses, certifications, or military opportunities. It also enrolls high school students in college-credit courses through a formal dual-enrollment program and accepts credit for military training.
Here is the hard truth, without embellishment: the fact that the university reports accepting AP does not mean it will grant credit for every examination with every score. These data do not tell us how many points are required or whether those credits count toward the specific major your child wants. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling, and do not include those credits in your savings estimate until you have it in hand.
What can be studied there
In a single year, Kennesaw State awarded 5,826 bachelor’s degrees across 24 different fields of study. No field accounts for a large portion: the field with the most degrees was business and management, and even that represented only 17 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. Compared with 514 similar schools, it falls within the highest quarter for the variety of fields of study represented in its offerings.
It is a broad selection. But “24 fields with a row in the report” does not equal 24 majors in the current catalog, nor does it guarantee that each one has active degree programs: some rows may report zero. Always verify the exact program that interests your child by its full name, not by the broad category it falls under.
The institution also reports structured opportunities: study abroad, a complete program that can be taken exclusively during evenings or weekends, and several pathways to teacher certification, including state approval for initial certification. These are reported pathways, not promises that your child will use them or indications of how they work in practice: ask specifically about the one that interests your child.
One number that does matter for daily classroom life: 23 full-time-equivalent students for every full-time-equivalent faculty member. Among its 519 peers in this census, that places it in the highest quarter for this ratio. It is an aggregate figure, not a class size: it does not tell you how many students are in your child’s first-year class or how each faculty member’s time is divided among teaching, research, and other responsibilities. If class size matters to you—and it does to many families—ask for it directly and separately.
Getting into Kennesaw State: what they require and what they do not
Kennesaw State does not have open admissions. It reviews several elements before saying yes.
Of the considerations covered by this report, it marked four as required: the high school transcript, the high school grade point average, completion of the university’s required college-preparatory curriculum, and an English proficiency examination for applicants to whom it applies. By contrast, it reported that the following were not considered for admission: class rank, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, a portfolio or competency examination, work experience, and family legacy status. The report does not clarify the exact weight of each element, so this does not prove that the grade point average is the only deciding factor, but it does make clear how much the transcript matters.
If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, this is the time to ask whether the English proficiency examination applies and what would provide an exemption. This is the kind of issue that gets discovered late if it is not raised early.
The undergraduate application fee is $40.
Now for the application numbers themselves. In 2023, Kennesaw State received 23,138 first-time applications and offered admission to 16,008 applicants. That is 69 out of every 100. Compared with its 519 peers in this census, it is on the more selective side: seven out of ten of those schools accepted a larger percentage of their applicants. Viewed the other way, many did not get in: 7,130 applicants did not receive an offer that year. Admission is neither automatic nor a lottery. The application is reviewed.
But being admitted is not the same as enrolling, and there is an interesting figure here: out of every 100 admitted first-time students, only 51 ultimately enrolled at Kennesaw State. That is a high proportion compared with its peers—fewer than one in ten similar schools enroll a larger share of their admitted students. This percentage does not measure quality or satisfaction; it only counts enrollment decisions. When admission letters from several universities arrive, this number does not decide anything. Place the letters side by side and compare net price, major, and distance before the deposit deadline.
Regarding standardized tests, the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains valid. Of the first-time students who did enroll, 40 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores—a high proportion among its peers. Among those who submitted scores, the middle half scored between 520 and 620 in reading and writing, and between 500 and 600 in mathematics. Those ranges describe students who were already enrolled, not all applicants, so 520 is not a minimum for admission, nor is 620 a guarantee of anything.
And regarding transfer, one figure carries weight: among the full-time cohort that entered in 2017, 28 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing their degree at Kennesaw State. That is a high proportion compared with its peers. At the same time, the university received 2,594 students who arrived for the first time after having studied elsewhere—a considerable inflow. Here is a truth that almost no one keeps in mind: a student who transfers to another school is not counted as a Kennesaw State graduate, even if that student completes a degree elsewhere. Keep that in mind when we reach the graduation figures later. And the fact that many students change schools does not mean that they did poorly—the report counts the movement, not the reason.
The list price: two figures, not one
This is where many families become tense, so let’s proceed calmly and use the exact numbers.
For the 2023-24 year, the total cost of attendance for a full-time, first-time student living on campus was $25,927 at the Georgia resident rate and $37,181 at the out-of-state rate. That total is not just tuition: it is a complete budget that the financial aid office uses to calculate aid.
| Item | In-state rate | Out-of-state rate |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $5,786 | $17,040 |
| On-campus housing and food | $13,027 | $13,027 |
| Books and materials | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Total cost of attendance | $25,927 | $37,181 |
The difference between the two rates is $11,254 per year. That is not a minor detail: ask the university what requirements it uses to classify a student as a resident and when they take effect, because that rule is not the same everywhere.
Compared with 483 schools of a similar type in this census, the cost at the resident rate falls below the group’s midpoint.
What families actually pay, according to income
At Kennesaw State University, among the 1,083 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $13,754. Among the 670 students from the same population whose EFC family income was between $48,001 and $75,000, it was $17,890; among the 821 students whose EFC family income was above $110,000, it was $20,512. For dependent students, the bracket combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income bracket (1,083 students) and the highest-income bracket (821 students) is $6,758. Among first-year students who received any grant aid, the average was $17,566.
Among the 519 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported these data with the same time coverage, it falls within the most expensive quarter for the lowest-income families. That does not mean it should be ruled out. It means you need to request the financial aid letter before deciding.
The income brackets in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students receiving grant aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
Grants, loans, and how payment is organized
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students at Kennesaw State, 75 received some grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid, with an average of $6,170 per year among those who received it. In addition, 36 out of every 100 received a Pell Grant, the federal aid for students with demonstrated financial need.
This is worth stating clearly because it is easy to misunderstand: the percentage and the average are not multiplied by each other. One tells you how many received something; the other tells you how much those who received it were awarded. They are two different questions with two different denominators.
For loans, 35 out of every 100 undergraduate students—among all undergraduates, not only those seeking degrees—received a federal loan in the 2022-23 academic year. Those who borrowed received an average of $5,967 that year. Compared with its peers, that is a typical proportion, neither among the highest nor among the lowest.
Here is the hard truth without cushioning: this percentage describes other families, not yours. Which of the two groups your child falls into—the group that made it through the year without debt or the group that borrowed—is not decided by this national number. It is decided by the financial aid letter your child receives in writing. And that average loan amount is for a single year and includes only federal loans in the student’s name: it does not include anything parents may have borrowed separately, credit card debt, or the total for every year of the degree. Wait for that letter before committing to the school and before ruling it out.
To organize payment, Kennesaw State reports offering an installment tuition plan.
Living there: housing, food, sports, and campus life
Kennesaw State does have its own housing. It does not require all full-time, first-time students to live there—but that does not mean that no program or scholarship has such a requirement. The reported maximum capacity of institution-controlled housing is 5,912 students. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week in its largest plan. The existence of that option does not tell you whether your child can continue living at home without a problem or exactly how much it will cost: ask for the rule that applies to the specific program, the deadline for requesting a room, and whether housing is guaranteed or applicants are placed on a waiting list.
Regarding ROTC, Kennesaw State indicated that it offers this opportunity in all three branches—Army, Navy, and Air Force. That is not common: of the 3,012 universities in this directory, only 135 indicate all three. But its appearance in the report does not confirm that the program is taught on this specific campus, that space is available, or that a scholarship is offered. Ask about each branch separately and directly.
In sports, the university participates in intercollegiate competition and is affiliated with the NCAA—it reports membership for football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. The affiliation belongs to the institution, not to your child: if your child is interested in playing, write directly to the coach for that sport and ask about roster availability, division, and whether an athletic scholarship is available.
Regarding instructional format, Kennesaw State offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In the fall count, 17 out of every 100 undergraduate students took their entire course load at a distance; the other 83 took at least one class in person. It also reports offering at least one complete distance program. Confirm the exact level and major if this is relevant to your family.
The library operates with paid staff and annual spending above the $100,000 threshold recorded by the government. It has physical and digital materials and participates in interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee that the specific databases needed for your child’s major are available—that should be asked using the program’s name.
Finally, the university reports offering combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services after program completion, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military service members, a student veterans organization, and a published web address for disability services. These services are reported as existing; their actual quality or effectiveness must be assessed by using them or speaking with someone who already has.
Who stays, who leaves, and how many finish with a degree
We have now reached the part that carries the most weight when making a decision, so let’s read it carefully, without dramatizing it and without softening it.
Of the full-time student cohort that entered in the fall of 2022, 79 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later—that is what “retention” officially measures. This places it slightly above the midpoint among its peers, neither among the best nor among the worst. Among part-time students who entered in the same fall, the figure was 65 out of every 100—but these are two different groups with different circumstances and should not be compared as though they were the same story.
Now graduation, and here it is worth sitting with the number for a moment. Of the first-time, full-time students who entered bachelor’s degree programs in 2017, 48 out of every 100 had earned a degree from Kennesaw State six years later. At the four-year mark—the timeframe almost every family carries in its mental budget—the figure falls to 21 out of every 100. There is a difference of 27 percentage points between those two timeframes: a large share of those who graduate do so in the fifth or sixth year, not the fourth.
Compared with its 518 peers, it falls below the midpoint of that group. More than half of similar schools report a higher proportion of graduates within six years.
Put plainly: after six years, almost half of that cohort had a degree from Kennesaw State and almost the other half did not. The report counts outcomes, not each person’s reasons—we do not know why the other 52% do not appear with a degree from here, and remember what we saw earlier: a student who transfers and finishes at another school is not counted as a graduate here, even if that student did complete a degree. Before deciding, ask directly what concrete support the university offers to help students finish on time and how long the specific degree that interests your child actually takes on average. The data do not say how many semesters each person attended and do not report tuition, rent, or wages. Ask for that in writing.
There is a broader measure at eight years that includes both first-time students and those who had already earned credits at another school, as well as full-time and part-time students. Of that cohort, 52 out of every 100 completed a degree or certificate from Kennesaw State. Among those who received a Pell Grant, the figure was 49 out of every 100—five percentage points below the group without Pell. Compared with its peers, it also falls below the midpoint of the group.
There is something technical but important to state honestly: IPEDS also reports that 29 out of every 100 members of that cohort had not received a degree from this school, but the definition of that figure contains an internal contradiction regarding the exact point in time, so it cannot be used to state how many were still enrolled at the final measurement point. Another 19 out of every 100—exactly 1,918 people—had unknown enrollment status: the report simply could not determine what happened to them. Unknown does not mean that they dropped out; it only means there are no data.
What this means for your plan
You now know one important part: what kind of university Kennesaw State is, how people get in, what each person pays according to income, and what happens afterward to those who enroll. That is the foundation. It is solid, verifiable, and yours to use.
But the foundation is not the whole path. What remains is what your child wants to study and what your child has already built to get there. What also remains is what your family can and is willing to pay, something no national figure can tell you because it depends solely on your family.
If your child is just beginning to build a college list, ask what they want to study and how far from home they imagine living while doing it. If Kennesaw State is already among the serious options, request the actual financial aid letter before comparing it with any other school—the list price is almost never the final price, and you now know that the difference can be considerable depending on your family’s income. If the admission offer has already arrived, do not let the acceptance figure decide for you: place the letters side by side and examine the net price, the exact major, the distance, and the actual time it usually takes to finish there.
None of this is decided by a government statistic. You decide it, together with your child, using information that is now a little clearer than it was before you began reading.
Note on sources: The information in this article comes from official data reported by Kennesaw State University to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Kennesaw State University or the United States government; this article is for informational purposes and does not replace direct verification with the university or personalized financial advice.