Kennesaw State University

Institution Overview

Kennesaw State University (KSU) is a comprehensive, four-year university in Kennesaw, Georgia, one of metropolitan Atlanta's growing northwest suburban communities.

Founded in 1963, Kennesaw State is located in Cobb County on a beautifully landscaped and pedestrian-friendly campus of nearly 200 acres within easy access of Interstate 75 and the northwest quadrant of Georgia. Kennesaw State has seen tremendous growth in its facilities in the last decade and now boasts more than one million square feet of space for administration, instruction and student support facilities.

The university's dedication to fostering excellence in public service brought it recognition from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities as one of the nation's top publicly engaged universities in its study, "Stepping Forward as Stewards of Place." In addition, The American Council on Education selected KSU as one of eight institutions in the country for a study "Global Learning for All," which will focus on good practices in promoting international student success. KSU was also named one of 12 founding institutions in a project called "Foundations of Excellence in the First Year of College," by Dr. John Gardner and the Policy Center on the First-Year College Experience. For this study, KSU is conducting a comprehensive analysis of its own policies and programs related to the freshman experience.

More than 17,400 commuter and residential students, including more than 1,500 from 127 countries, pursue their undergraduate and graduate studies at Kennesaw State. The student body is a mix of traditional and non-traditional students with an average age of 25.

Kennesaw State students may choose majors from 44 undergraduate programs, including degrees in education, health, business, the humanities, the arts, science and math. Thirteen graduate program degrees are offered in professional concentrations including nursing, business, information systems, conflict management, education and professional writing. Nursing students from Kennesaw State have one of the highest passing rates on the statewide licensing exam, while the college of education is the second largest preparer of teachers in the state. The Executive MBA program, housed in the Coles College, is the second largest program in the country and was recently recognized by BusinessWeek with top-10 ratings in e-business and teamwork.

Students have a myriad of opportunities to experience campus life by participating in more than 100 student groups and organizations, including student government, sororities and fraternities, social and special-interest organizations, student publications and honor societies.

The Kennesaw State Owls compete in the Peach Belt Conference in NCAA Div. II intercollegiate athletics. KSU has won five team championships since joining the NCAA during the 1994-95 school year and six overall dating back to the institution's days in the NAIA. Most recently, KSU won NCAA titles in men's basketball (2004) and women's soccer (2003). The former was the first NCAA basketball crown ever won by a Georgia college or university. In fall 2004, women's soccer and men's golf will begin KSU's transition to Div. I.

In 1963, the University System of Georgia established Kennesaw Junior College, which opened its doors to 1,000 students in 1967. The college became a four-year institution in 1976 and was named Kennesaw College in 1977. In 1988, on its 25th anniversary, it was named Kennesaw State College and it became Kennesaw State University in 1996. KSU celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2003-04.