Founded in 1963, Kennesaw State University (KSU) is the third-largest in the University System of Georgia with more than 22,500 undergraduate and graduate students representing 142 countries.

KSU is located just northwest of Atlanta in Cobb County near historic Kennesaw Mountain, allowing students to experience the best of Atlanta while enjoying the serenity of a 384-acre, beautifully landscaped pedestrian-friendly campus.

Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), KSU offers 70 bachelor's, master's and doctorate degree programs including undergraduate degrees in education, health, business, the humanities, the arts, science and math and graduate degree programs in nursing, business, information systems, conflict management, public administration, education and professional writing. The university’s expanding doctoral programs currently offer a Doctorate of Education in Leadership for Learning, Doctorate of Business Administration and Doctorate of Nursing.

Additionally, nursing students from Kennesaw State have one of the highest passing rates on the statewide licensing exam and are highly sought-after in the medical community, while the College of Education is the second-largest preparer of teachers in the state. The Executive MBA program, housed in the Coles College of Business, is the second-largest program in the country and has been recognized by BusinessWeek.

KSU’s national reputation has gained steam and has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report for the past two years as an “Up-and-Coming Masters University in the South,” ranking among the top ten (8th) in the 2010 issue of “America’s Best Colleges.” In addition, the university’s First-Year Experience has been named an “Academic Program to Look For” by U.S.News for seven consecutive years and was named one of 12 founding institutions in a project called "Foundations of Excellence in the First Year of College."

The university has committed itself to expanding the global experience of students, faculty and staff through its Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), known as the "Global Learning for Engaged Citizenship" initiative, which began in 2007. This program focuses on increasing opportunities for international learning experiences. In spring 2009, KSU awarded its first Global Engagement Certification to graduate and undergraduate students. This certification recognizes students’ achievements in learning global perspectives and developing intercultural skills.

As a destination campus, KSU offers students plenty of opportunities to experience campus life by participating in more than 150 student groups and organizations, including student government, sororities and fraternities, club and intramural sports, social and special-interest organizations, student publications and honor societies.

In 2009, the Kennesaw State Owls completed a reclassification from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I, competing in the Atlantic Sun Conference. During the transition from 2005-2009, KSU teams have won six Atlantic Sun Conference tournaments in five sports, including men’s indoor and outdoor track, women’s soccer, softball and cross-country.

Kennesaw State University has been recognized as one of the top universities in the country by the Chronicle of Higher Education’s “2009 Great Colleges to Work For.” KSU was recognized among the top 10 schools in six categories – confidence in senior leadership, teaching environment, collaborative governance, professional/career development programs, physical work space conditions and post-retirement benefits.

Kennesaw State was originally established by the University System of Georgia as Kennesaw Junior College serving 1,000 students. 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 in 1996 became Kennesaw State University.