Kennesaw State University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Kennesaw, Georgia · Public · Moderately selective · CDS 2024-2025
Kennesaw State University is a public university in Kennesaw, Georgia that admits about 69% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $16,972 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Psychology, General, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Mechanical Engineering, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 52% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 1.0 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Kennesaw State University is a public institution located in Kennesaw, Georgia with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Kennesaw State University admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 69%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1120 and an ACT composite around 23. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $16,972 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Kennesaw State University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Kennesaw State University?
Kennesaw State University admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Kennesaw State University weight in admissions?
Kennesaw State University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Academic GPA
- • Standardized test scores
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Class rank
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Interview
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores Kennesaw State University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 500–600, with an EBRW midpoint near 580. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 19–25. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | 1010 |
| 50th percentile | 1110 |
| 75th percentile | 1210 |
| % submitting SAT | 38% |
| 25th percentile | 19 |
| 50th percentile | 22 |
| 75th percentile | 26 |
| % submitting ACT | 16% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 14.5% |
| Top 25% of class | 41.4% |
| Top 50% of class | 76.8% |
| % submitting class rank | 79.7% |
How much does Kennesaw State University actually cost?
Published tuition is $5,786 for in-state students and $17,040 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $13,027 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $16,972 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 35% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $5,700 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $21,030 |
| Room and board | $13,795 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $16,972 |
| Application fee | — (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Kennesaw State University
| Regular deadline | 11/1 |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
Will my child graduate from Kennesaw State University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at Kennesaw State University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Kennesaw State University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Psychology, General, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Mechanical Engineering. Across all programs, Kennesaw State University confers roughly 2,208 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Psychology, General program report a median income of about $51,136 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology, General | 448 | $51,136 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 290 | $60,145 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 259 | $86,737 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 256 | $49,356 |
| Biology, General | 246 | $56,720 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 240 | $83,064 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 237 | $51,863 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 232 | $71,209 |
Is Kennesaw State University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Kennesaw State University disclosed 40 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 1.0 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 6 violent offenses and 22 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at Kennesaw State University?
About 14% of undergraduates at Kennesaw State University live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 2% of men join a fraternity and 4% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in Georgia parents ask about
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus37% acceptance
- Emory University11% acceptance
- University of Georgia62% acceptance
- Georgia State University16% acceptance
- Valdosta State University57% acceptance
- Georgia Southern University88% acceptance
- Georgia State University-Perimeter College84% acceptance
- Savannah College of Art and Design84% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Kennesaw State University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Kennesaw State University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Kennesaw State University
What GPA do I need for Kennesaw State University?
Kennesaw State University admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.
What SAT or ACT score does Kennesaw State University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 500–600, with an EBRW midpoint near 580. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 19–25.
How much does Kennesaw State University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Kennesaw State University after grants and scholarships is $16,972 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Kennesaw State University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Kennesaw State University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Kennesaw State University?
Kennesaw State University accepts about 69% of applicants out of roughly 34,680 who apply each year. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is Kennesaw State University test-optional?
Yes. Kennesaw State University is test-optional, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at Kennesaw State University?
About 52% of students at Kennesaw State University graduate within six years. 77% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does Kennesaw State University look for in applicants?
Kennesaw State University rates GPA and test scores as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Kennesaw State University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Kennesaw State University is a public institution located in Kennesaw, Georgia.
What are the most popular majors at Kennesaw State University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Kennesaw State University by annual graduates are Psychology, General, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Mechanical Engineering. The school awards about 2,208 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Kennesaw State University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Kennesaw State University reported 40 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 1.0 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at Kennesaw State University?
At Kennesaw State University, 14% of undergraduates live on campus, 2% of men are in fraternities, 4% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Kennesaw State University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.