Since that time the university has grown to include many additional baccalaureate and graduate programs of study in the arts and sciences, research opportunities, as well as over 1,000 acres (405 ha) and 119 buildings on the Kent campus.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s the university was known internationally for its student activism in opposition to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, due mainly to the Kent State shootings in 1970.

[11] McGilvrey had an ambitious vision for the school as a large university, instructing architect George F. Hammond, who designed the original campus buildings, to produce a master plan.

[13] McGilvrey was succeeded first by David Allen Anderson (1926–1928) and James Ozro Engleman from 1928 to 1938, though he continued to be involved with the school for several years as president emeritus and as head of alumni relations from 1934 to 1945.

Several new dorms and academic buildings were built during this time, including the establishment of additional regional campuses in Warren (1954), Ashtabula (1957), New Philadelphia (1962), Salem (1962), Burton (1964), and East Liverpool, Ohio (1965).

[18] In 1961, grounds superintendent Larry Wooddell and Biff Staples of the Davey Tree Expert Company released ten cages of black squirrels obtained from Victoria Park in London, Ontario, Canada, onto the Kent State campus.

[22] James Fergason invented and patented the basic TN LCD in 1969[23][24] and ten liquid crystal companies have been spun off from the institute.

Kent State gained international attention on May 4, 1970, when an Ohio Army National Guard unit fired at students during an anti-war protest on campus, killing four and wounding nine.

With the campus closed, faculty members came up with a variety of solutions—including holding classes in their homes, at public buildings and places, via telephone, or through the mail—to allow their students to complete the term, which was only a few weeks away at the time.

In remembrance of the tragedy, a group of professors and students created a website that features a map with oral histories and eyewitness accounts of the event.

[31] Also in 1970, the university opened its 12-story library, moving from the previous home of Rockwell Hall to the tallest building in Portage County.

The restoration carefully preserved the original structure while creating an efficient space for academic purposes, with an interior that houses state-of-the-art classrooms.

The District is home to fashion designers including Oscar de la Renta, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Liz Claiborne, and Nicole Miller.

Under its founding director, Foster Armstrong, the Center expanded on the existing outreach and public service activities of Kent State's architecture school, focusing primarily on historic preservation and the problems of Northeast Ohio's smaller towns and cities.

Since then, there have been a number of faculty exchanges as the two universities seek to pool their expertise both to enhance students' experiences and to better serve their respective regions.

[53] Admission to Kent State University is classified as "selective" by both the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and U.S. News & World Report.

[72] The Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising has programs in Florence, Hong Kong, and New York City, and affiliations in Paris and London.

[79] Notable recent titles include Dear Vaccine, a poetry collection responding to Covid, which was featured on PBS NewsHour.

The current 25 person governing body was formed after the merger of the All-Campus Programming Board (ACPB) and the Undergraduate Student Senate (USS).

Within the University Housing Residence Halls, there are living-learning programs that place students with similar academic or extracurricular interests in the same dorms.

[85] Kent State University Culinary Services operates two dining halls, located in Eastway Center and the Design and Innovation Hub.

[88] In recent years, Kent State has developed extensive services to support people with autism, with many of its programs nationally recognized in different areas.

Through the 2014–2015 season, in MAC play, Kent State has won the Reese Cup for best men's athletic program eight times, winning in 2000, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Some notable athletic alumni include: Former Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach and seven-time national champion head coach Nick Saban, former Missouri Tigers head football coach Gary Pinkel, 2003 British Open Champion and current PGA member Ben Curtis, former New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson, Thomas Jefferson 1984 200m Olympic bronze medalist, former Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker and four-time Super Bowl champion Jack Lambert, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker and two-time Super Bowl champion James Harrison, ESPN Analyst and former college football national champion head coach Lou Holtz, New England Patriots Wide Receiver and Super Bowl champion Julian Edelman, former San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates (who played basketball at KSU, not football), former Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts All-Pro return specialist Joshua Cribbs, former San Diego Padres pitcher Dustin Hermanson, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Andy Sonnanstine, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Matt Guerrier, and pitcher Joe Crawford, New York Mets.

Kent State owns public radio station WKSU (89.7 FM), the NPR member for both the Akron metropolitan area and Greater Cleveland.

[106] It has produced a number of individuals in the entertainment industry including comedian and current Price is Right host Drew Carey, comedian and talk show host Arsenio Hall, Steve Harvey, actors John de Lancie, Michael Keaton, and Ray Wise, actresses Alaina Reed Hall and Alice Ripley, Phenomenon star Angela Funovits, boxing promoter Don King, 30 Rock producer Jeff Richmond, and That 70s Show creator Bonnie Turner.

Additional musicians include singers Chrissie Hynde, Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees, Debra Byrd of American Idol, guitarist Joe Walsh, and drummer Chris Vrenna.

Literary and journalism alumni include Funky Winkerbean and Crankshaft writer Tom Batiuk,[107] Captain Underpants author Dav Pilkey,[108] and columnists Connie Schultz and Regina Brett.

[109] Major League Baseball players to come from Kent State include Emmanuel Burriss,[110] Matt Guerrier, Andy Sonnanstine, Gene Michael, Rich Rollins, Dustin Hermanson, Steve Stone, and Thurman Munson.

Additional athletic alumni include Canadian professional golfers Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, Jon Mills, Taylor Pendrith, and Ryan Yip, American professional golfer Ben Curtis, and Olympians Betty-Jean Maycock in gymnastics and Gerald Tinker in track and field.