as a comprehensive institution by the University System of Georgia.
In September 2016, U.S. News elevated KSU from the category of "regional university" to "national university", joining a list of 297 other universities in that category. This was in part due to the university's new status as a research university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning, indicating a university that engages in a "moderate" level of research activity.
In 2018, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning classified KSU as a doctoral research institution with R2 (Doctoral University – High research activity) status.
The 2020 U.S. News rankings placed KSU in Tier Two (#293–381) in the "National Universities" category.
=== Colleges and degrees ===
The university is divided into 11 colleges and offers 76 bachelor's degrees, 43 master's degree programs, five specialist degrees, and nine doctoral programs; according to Kennesaw State's Registrar's Office, the university offers over 190 undergraduate …
