2 Enrollment • 7,468 undergraduate and graduate students; 59% women/41% men • 34 states and 40 countries are represented; most students are from Pennsylvania • Average class size is 29 Retention and Graduation Rates • 1st-year retention rate: 77.8% • 4-year graduation rate: 44% • 6-year graduation rate: 54% Financial Aid • More than 80% of students receive financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants, loans, or campus employment. KU awards scholarships based on academic merit. Faculty • Teacher-scholars engaged in research, writing and consulting • 90% tenure and tenure-track faculty have their doctorate or terminal degree • Student/Faculty Ratio of 18:1 Alumni • 76,000 KU graduates can be found across the U.S. and beyond. Shortly after the close of the Civil War, residents of upper Berks County were able to turn their thoughts from mere survival on the frontier toward building a modern society. One of their first concerns was the preparation of young people to take their places in the developing industrial economy. Before any of these dreams could be realized, the inadequate number of school teachers had to be bolstered. To that end, on September 15, 1866, the Keystone State Normal School was established on what is now the site of Old Main. The depth and sophistication of teacher training continued to increase with the complexity of industrialized society, and the needs of a burgeoning industrialization in the region placed more and more demands on teacher preparation. The institution met this challenge and, in 1928, was designated as Kutztown State Teacher’s College and authorized to confer the bachelor’s degree. Eventually, the area’s need for liberally educated personnel to staff its industries outstripped the need for teachers. In 1960, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania changed the institution’s name to Kutztown State College and diversified its goals toward “A center for learning for the best possible education of the youth of Pennsylvania in the arts and sciences and preparation of able and dedicated teachers.” On July 1, 1983, Kutztown State College became Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, a member of the new State System of Higher Education. Since that time, Kutztown University has continued to grow and diversify in facilities, research, and staff. During the 2015-16 academic year, Kutztown University celebrated its Sesquicentennial, marking 150 years of service to the region and community. KU FAST FACTS HISTORY
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