Academics
Kentucky State University is a Historically Black College with a rich tradition. It’s also the smallest of Kentucky’s public universities. “Small classes” in “a wide variety” of courses abound here. Tuition is reasonable as well. “KSU offers low-cost education to individuals who may not have had any other opportunity to receive it,” explains a senior. In a nutshell, adds a first-year student, KSU is about “educating the African American community and not breaking your pockets.” Students praise the nursing program and the music program. “The honors program is great.” True to its roots as a land grant institution, KSU also offers a number of programs in food and agricultural sciences. Other academic highlights include the FRIENDS program, which provides assistance for older students and the ACE program, “where students can go and get student tutors.” The “really helpful” professors here “want students to succeed.” “They love their job and will do anything they can to help.” “I love my ongoing, open relationships with my professors and the one-on-one attention,” adds an elementary education major. The administration is definitely another story. Things are “slowly improving,” but “There is close to no communication (it seems) between departments.” Some staff members treat students “like numbers,” and “The registration process is horrible.”
Student Body
Kentucky State is home to “a variety of students.” You’ll find the occasional “rude” student here but, for the most part, “Everyone is friendly” and “outgoing.” “Most students are African Americans” “simply because this school is a Historically Black College.” (White students make up roughly a quarter of the population.) There are also “foreign exchange students,” and there is “a large population of nontraditional and commuting students.” “There are definitely cliques” on campus but students “mingle and mix well.” A large number of students choose KSU “out of convenience and cost” and because “It’s close to home.” “We are just trying to make ourselves, our family, and our community proud,” says one student.
Campus Life
On KSU’s “small” campus, students are “very involved” in a broad range of activities, from sports, to drama, to choir and band (the Marching Thorobred Band is reportedly fantastic). “Life in general is fun, and in order to be part of the fun you have to include yourself, and take the opportunity when people make the effort to include you,” counsels a senior. There are “occasionally” parties sponsored by “sororities and fraternities.” Other student organizations host a good number of events as well. Off campus, though, “There is not much to do.” “The city of Frankfort is very small and does not have much to offer” besides a Wal-Mart. A large contingent of students leaves on the weekends, particularly the ones who are “used to larger cities.” Students seeking more in the way of nightlife often head to nearby Lexington, which is a mere 15 minutes away and offers a number of restaurants, bars, and other entertainment options. The closest big city is Louisville, about an hour away.
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