Kent State University's Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence program was recently ranked sixth among U.S. programs in TechGuide's 2026 rankings.
The recognition highlights not only the rapid rise of a relatively new program, launched in 2021, but also Kent State's broader commitment to preparing students for a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
The rankings are based on official IPEDS [Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System] data, reported annually by U.S. colleges and universities to the U.S. Department of Education. Using this data, TechGuide evaluates the metrics that matter most to students: admissions selectivity, class size and faculty support, financial aid availability, graduation outcomes, and total enrollment – highlighting what makes programs strong and how students thrive.
Arvind Bansal, Ph.D., the program’s coordinator, said that it is the second program of its kind created in the State of Ohio to meet the rising demand of AI engineers in the state.
“The program has a mature and comprehensive curriculum, developed within a rather short duration, comprising more than 12 participating faculty members in computer science,” Bansal said. “The program has three major themes: intelligent analytics, smart city and homes, and robotics. It also has an interdisciplinary nature, allowing participation from multiple disciplines including biotechnology, cognitive psychology and modern languages.”
"It's a growing area of interest; there are plenty of places where artificial intelligence applies," Mikhail Nesterenko, interim chair of the Department of Computer Science, said. "Students take several courses in AI, and that makes them better prepared for careers or research in this area."
A Program Built for a Fast-Moving Field
Kent State's M.S. in Artificial Intelligence program was designed to meet the demands of a field evolving at an unprecedented pace. Students begin with core coursework in artificial intelligence before advancing into specialized areas such as machine learning, deep learning and image processing, with access to high-performance computing resources through the Ohio Supercomputer Center.
"The most valuable thing I gained was the ability to build and apply AI solutions, not just understand them," Perumalla Dhanish, a recent graduate, said. "That shift – from just learning concepts to actually building things – was the biggest takeaway for me."
From Classroom to Real-World Applications
What sets Kent State apart is how deeply AI is embedded across disciplines, with faculty and students applying it to real-world challenges in healthcare, public safety, manufacturing, design and beyond.
In healthcare, associate professor Qiang Guan, Ph.D., is using AI and quantum computing to accelerate drug discovery in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic.
“During the pandemic, I realized this computing can save people’s lives,” Guan said. “This is not just making life better; this is changing lives and saving lives.”
In another area of research, doctoral student Kendric Hood is applying AI to improve gunshot detection devices in cities and develop more efficient manufacturing processes, including vehicle welding error testing.
Hood recommended that students who want to start studying AI should just begin the process without worrying about being perfect. He also suggested getting into linear algebra and gaining a deep appreciation for what’s actually happening to gain insight into how the AI models are working.
“For AI, if you’re working on a problem or dataset, just find out what model you need and how to train it to get good results,” Hood said. “Then worry about how you’re going to set up the things around it and get it to work.”
From Classroom to Career
Graduates enter industries ranging from healthcare and finance to robotics and technology. Bhanu Teja Giddaluru, a program graduate now working as a software engineer, described the curriculum as one that "perfectly bridges the gap between foundational computer science theory and the practical engineering skills needed to build and deploy real-world AI solutions."
That preparation is reflected in what graduates are doing professionally. Giddaluru now works with large language models, retrieval-augmented generation and advanced prompt design, technologies at the cutting edge of the field.
A Program on the Rise
The program's climb in national rankings reflects both its academic strength and its alignment with industry needs. As Perumalla Dhanish put it, Kent State's M.S. in AI is "a hands-on, career-focused program that prepares you to build real-world intelligent systems, not just study theory."
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