Keene State College holds a preeminent place as the public liberal arts college of New Hampshire. Since its founding in 1909, Keene State has continuously expanded its mission to offer a broad spectrum of academic programs. The College’s programs are grounded in the values and competencies of the liberal arts tradition, and they provide students with the enduring skills and knowledge that will serve them for a lifetime of professional opportunities. Keene State helps to guide students as they grow as individuals by offering engaging and exciting opportunities to develop new connections and friendships and to find belonging in the College community.

Keene State College is situated in the downtown area of the quintessential New England town, Keene, New Hampshire. The campus is part of a vibrant Main Street rimmed with dozens of locally owned shops, restaurants, cafes and a centerpiece performing arts theatre. Nearby, south of the main campus, a spacious property is home to several Keene State intercollegiate athletics, intramural sports, and physical education programs. Within the College’s academic buildings there are instructional spaces such as seminar and conference rooms, as well as classrooms, and specialized spaces including performance spaces, laboratories, and studios. 

The College’s campus spans 188 acres with 63 buildings to serve students in academic and co-curricular activities. Appian Way is the central pedestrian route through the heart of campus that leads to historic academic, administrative, and residential buildings, as well as Mason Library, the student center, and the dining commons. Also on Appian Way is Fiske Quad, an open space where Commencement is held, and where students study and visit with friends and professors. A series of quadrangles and walkways links the academic buildings, residence halls, parking lots, and outdoor areas of the College. The result is a unified, functional, and aesthetically pleasing central campus, with a mix of historic, renovated, and new buildings. Keene State is known for its friendly and welcoming campus environment, and its close connection with downtown Keene.

The Redfern Arts Center contains three major performance spaces (Main Theatre, Alumni Recital Hall, and Wright Theatre) along with nearby studios for sculpture and ceramics. Programs housed in the Redfern and the Media Arts Center are affiliated with the campus’s Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery. The Putnam Science Center houses wet and dry laboratory spaces that support students participating in biology, chemistry, environmental studies, geosciences, and physics courses, while Rhodes Hall is home to the state-of-the-art Nursing Simulation Lab. At the heart of the campus, the Mason Library, with its attached Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, serves the entire campus and hosts the College’s extensive archives and special collections along with KSC’s public computer lab.

Keene State is committed to an accessible educational experience for all students who demonstrate the determination to succeed. The College offers a learning and living environment that is defined by supportive professors and staff who are invested in students’ success by challenging them to exceed beyond their expectations. Students engage in a variety of learning experiences that prepare them for careers, and demonstrate the practical application of their education, including hands-on learning, research, internships, service to the community, and study away. Exploration of important topics through connection with other students in co-curricular programs is also an essential part of the Keene State experience. All Keene State College students gain proficiency in the content of their own major, and they learn academic, career, communication and interpersonal skills to prepare them to pursue meaningful work. By the time Keene State College students complete their undergraduate experience they develop skills and knowledge in critical thinking, creative inquiry, intercultural competence, civic engagement, sustainability, and commitment to well-being that will serve them as active citizens and lifelong learners.

Keene State College is further committed to providing an inclusive and equitable living and learning environment. Central to this commitment is creating and maintaining a community in which students, faculty, and staff can work together in an environment free of all forms of discrimination and discriminatory harassment. Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment (including sexual harassment) is antithetical to the standards, values, and mission of Keene State College and will not be tolerated. Such conduct interferes with the mission of the College by diminishing access to education and employment; compromising the free and open exchange of ideas; and impeding relationships among students, faculty, and staff. 

(www.keene.edu/administration/policy/detail/discrimination/)

These commitments contribute to our success and recognition. US News and World Report ranks Keene State in Tier I of the Regional Universities in the North. The College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), with many other programs accredited by their specific disciplines. These prestigious accomplishments recognize the College’s commitment to academic excellence and the success of its students. For a full list of accreditations, please view the Keene State College Factbook, available online from the Institutional Research and Assessment Office.

https://www.keene.edu/administration/academic-affairs/neche/