About YSU

Ohio Section MAA

Fall 2025 Meeting

Youngstown State University

October 25, 2025

Youngstown State University, founded in 1908, is an urban research university located in Youngstown, Ohio. As of fall 2009, there were 14,682 students and a student-faculty ratio of 19:1. The fall 2009 enrollment figure is the highest since 1992, when the number of students on campus was 14,806. Records show that 11,803 of the students are undergraduates. Beyond its current student body, YSU claims more than 85,000 alumni.

History
The university's origins trace back to 1908, when the local branch of the YMCA established a school of law within the Youngstown Association School. In 1921, the school became known as the Youngstown Institute of Technology and offered its first evening courses. In 1928, a year after establishing the College of Arts and Sciences, the institute once again changed its name to Youngstown College. In 1955, Youngstown College was renamed as Youngstown University, an indication of the school's broadening curriculum.
On September 1, 1967, after becoming a public institution, Youngstown University became officially known as Youngstown State University. 
 

Area between Jones Hall and Maag Library (on right)

Campus
YSU lies on a 140-acre campus just north of downtown Youngstown. YSU's campus is noted for its landscaping, which is dissimilar from that of many other urban universities. YSU's geographical center has a park-like atmosphere, featuring a rather-hilly terrain and a variety of trees and plant life, as well as tables and chairs that surround a campus fountain.
Most buildings on campus have been built within the last half-century, making them newer than most buildings in downtown Youngstown, where most buildings were constructed before the Great Depression.