Youngstown State University is a public institution that was founded in 1908. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 12,644, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 200 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Youngstown State University's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Universities (Midwest), Tier 2.

At Youngstown State University (YSU), undergraduate students have more than 100 majors to choose from. The public university also offers a variety of programs for graduate students through the YSU business school, education school, and departments of nursing and physical therapy, among other departments. Outside of class, there are about 140 student organizations to consider joining, including fraternities and sororities, as well as the Youngstown State Penguins sports teams, which compete in the NCAA Division I Horizon League.