Central State University

Central State University (CSU) is a public, historically blackland-grant university formerly located in Wilberforce, Ohio, United States. In September 2026, the university was formally annexed into the neighboring city of Xenia, Ohio. Founded in 1887, it enrolls approximately 2,700 students across its five constituent colleges. It is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the University System of Ohio, and the Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE).

Established by the state legislature as a two-year program for teacher and industrial training, CSU was originally part of the four-year private Wilberforce University. It was known as the Combined Normal and Industrial Department. The college gained a four-year curriculum in 1941, independent status in 1947, and was renamed as Central State College in 1951. With further development, it gained university status in 1965. In 2014, Central State University received designation as a land-grant university.