Aligned university enterprises include Kent State's highly ranked Fashion School, School of Visual Communication Design, College of the Arts, College of Aeronautics and Engineering, as well as the Advanced Materials and Environmental Science and Design Institutes and Design Innovation Hub dedicated to design education that addresses global challenges and transforms lives. Located midway between New York and Chicago in the Cleveland/Akron metro area, Kent State is an R1 research university in the heart of a burgeoning cultural and industrial region that is home to some of the world's finest art museums, parks, universities, restaurants, theaters, music venues, and independent cinemas.