WHY KU

Introduction

Life really is all about choices, and one of the most important ones is whether you will continue your education at a college or university. Let us share with you facts and figures about the University of Kansas and its rich array of academic and professional programs, acclaimed professors, outstanding libraries and research facilities, vibrant cultural offerings, exciting sports, varied social experiences and warmly welcoming community. You will see why the most recent edition of Peterson's Guide to Competitive College salutes KU's "long and distinguished tradition as one of America's premier universities."

Inspiring Location

Recognized as one of the most beautiful in the nation, KU's lushly landscaped main campus occupies about 1,000 acres on and around Mount Oread, a long, curved ridge overlooking the Kansas and Wakarusa river valleys. Along its main thoroughfare are buildings in classical granite and native limestone housing classrooms, libraries, laboratories and studios alive with the intellectual buzz of a major research university.

Surrounding Mount Oread is the historic town of Lawrence, established in 1854 as a bastion for abolitionist politics and now a town of 80,000 that is also home to Haskell Indian Nations University. Its restaurants, coffee bars, shops and galleries reflect the cosmopolitan tastes and eclectic interests of citizens who cherish equally the brick streets of their historic neighborhoods and their innovative arts center.

Learn more: All KU Campuses & Locations

Amazing Resources

KU offers more than 100 fields of study enriched by extensive collections in its museums, libraries and specialty archives. The KU Libraries have more than 3.8 million cataloged volumes, 32,000 magazine and journal subscriptions; and a growing collection of electronic media. Wireless zones across campus keep the world accessible by personal computer. The Spencer Museum of Art, which holds more than 17,000 works, has long been considered one of the top U.S. teaching museums, and the Natural History Museum houses more than 7 million plant and animal specimens.

On a personal level, student needs of almost every kind can be met at KU. Advising, tutoring and writing guidance; health care and recreation facilities; legal support and career counseling; and computing services all enhance your university experience. Assistance from trained staff and peers helps assure that your KU career is full of academic and personal success.

Learn more: Libraries | Museums & Arts

Proud Traditions

The beloved Rock Chalk chant was adopted in 1886 by the University Science Club. The original "Rah, Rah, Jayhawk, KU" phrase was amended to "Rock chalk, Jayhawk," playing off the words "chalk rock," a name for the limestone that forms Mount Oread. The chant's long, slow cadence, heard most notably at basketball and football games, is familiar around the world and an instant reminder of the close connections formed during student days.

The utterly original mascot of the University of Kansas is the Jayhawk, a mythical bird whose history is rooted in the statehood struggles of Kansas settlers. The term "Jayhawk," coined about 1850, combines the qualities of two birds: the blue jay, a noisy, quarrelsome thing known to rob other nests; and the sparrow hawk, a stealthy hunter. The message: Don't turn your back on this bird!

Speaking of mascots, the Border Showdown sports rivalry with the Tigers of the University of Missouri has been going strong since 1891, making it the oldest such competition west of the Mississippi River. Another big cat after our Jayhawk is Kansas State University's Wildcat. KU's in-state rival is in Manhattan, in the Flint Hills about 80 miles west of Lawrence.

Learn more: Traditions

Dynamic Research

Research at the University of Kansas is a thriving, dynamic enterprise that contributes directly to the health, safety, cultural life and economy of the state and nation. Independent, multidisciplinary research centers focus on such areas as human health and development, the environment and natural sciences, the arts and humanities, information technology and informatics, educational research, natural resources and infrastructure and societal organization.

KU continues to broaden its commitment to fostering collaborative relationships among researchers at all its campuses and with other educational and corporate institutions and external research partners. In fiscal year 2004, total research expenditures of $274 million set a University record.

Learn more: Research

Global Community

KU's diverse population includes students from all 50 states and more than 115 countries. In addition to the strong academic programs that have consistently earned it a 4-star rating from the Fiske Guide to Colleges, students benefit from a welcoming atmosphere that makes the university, in the Fiske description, "an oasis of tolerance and open-mindedness."

Renowned programs in Latin American, East Asian and East European studies and in international business research are examples of KU's commitment to global awareness. The University is one of five U.S. schools to receive the 2005 Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization for the scope and range of its academic and research programs.

Besides welcoming students from around the nation and the world, KU ranks fourth among U.S. public research universities in the proportion of students participating in study abroad programs, according to a recent survey by the Institute of International Education. More than 100 programs of varying length and intensity in more than 50 countries offer students many options to expand their horizons.

Inclusive Student Life

The Fiske Guide to Colleges consistently awards KU a 4-star rating for social life and overall quality of university life as well as for academics. The embracing, hospitable atmosphere on campus, in and outside the classroom, helps explain why 80 percent of the student who enroll as freshmen return the next year. One of the ways KU makes students feel welcome is in the variety of living options it offers. Eight campus residence halls, housing from 275 to 900 students each, guarantee a vibrant mix of students and interests. Residents of the smaller scholarship halls share expenses and chores; and fraternity and sororities accept freshmen as new pledges. Apartments, condos, houses and duplexes are private options that many students choose. KU prides itself on a history of active and meaningful student involvement and service. UNICEF, the NAACP and Big Brothers Big Sisters are a few of the national and international programs with campus chapters; scholastic and social honorary societies for men and women also offer service opportunities, as do numerous faith associations and ministries. And just for fun, interest groups abound. Students can refresh their spirits in language clubs, on sports teams or in sharing such hobbies as anime, ballroom dancing, ceramics, juggling, pie-making and watercoloring. Learn more: Student Involvement and Leadership Center

Enduring Value

The 2005 Fiske Guide to Colleges again gives the University of Kansas a 4-star rating in academics, quality of life and social life and lists it among its public-university "best buys" for "quality of the academic offerings in relation to the cost." The Princeton Review, Kiplinger's, Kaplan's and the College Board have also praised the high quality and low cost of the educational experience here.

The Fiske Guide, the best-known of the national ranking services, noted the "unusual strength" of such programs as film/television, architecture, journalism/communication, business and engineering. PreLaw Insider placed KU in a tie for second among U.S. public universities that provide "the best bang for the buck." U.S. News ranked 25 KU graduate programs — including city management, special education, community health, paleontology and speech-language-pathology — among the top 25 in the country.

Reinforcing KU's position as "one of the premier college bargains in the United States" is its in-state tuition rate, which in the 2004-05 academic year was the lowest among the state universities in neighboring Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. The College Board notes that it is 13 percent below the national average.

Even so, the cost of a college education can be daunting, and KU makes available financial support for the 55 percent of its students who receive some form of assistance. It annually awards more than $100 million in scholarships, loans, grants and part-time jobs — the four basic sources of support funds.

Learn more: Tuition

Bright Future

Every university likes to name its famous graduates, and of course we have a few names we like to drop too. Some are instantly recognizable, like Wilt Chamberlain or presidential candidate Bob Dole. Some have won notable awards, like Nobel prize winner Vernon Smith, or have positions of national influence, like Janet Murguia, leader of the nation's largest Hispanic advocacy group La Raza. One even discovered a planet. His name was Clyde Tombaugh and the planet is Pluto.

But most importantl to us are the thousands of alumni who tell us KU gave them the knowledge and experience to lead successful lives and careers. They are in your community — the doctor, pharmacist, city manager, business owner, your teacher. Ask them how important KU is to them — and you.

Learn more: Noted Alumni