Upper Midwest HERC

The University of Kansas is the state's flagship university, an R-1 institution and a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU). KU consistently earns high rankings for academics and recognition as a premier research university.

KU pushes the boundaries of knowledge, transforms the academic experience and creates solutions through innovative research and discovery. The Jayhawk community extends around the globe, united by more than 150 years of tradition and by a commitment to creating a better world. The University offers teaching and research that draw upon and contribute to the most advanced developments in the world.

KU has nine graduate programs in the top 10 and 37 programs in the top 50 among public universities in the 2024 rankings from U.S. News & World Report. KU has 37 ranked graduate programs, including Petroleum, Aerospace, Environmental and Civil Engineering. KU offers 5,000 courses, 400 degree and certificate programs, and more than 200 fields of study.
Enrollment at KU Lawrence-Edwards was 23,872 students in fall 2022, with an additional 3,766 students enrolled at the KU Medical Center for a university total enrollment of 27,638 students. KU students are from all 50 states and 112 countries. The University had 1,877 international students comprising 7.2% of the student body at KU Lawrence-Edwards and 4.5% of students at KU Medical Center. In fall 2022, the University had 2,786 faculty members and 10,689 employees across all campuses. Student to faculty ratio is 17 to 1. KU's FY2022 operating budget for KU Lawrence-Edwards was $607 million. As of June 30, 2021, KU's Endowment stood at $2.8 billion.

The University provides more than $72 million in scholarships and grants to students each year. KU students have won more Rhodes Scholarships and more federally sponsored research is conducted at KU than at all other Kansas universities, combined.

In addition to KU's research-residential campus located on beautiful Mount Oread in Lawrence, the University has eight other locations across Kansas: Medical Center campus in Kansas City; Edwards Campus in Overland Park; Wichita Campus (School of Medicine and School of Pharmacy); Salina Campus (School of Medicine); Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center near Hutchinson; Juniper Gardens Children's Project in Kansas City; Life Span Institute in Parsons and a collaborative location with the Army Command General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth.

Education
The University of Kansas is committed to offering the highest quality undergraduate, professional and advanced graduate programs comparable to the best available in the nation. KU fulfills its mission through faculty, academic and research programs of international distinction; outstanding libraries; research labs; and engaging museums. These resources enrich the undergraduate experience and are essential for graduate-level education and world-class research.

Research
KU attains high levels of research productivity and engages in more than $290 million of externally funded research annually. KU recognizes faculty are part of a network of scholars who shape a discipline as well as teach it. Research and instruction, as practiced at KU, are mutually reinforcing with scholarly inquiry underlying and informing the educational experience at undergraduate, professional and graduate levels.

Service
The University serves Kansas, the nation and the world through research and discovery, education and the preservation and dissemination of knowledge. KU provides service to the state of Kansas through its state and federally funded research centers, academic programs, arts facilities and public programs that provide cultural enrichment opportunities.
 

University Governance
KU has a shared governance system with branches representing faculty, staff and students. Representation from each senate forms the University Senate that focuses on rules, regulations and policies that impact these groups.

International Engagement
KU is dedicated to preparing students for lives of learning and the challenges citizens will encounter in a diverse and increasingly complex global community. The University excels in global engagement, teaching more than 40 languages. KU faculty and students have access to more than 150 programs of international study and cooperative research in more than 50 countries. About 29% of undergraduate students study abroad during their KU careers.

Jayhawk Global
Jayhawk Global was launched in 2022 as the umbrella for all KU's online course offerings, ranging from traditional semester-long online classes to shorter, non-credit bearing and workforce development programs for professionals. The University is expected to grow Jayhawk Global significantly as an element of its overarching strategy to increase enrollment and impact.

Jayhawk Spirit
At KU, scholarship and discovery nourish minds while athletics and co-curricular activities uplift spirits. Basketball may have been born in Springfield, Massachusetts, but the game came of age in Lawrence. KU's first basketball coach was none other than the game's inventor James Naismith, and his 13 Original Rules of "Basket Ball" are enshrined on the campus. Jayhawks athletics' most recent achievement was winning the 2022 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship.
While six national championship banners hang in Allen Fieldhouse, the KU Debate program showcases six national championship trophies across campus in Bailey Hall. In basketball, debate, volleyball, track, music, arts and more, Jayhawks set high standards and perform at elite levels.