The University of Kansas (KU) was first established in 1909 and has opened and developed 13 schools under the KU name since its founding. The main campus is located in Lawerence, Kansas with other campuses throughout the state.
KU currently serves over 28,000 students and has over 2,600 faculty and staff members. The student body is comprised of students from all 50 states and over 100 countries.
| Overall Score (about) | 89.7 |
| Total Cost On-Campus Attendance | $26,566 |
| Admission Success rate | N/A |
| ACT 75%ile scores | 29 |
| Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty | 18 : 1 |
| Retention (full-time / part-time) | 84% / 58% |
| Enrollment Total (all students) | 27,690 |
Students can pursue professional degrees, undergraduate degrees, master’s degrees, and doctorate degrees at this university. Currently, over 190 undergraduate majors are available, and 42 of the University of Kansas’ graduate schools rank nationally.
The school has 13 colleges, which include the College of Liberal Arts, College of Social Welfare, College of Pharmacy, College of Nursing, College of Medicine, College of Law, College of Journalism and Mass Communications, College of Music, College of Art, College of Engineering, College of Allied Health, College of Architecture, Design and Planning, and College of Business. Many of these schools are highly regarded in educational communities around the world. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accredits the School of Business for the graduate and undergraduate programs in accounting and business, and ABET accredits the School of Engineering.
A few of the major departments are the Department of Art, Department of Geography, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Department of Dance, and Department of Accounting & Information Systems.Also offered are online educational options for students. The university currently offers a Master’s of Social Welfare, online independent study courses, educational courses in special education, and a host of professional development options. The online options are perfect for working adults who want to pursue a degree from this university.
KU’s basic admission requirements for freshmen include an application, an application fee, ACT scores and SAT scores, GED scores or high school transcript, and a list of senior courses. Students who are interested in scholarships must also include a scholarship essay and a co-curriculum summary with the application. As of April 2011, the minimum ACT score is a 21, and the minimum SAT score is a 980.
International students seeking an undergraduate degree must follow the above requirements, take the IELTS or TOEFL, and request that official results be sent to the university. The deadlines to submit applications are early June for the fall semester, early May for the summer session, and early November for the spring semester.
Those seeking admission into graduate school must have a bachelor’s degree and a minimum GPA of a 3.0 and a transcript from the undergraduate institute. Students must also complete the general requirements for admission into the university.
Slightly different requirements are necessary for admission into a medical school. The deadline for applications is early October for regular decision and early August for the Early Decision Program Applicants. Students must submit MCAT scores along with the graduate school application. It is also necessary to have 5 letters of recommendation submitted. You may also be selected for personal interviews that are conducted by the interviewing panel. Two 30-minute interviews take place over two days during each month from September through February.
The requirements for entrance into law school are a completed application, a signed certification letter for those applying online, a bachelor’s degree, LSAT scores, an application fee, a personal statement, transcripts from previous colleges or universities, resume, two letters of recommendation, and registration with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Applications are due in early April.
The financial aid process begins with the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine eligibility. FAFSA applications must be completed by early March for consideration. Students may qualify for grants, loans, and work-study programs. Some students may choose alternative loans to finance their educations. Others may choose to apply for scholarships.
The University of Kansas offers an Endowment Association Loan for many of its students. The low interest loans come from the gifts of friends and alumni of the university. KU Endowment uses fundraising through the nonprofit organization to raise money for deserving students.
Private loans may be an option for students who do not qualify to receive federal financial aid. The school has a link on the school’s website for students who are interesting in this form of financing.
Scholarships are available through the school as well. The deadline to complete an application is early November for the priority deadline and early December for the final deadline. The university offers a number of scholarships for current undergraduate students, incoming freshman, graduate student, current law students, and incoming transfer students.
Students can also apply for outside scholarships to attend the university. A few of the outside scholarships are the Gates Millennium Scholarship Program, Talbots Women’s Scholarship Fund, Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara Student Scholarship, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, and American Council of Engineering Companies Specialty Scholarship.
The university also offers financial literacy tools for students who plan to borrow money. Students learn how to itemize expenses to determine the financial need before, during, and after college. The tool is available through the non-profit organization the National Endowment of Financial Education (NEFE).
The main University of Kansas campus has 8 residential halls and 12 scholarship halls in which students can reside. A few of the residential halls are Hashinger Hall, Lewis Hall, Corbin Hall, Oliver Hall, and Ellsworth Hall. A few of the scholarship halls include Krehbiel Hall, Pearson Hall, Sellards Hall, Margaret Amini Hall, and Grace Pearson Hall. Students can also choose from on campus apartments, including Stouffer Place, Sunflower, and Jayhawker Tower. The Halls have wireless Internet access in common areas and the lobby, host educational program and special events, and offer academic centers for students to study.
The university also has many fraternities and sororities that students may be interested in joining. A few of the fraternities are Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, and Phi Beta Sigma. A few sororities include Delta Sigma Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and Sigma Gamma Rho.
There are currently more than 600 student organizations on campus, including, Air Force ROTC, KU Photo Club, Astronomy Associates of Lawrence. There are also a host of student fellowship groups and clubs on the campus.
There are also intramural sports on the campus. Students can choose from basketball, wallyball, soccer, softball, bench press, golf, bowling, tennis, racquetball, kickball, football, foosball, and sports trivia for entertainment on campus.
The university also has excellent recreational services that students may enjoy. The services consist of fitness instruction, personal training, fitness assessment, and cardiovascular training. Students receive the tools necessary to challenge themselves and reach fitness goals. Additionally, there are outdoor activities that students may enjoy that include hiking, canoeing, and camping.
KU has 18 varsity sports teams. The school is part of the Big 12 Conference and the NCAA Division 1. The school’s colors are crimson and blue, and the mascot is Big Jay. A few of the sports are rowing, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, volleyball, baseball, men’s and women’s track and field, soccer, and swim and dive.
The Kansas Jayhawks are the recipients of 12 National Championships: 3 in men’s indoor track and field, 1 in men’s cross-country, 5 in men’s basketball, and 3 in men’s outdoor track and field. The most recent championship took place on April 7, 2008 when the men’s basketball team defeated Memphis in an overtime win at the 2008 Men’s Basketball Championship. The team ended the season with a 12-1 record.
Increased funding led to the construction of many new buildings on campus. A few of these building include The Booth Family Hall, an addition to the Allen Fieldhouse; Anderson Family Strength Center, a 42,000-square-foot building; a $35 million football facility near Memorial Stadium, and many new scoreboards, lounges, offices, and batting facilities on campus. The University of Kansas’ athletic department is dedicated to improving the athletic facilities around the campus.
A few of the landmark events in the history of the university are FedEx Orange Bowl in 2008 in a 24-21 victory over Virginia Tech and during the 2009-2010 season when the men’s basketball team received accolades for the second winningest program in the history of college basketball.
Famous athletes that graduated from here include Adrian Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs, Aqib Talib of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Hall of Fame recipients Gale Sayers and Mike McCormack, Moran Morris of the Francisco 49ers, and Charles Gordon of the Minnesota Vikings.
Notable graduates of the University of Kansas include Lou Montulli, author of Lynx web browser and co-founder of Netscape; Alan Mulally, CEO and President of Ford Motor Company; Charles E. Spahr, previous CEO of Standard Oil of Ohio; and Brian McClendon, VP of Engineering at Google.
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