University of Kansas — College Profile

About

The University of Kansas, a flagship AAU research university located in the quintessential college town of Lawrence, is best known for top-tier academic programs in pharmacy, journalism, special education, and engineering. Student life on its picturesque Mount Oread campus is vibrant and tradition-rich, characterized by an active Greek community and a bustling downtown scene along Massachusetts Street. Most distinctive is the university's legendary basketball heritage housed in the historic Allen Fieldhouse, where the iconic "Rock Chalk, Jayhawk" chant anchors one of the most electric game-day atmospheres in collegiate athletics.

Wikipedia:The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital in Kansas City, Kansas; and the Edwards Campus in Overland Park. There are also educational and research sites in Garden City, Hays, Leavenworth, Parsons, and Topeka, an agricultural education center in rural north Douglas County, and branches of the medical school in Salina and Wichita. The university is a member of the Association of American Universities and classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".

Location

Lawrence, KS, 66045 · City campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

MCI · Kansas City

37 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition & fees$12,102$30,432

Housing & food (on campus)$11,358$11,358

Books & supplies$1,224$1,224

Cost of attendance$26,751$53,660

Average net price$18,059Not published

Out-of-state prices

Tuition & fees$30,432

In-state: $12,102

Housing & food (on campus)$11,358

Books & supplies$1,224

Cost of attendance$53,660

In-state: $26,751

Average net priceNot published

In-state: $18,059

Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: affordability.ku.edu

How it’s made up · out-of-state, 2026-27

University of Kansas’s own figures for 2026-2027, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.

Tuition$31,779

Fees$1,065

Housing$14,370

Books & supplies$778

Personal expenses$2,962

Transportation$2,600

Total published by the school$53,660

Source: affordability.ku.edu · checked Sep 13, 2026

Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24

$0–30k

$12,544

$30–48k

$12,942

$48–75k

$15,154

$75–110k

$19,169

$110k+

$22,544

Your family's actual price → University of Kansas net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

69%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

55%

Back for yr 2

86%

Transferred

22%

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

67% graduated · 24% transferred · 8% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$51,217

10 yrs after entry$61,945

Debt

Median at graduation$21,000

Monthly payment$223

Middle 50% owe$5.5k–$25k

90th percentile$31,000

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

93%

Test policy

Test optional

Checked Sep 2026

SAT average

1190

R 540–650 · M 530–650

ACT midpoint

Comp 20–28 · E 20–27 · M 18–27

SAT middle 50%: 1070–1300

40080012001600

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Essay prompts

If University of Kansas asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 46%Women 54%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

18 : 1

Pell grant

20%

First-gen

22%

Family income

$64,240

Independent

15%

Veterans

Age at entry

21.0

Part-time

Race & ethnicity

White

69%

Hispanic

11%

Black

Asian

Two or more

Non-resident

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division I-FBS · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Football
Men's
Golf
Men's · Women's
Rowing
Women's
Soccer
Women's
Softball
Women's
Swimming and Diving (combined)
Women's
Tennis
Women's
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$51,217

After 10 yrs

$61,945

Psychology, General291

Finance and Financial Management Services206

Journalism203

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness201

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing191

Marketing188

Business/Commerce, General149

Computer and Information Sciences, General138

Political Science and Government130

Accounting and Related Services128

Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration111

Business Administration, Management and Operations107

Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods106

Mechanical Engineering101

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods92

Communication and Media Studies90

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$2.5B

Full-time faculty

78%

Faculty salary

$11,338/mo

Teaching spend

$22,979

per student

Federal loans

37%

Classification

Carnegie type

Doctoral University

Research activity

R1 — very high research

$546M research spending · 358 research doctorates a year

Undergraduate profile