About the University of Kansas

 

“Stretching out on its own unbounded scale, unconfined...Combining the real and ideal, and beautiful as dreams.”

— Poet Walt Whitman on the view from KU's hill

We're glad you're interested in KU. The University of Kansas is a major public research and teaching institution that operates through a diverse, multicampus system. KU's many parts are bound together by a mission to serve as a "center for learning, research, scholarship and creative endeavor" in the state of Kansas, the nation and the world.

Old Fraser Hall

Old Fraser Hall. (Photo courtesy University Archives)


Campus Life

(David McKinney/Office of University Relations)

Let's start from the beginning. A band of contrarians — opposed to slavery, promoters of freedom for all — settled a western outpost between the Kaw and Wakarusa rivers in the 1850s. A town was platted and then a great university was begun on Hogback Ridge, high above the river valley and below a boundless, expansive blue sky.

The inventor of basketball started a tradition here. The man who discovered vitamins A and D graduated. Helium was extracted from gas for the first time. The first African-American woman to entertain at the White House was a student. Future astronauts were launched into their careers, along with artists, business leaders, presidential candidates, governors, Pulitzer winners and a Nobel Prize winner. National championships have been won. And many pharmacists, teachers, nurses, doctors, musicians, artisans, journalists, architects, engineers and lawyers have begun careers.

An ideal campus, historic and wireless at the same time. Close to a metropolis, bordering the prairie. High-tech labs, interactive classrooms, performance venues and athletic arenas. Tranquil mornings, a diverse exciting nightlife. Truly a "castle on a hill."

And now for the future. What can you do at KU? The opportunities are boundless.

KU History

KU History

Explore the rich history of the University of Kansas
with our interactive site. Visit KU History »

Books

On the Hill: A Photographic History of the University of Kansas (By Virginia Adams and others)
University Archives"This rich collection of photographs spans 125 years, two world wars, the Great Depression, the turbulent '60s, and everything in between. More than 400 images depict the growth and changes that took the University of Kansas from a small collection of buildings on a treeless hill to the major educational center it is today."



The University of Kansas: A History, 1864-1964
(By Clark Griffin)
"When the University of Kansas opened on September 12, 1866, the only things it had in common with an actual university were a name, a charter, and a large measure of faculty factionalism." About the Griffin Collection »

Research

Spencer Research Library University Archives
Kenneth Spencer Research Library
This repository for the records documenting the history of the University of Kansas includes are the official papers of the chancellors, records of student and faculty activities, and selected publications and papers of alumni and faculty.


Clendening History of Medicine Library Clendening History of Medicine
Library and Museum The Clendening History of Medicine Library and Museum is the rare books and manuscripts library of the University of Kansas Medical Center. It actively collects rare books as well as current works in the history of medicine, nursing, and the allied professions.


Historic Mount Oread Historic Mount Oread Fund This organization works to preserve the historic and beautiful campus of the University of Kansas that generations have known and loved. Its goal is to ensure that KU's past is always part of its future. Learn more about KU Landmarks and current projects.

10 Great Things

The Hill
You can see KU for miles around, its crimson rooflines accenting the wide blue sky. We admit getting to the top of Mount Oread is physically daunting at first. Stairs, sidewalks, streets - they're all a workout. But nothing worth achieving is ever easy, and from the top the vista is endless.
The Campus
Students are known to be transformed by their first walk along Jayhawk Boulevard, past the distinguished stone edifices of Hoch, Strong, Watson, Lippincott, Dyche and Spooner halls. Walk beneath the steadfast gaze of bronzed mentor Uncle Jimmy Green, his arm guiding a young protégé, and you too will know: This is where I want to be.
The Town
The campus may be jaw-dropping gorgeous, but we also rave about the artsy downtown and its bustling tree-lined streets overflowing with eateries, small shops and galleries. The jazz, classical, rock, hip-hop and sidewalk music scene is renowned. Or just sail away on nearby Clinton Lake.
The Program
Still deciding what you want to do when you grow up? At KU you can find your passion, in the arts or the sciences or anything in between. KU has more than 100 fields of study taught by expert teachers and researchers, and more than 40 are nationally ranked, many in the top 10. A KU degree comes with cachet.
The Price
Kansans like to get a good price, be it for corn or college, and KU offers more for your investment in time and tuition. This is a value-added education: top-ranked, nationally respected programs low tuition rates that are fixed for 4 years! . That's why the Fiske Guide calls KU "one heck of a deal." Sweet.
The World
We are not just in Kansas anymore. The economy is global, and so is a KU education. We strive to give every student an international learning experience, here or over there. One quarter of all students study overseas, and KU is one of five Simon Award winners for campus internationalization. There's no place like Italy (or China, Morocco or Latin America) for a summer or a semester.
The Research
Yes, all major universities do research, but when Forbes Magazine named only 10 as "IQ campuses" for trailblazing research, KU was one. And KU is one of 34 public universities in a select group of North American schools chosen on the basis of national significance in graduate studies and research. At KU, you are part of something great.
The Chant
When you hear the long, slow, Gregorian cadences of KU's world-famous Rock Chalk chant, you understand why it's been declared the greatest college yell since it was created by a KU chemistry professor in 1886. It cheers the heart and soul of any Jayhawk: Rock Chalk Jayhawk Kaaay-youuuuuuu.
The Game
You know basketball is big here. But it's not just because of the national championships, raucous and revered Allen Fieldhouse, NBA stars from Chamberlain to Pierce or even because four of the most successful college coaches of all time played or coached here. It's also because James Naismith, our first coach, happens to have invented the game. Great things start here.
The Jayhawk
It's the only one in the whole wide world, special because it is unique but also because this mascot embodies qualities we cherish: forward-looking, happy and confident, eager to compete, able to soar. Above all Jayhawks are loyal. Be one and you become part of a global family.

Resources

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