About KU

In 1866, the University of Kansas welcomed the first class of 55 students to an unfinished building on a treeless ridge called Mount Oread.

Today, our enrollment sits at 28,500. From that single building, we have grown to five campuses — the Lawrence campus, the Edwards Campus in Overland Park, and medical branches in Kansas City, Wichita, and Salina. The once barren landscape has grown into a wooded campus considered one of the most beautiful in the nation.

We embrace our role as the state’s flagship university and a premier research institution, serving the state, nation, and world. We celebrate the energy and compassion that infuse the Jayhawk spirit. And we remain true to our historic values: the elevating force of education, the transformative power of research, and the healing power of service.

Our Mission