Why KU Matters To You
The University of Kansas is a showcase of creation and collaboration. Our dedication to research, invention, and teaching illustrates how Jayhawks strive toward limitless opportunity and cultivate a stronger, healthier
future. This curation features some of our recent accomplishments and demonstrates how KU powers Kansas and enriches the world.
Highlights to Rock Chalk About
The Gateway District
The Gateway District project and new David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium begin a groundbreaking chapter for KU athletics as well as our university and state. This project will include a world-class venue for fans and student athletes, along with a conference center and a mix of entertainment, dining, retail, and lodging to drive economic development, academics, and student recruitment.
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Our new 30,000-square-foot Jayhawk Welcome Center at Adams Alumni Center uses interactive digital displays to introduce prospective students to KU opportunities, help current Jayhawks explore our community, strengthen alumni pride, and increase KU fan enjoyment.
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There's so much more to discover
You can jump ahead to explore what you’re most interested in or scroll along to learn about the many facets of KU’s expertise, prestige, and invention.
Academic Excellence
KU has 51 academic programs that rank in the top 50 among public universities
Number one in local government management, special education, and paleontology
- Local Government Management
- Special Education
- Paleontology
6 more programs rank in the top 10 among public universities:
- Physical therapy
- Public management and leadership
- Speech-language pathology
- Occupational therapy
- Audiology
- Education
Three assistant professors from the KU School of Engineering have each received prestigious national awards granted to early-career faculty whose research shows promise:
- Mohammad Alian: $533,000 National Science Foundation grant to evaluate the internal networking of data centers.
- Cheng Huang: $450,000 Air Force Office of Scientific Research grant to improve combustion devices’ performance and safety.
- Justin Hutchinson: $560,000 National Science Foundation grant to examine microbes that can break up chemicals in soil and groundwater.
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The School of Business received a $50 million donation to enrich business education and research. The gift, the largest in KU School of Business history, will also provide funds to advance key initiatives supporting undergraduate student success.
Among public institutions, the KU School of Medicine ranks among the best for percent of graduates practicing in:
Among public institutions, the KU School of Medicine ranks among the best for percent of graduates practicing in
The KU School of Law ranks:
The KU School of Law ranks:
For online graduate programs, three rank in the top 50:
For online graduate programs, three rank in the top 50:
Aerospace engineering awards
Kelly Matsunaga, assistant curator of paleobotany and Thomas N. Taylor Assistant Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, has received a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation. The grant, totaling over $946,000, will be used to research and educate on how conifer trees — some of the tallest and longest-lived organisms — have evolved over the last 300 million years in response to a changing planet.
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Four new degree programs were launched by the School of Professional Studies in 2023 to meet the workforce demands in the region and beyond. The programs in cybersecurity, data analytics, operations management, and criminal justice are all available online.
7,512 degrees and certificates granted in 2023:
KU has a total enrollment of 29,355 students:
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Record-setting fall 2023 freshman class of 5,259 students:
For online graduate programs, three rank in the top 50:
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Military Friendly Schools survey has awarded KU with a Gold Award designation for exceptional practices, outcomes, and programs for military-affiliated students.
Powering Kansas
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KU Innovation Park is an ideal location for established companies to connect with KU resources and skills. In collaboration with more than 70 companies, it has created over 675 private sector jobs and $45.1 million in annual payroll. More than 4,000 direct jobs are expected by 2036.
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The U.S. National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerator awarded $650,000 to a team led by KU scientists — including geology, mechanical engineering, data science, and economics researchers — to develop a water management data ecosystem to facilitate insightful and equitable water-related practices for Kansas.
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Jim Butler with Kansas Geological Survey has developed a new method of water conservation in the High Plains Aquifer, which has helped farmers in northwest Kansas reduce pumping by an average of 25% with little to no impact on their incomes.
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KU is currently developing a new health education campus in Wichita to train health care practitioners for underserved Kansas communities.
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The University of Kansas School of Nursing has received a $500,000 gift to fund a centralized data collection and exchange system for the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center to better understand the statewide nursing workforce and enhance patient care.
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Grants for social equity and accessibility
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Two sister species of near-primate — called “primatomorphans” — dating back about 52 million years have been identified by researchers at the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum as the oldest to have dwelled north of the Arctic Circle. Kristen Miller, a KU doctoral student, was the lead author of the article examining the specimens.
Enriching Our World
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KU Cancer Center
The KU Cancer Center, which ranks among the top 1% of cancer centers nationally, has received a $100 million gift to build innovative facilities to enhance cancer care.
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NASA astronaut and School of Engineering graduate Loral O’Hara traveled to the International Space Station in September 2023 to participate in a variety of research projects exploring human health on and off the planet. She is the fourth graduate of KU to become a NASA astronaut.
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KU researchers developed the critical formulation that allows the drug ciclopirox to be repurposed in a new way — to treat bladder and other cancers. The new drug — fosciclopirox — is currently being tested in clinic trials.
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A project led by Taejoon Kim, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, will work to strengthen security of 5G wireless communication networks for use by the U.S. armed forces. A $5 million award from the National Science Foundation will help fund this project and create training opportunities for KU students.
Liqin Zhao, KU associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology and investigator at the Life Span Institute, led a team of researchers exploring the human ApoE gene and its relation to Alzheimer’s disease. In the process, the team has discovered new possible treatments for stroke, diabetes, and heart disease.
A new book by School of Architecture & Design Dean Mahbub Rashid — “Built Environment and Population Health in Small-Town America: Learning from Small Cities of Kansas” — examines the relationship that exists between the size of a city and population health, which relates to communities in Kansas and nationwide.
Faculty in national academies and associations:
- National Academy of Medicine: 1
- National Academy of Engineering: 3
- National Academy of Sciences: 1
- National Academy of Inventors: 6
- National Academy of Public Administrators: 5
- National Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows: 29
Inspiring the Future
The children’s book “Small-Girl Toni and the Quest for Gold” is an original story inspired by the works of Toni Morrison. Written by Giselle Liza Anatol, director of the Hall Center for the Humanities and professor of English, this story combines the magic of Morrison’s storytelling with the power of family and perseverance.
A partnership between School of Music faculty member Roberta Gumbel and New York composer Susan Kander has resulted in “Carry My Own Suitcase,” a new chamber opera exploring autism.
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The Spencer Museum of Art unveiled the redesign of its fourth floor, encompassing nearly 15,000 square-feet of space. Exhibits acknowledge the histories of objects, their meanings to different populations, and how they came to exist within the Spencer’s 48,000-object collection.
KU is the home of unceasing ambition.
These points are just a portion of the achievements our faculty, staff, and students accomplish in one year. We honor our history, take pride in our endeavors, and aspire toward a promising future.