University of Kansas campus

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KU Ratings and Reviews

  • 7/10 Overall Rating
  • 4 Year
  • Lawrence, KS
  • 3.5 6 reviews
#1 Best Value in Kansas
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KU Ratings and Reviews

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Ratings

KU is rated within the top 37% of four-year colleges nationally and earns a CollegeSimply grade of 7 out of 10.

  • Overall Rating
    7 out of 10
  • Academics
    6 out of 10
  • Resources
    7 out of 10
  • Outcomes
    8 out of 10
  • Value
    8 out of 10
Learn how ratings are calculated

Student Review Summary

3.5

Approved reviews

6 student reviews

4 out of 6 (67%) reviewers rated 4 stars or higher

Students rate Party and Bar Scene highest and Housing lowest.

Rating snapshot

  • 5 stars
    2
  • 4 stars
    2
  • 3 stars
    0
  • 2 stars
    1
  • 1 star
    1

Average by category

  • Overall Rating
    3.5
  • Academics
    3.0
  • Value for Money
    2.8
  • Professors / Faculty
    3.7
  • Campus Atmosphere
    3.5
  • Housing
    2.7
  • Campus Safety
    2.8
  • Student Life
    3.7
  • Party and Bar Scene
    4.8

Student and Parent Reviews

If you are a student, former student, faculty member or parent, please help guide other prospective students by sharing your personal experiences at this college. What is it really like to go to University of Kansas?

Apr 3, 2023
Rating 4 out of 5

Huge party school. Seems like nobody cares much about academics. Freshman/sophomore classes are a hit or miss. Recommend you do core classes elsewhere because it sucks here. People seem to not care about these classes. Upper level classes are great if you have a good professor, grad school isn?t too bad either. Be cautious of housing and living near the bars, gets crazy at night. Would recommend coming to KU if you want to get involved with research, lots of opportunities if you can find a professor that resonates with you. Overall, the campus culture is nonchalant and party oriented, but you can get a good education here once you get to those upper level classes.

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Sep 18, 2021
Rating 5 out of 5

Great and connected campus with Lawrence and metro area-it will be a part of you for life. There is a free spirit and a search for knowledge and an evenhandedness and caring for one another. It is a great University with great Traditions.

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Sep 20, 2020
Rating 5 out of 5

The best five years of my life. Beautiful campus with great academics located in one of the best college towns in the county.

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Nov 24, 2019
Rating 4 out of 5

There have been good times and bad times. Good vibes. Housing is a little lackluster, but it's to be expected at a big university. Lots of hills to climb going around campus. The professors aren't super crazy. There should be more blue light safety phones around campus. Parking is abysmal and expensive. The city of Lawrence can be a little gross but there are lots of entertaining activities. Easy to navigate. Lot of homeless people because of the shelter. Lawrence transit does a good job; free bus rides for all KU students. There isn't necessarily a bad part of town, but East is definitely worse than West.

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Apr 4, 2019
Rating 1 out of 5

This entire place is a joke, minus a good teacher here or there. Otherwise this place is complete trash for educational purposes.

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Mar 24, 2019
Rating 2 out of 5

Do not come here if you want to learn

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Rate University of Kansas

Share your ratings for KU across academics, campus life, and more to help prospective students understand what it's really like to attend.

Your Overall Experience *

If a friend asked whether KU was worth it, what would your gut say?

Academics *

Did classes challenge you and leave you feeling like you actually learned something?

Value for Money *

Considering tuition, aid, and what you got out of it, did the cost feel justified?

Professors and Faculty *

Were instructors accessible, engaged, and invested in students or mostly going through the motions?

Campus Atmosphere *

Did the campus feel welcoming and full of energy, or more like a place you simply passed through?

Student Housing *

Were dorms and residence halls somewhere you'd want to live, or a constant source of frustration?

Campus Safety *

Did you feel comfortable walking around at night, or did safety ever weigh on your mind?

Student Life *

Was it easy to find your people, make friends, and stay socially connected?

Party and Bar Scene *

Do weekends have a pulse here, or does the social scene quiet down once classes end?

We will review your college review for suitability and publish it if approved. We reserve all rights to reject and edit reviews deemed incomplete, inappropriate or malicous or critical of individuals. By submitting this review you agree for it to be published on this website. Your full name will not be published.

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=155317.

Last updated: August 2026