Why KU?

In a study of 700 schools, KU made the list of just 20 schools that "foster student success" and "do an especially good job of educating students."
Read the USA Today article

"KU has risen steadily in reputation to become, first, one of the top public universities in the Midwest, and now one of the more highly regarded public schools in the nation."
Choosing the Right College 2006: The Whole Truth about America's Top Schools

From the Fiske Guide to Colleges: "With solid academics, outstanding extracurricular programs, winning athletics, and a stellar social life, the University of Kansas is one of higher education's best buys." The guide also names KU as one of 16 public university best buys in the country for "quality of the academic offerings in relation to the cost."

	Fiske's 2007 Ratings (out of 5 stars)
	Academics	Social Scene	Quality of Life
Illinois:
Texas:
Kansas:
Minnesota:
Arkansas:
Kentucky:
Missouri:
Nebraska:
Oklahoma:
Texas Tech:
Hawaii-Pacific:	Not listed in Fiske's guide
Kansas State:	Not listed in Fiske's guide
Louisville:	Not listed in Fiske's guide
Missouri State:	Not listed in Fiske's guide
Oklahoma State:	Not listed in Fiske's guide
Wichita State:	Not listed in Fiske's guide

Describing KU as "the flagship university of Kansas," Barron's Best Buys in College Education notes that KU "draws bicoastal attention, offering a wealth of big college experiences for a comparatively small price." The guide gives high marks to KU's journalism, engineering, architecture, psychology, biology, theatre, accounting, East European, Russian/Slavic languages programs, and pharmacy.

KU ranks as one of the best values in public universities in the nation where students "can get an excellent education for a reasonable price," according to the November 2003 issue of Kiplinger's. KU ranked 22nd in the nation for in-state students and 26th in the nation for out-of-state students seeking top universities that "give students the best bang for the buck."
-Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, November 2003 issue

In a nationwide survey of high school guidance counselors, KU was cited as an "excellent and affordable choice for Midwestern students" and a "best value" in the country. Counselors said students told them KU offered "tremendous athletics and a great assortment of majors at a very attractive price." It highlighted the programs in architecture, pre-med studies, nursing, pharmacy, engineering, and journalism as among KU's best.
Kaplan's The Unofficial, Unbiased Insider's Guide to the 320 Most Interesting Colleges, 2002

U.S. News & World Report College Rankings
Listed below are some of US News' college rankings. I listed "cheer schools" and local (to Kansas) schools. For schools ranked in Tier 3 and 4, US News doesn't rank them against other schools in their tier so I listed them alphabetically.