The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university in Lawrence, Kansas. It is one of the oldest universities in the state of Kansas and is one of the nation’s leading research institutions. The university was founded in 1866 following the passage of legislation that allowed the establishment of private and state-supported universities.
The main campus in Lawrence, one of the largest college towns in Kansas, consists of 350 buildings on 580 acres (230 ha), including a National Historic Landmark dating from 1862, twenty residence halls and 15 academic buildings. KU football has been among the most successful programs at an NCAA school since 2000. The university’s athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA and are known as the Jayhawks or KU Jayhawks; they have been joined by other nicknames such as “Rock Chalk.” The men’s basketball program has been particularly successful over the past 25 years, winning four national championships (1988, 2008, 2012 and 2018).
The university’s main campus in Lawrence houses three colleges: The University of Kansas School of Business (the largest business school in the world), the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and The Graduate School. The law school also has campuses in Kansas City and Wichita.
Moreover, KU Libraries, which includes eleven branches throughout the state, contains over 7 million volumes and maintains a collection that includes one copy of every book published in North America since 1780.
