More selective than 26% of Kansas colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $26,751. College Scorecard.
Higher than 96% of Kansas colleges we cover and 77% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 93% of Kansas colleges we cover and 74% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
KU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 19,226 applicants, University of Kansas admitted 16,958 and 5,259 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1070–1300 on the SAT or 20–28 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
KU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Kansas residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What KU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Kansas took 4.3 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Kansas. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $12,544 | $53,437 | 1.9 years |
| $30–48k | $12,942 | $55,133 | 2.0 years |
| $48–75k | $15,154 | $64,556 | 2.3 years |
| $75–110k | $19,169 | $81,660 | 2.9 years |
| $110k+ | $22,544 | $96,037 | 3.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (54% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($61,945) minus $34,216 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KS (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $27,729 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
KU majors, earnings & careers
University of Kansas offers 83 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 17
- Science & Math · 14
- Engineering · 12
- Health & Medicine · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Business & Finance · 9
- Arts & Design · 6
- Communications & Media · 2
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at KU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | $125,384 | $19,151 |
| Computer Engineering | $113,339 | — |
| Management Science / Analytics | $107,635 | $25,000 |
| Petroleum Engineering | $97,527 | $25,000 |
| Chemical Engineering | $93,391 | $20,500 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering | $92,335 | $25,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $92,008 | $27,000 |
| Civil Engineering | $89,087 | $26,000 |
Quick list of all 83 majors
- Accounting$84,736
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$92,335
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$53,864
- American Sign Language—
- Anthropology—
- Architectural Engineering$84,319
- Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation$66,286
- Architectural Sciences and Technology—
- Area Studies—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology—
- Behavioral Sciences$58,883
- Biochemistry$81,568
- Biology$61,561
- Biotechnology—
- Business$68,572
- Business Administration$77,725
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences—
- Chemical Engineering$93,391
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$89,087
- Classical and Ancient Studies—
- Classics—
- Communications$60,258
- Computer and Information Sciences$92,008
- Computer Engineering$113,339
- Dance—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics$69,084
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$50,434
- Education (Subject Teaching)$52,106
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering Physics—
- English$46,464
- Environmental Science / Conservation$54,687
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography$41,191
- Finance$86,453
- Geography—
- Geography and Environmental Studies—
- Geology / Earth Science$61,838
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$59,441
- Health Administration—
- Health Sciences—
- History$58,936
- Human Biology$70,399
- Interior Architecture—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business—
- Journalism$62,394
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$62,876
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$58,777
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems$87,704
- Management Science / Analytics$107,635
- Marketing$70,404
- Mathematics$64,905
- Mechanical Engineering$82,934
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions$57,252
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$65,861
- Music—
- Nursing$78,601
- Petroleum Engineering$97,527
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$125,384
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$61,839
- Psychology$55,329
- Psychology (Research)—
- Public Administration—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Work$55,582
- Sociology$48,146
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$59,436
- Studio Art$38,355
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Journalism → Reporter / journalist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 5.9% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Finance → Financial analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Lawrence
Overall prices in the Lawrence, KS area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,272. Housing costs 28% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 39 inches of rain a year, 10 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Douglas County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Douglas County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare KU with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Kansas by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kansas | 93% | $18,059 | 69% | $61,945 | This school |
| Kansas State University | 82% | $19,406 | 71% | $57,262 | |
| Wichita State University | 94% | $13,194 | 51% | $51,532 | |
| Fort Hays State University | 90% | $12,569 | 48% | $48,928 | |
| Pittsburg State University | 89% | $15,784 | 57% | $50,579 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of Kansas would cost you $1,347 less per year than Kansas State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at University of Kansas, mostly from a lower estimate for personal & travel costs (−$1,878).
- University of Kansas gives aided families $696 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Kansas resident | KU | Kansas State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $12,102 | $11,221 | +$881 |
| Books & supplies | $1,224 | $1,056 | +$168 |
| Housing & meals | $10,818 | $12,020 | −$1,202 |
| Personal & travel | $3,390 | $5,268 | −$1,878 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$783 | −$2,163 | +$1,380 |
| Sticker price | $26,751 | $27,402 | −$651 |
| Average grants | −$8,692 | −$7,996 | −$696 |
| You pay | $18,059 | $19,406 | −$1,347 |
“+” means KU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about KU
What is the KU acceptance rate?
University of Kansas accepts 93% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 16,958 of 19,226 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1070–1300 on the SAT or 20–28 on the ACT.
How much does University of Kansas cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $26,751 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $18,059 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,544 and families earning $110k+ pay $22,544.
How much do KU graduates earn?
Former University of Kansas students earn a median $61,945 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the KU graduation rate?
69% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 86% return for their second year.
How long does a KU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Kansas costs about $64,556 after grants ($15,154 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $61,945 ten years after starting, $27,729 more than high school graduates in Kansas ($34,216), so the cost is repaid in 2.3 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of Kansas: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-kansas (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).