The University of Kansas Rankings 2025

The University of Kansas is ranked #465 globally in the QS World University Rankings 2026, positioning it among the top two percent of universities worldwide. In the 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, KU falls in the 351–400 band, reflecting its strong global research reputation.

According to U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 National University Rankings, KU is placed #152 among U.S. universities, and it is one of the top universities globally. Nestled in the heart of the American Midwest, KU makes an ideal choice to study in the USA.

University of Kansas Rankings 2025–26

Located primarily in Lawrence, the University of Kansas also operates branch campuses in Kansas City, Overland Park, Wichita, and Salina. Today, KU serves a strong community of approximately 29,792 students across undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

Here’s a summary of its recent performance across these agencies:

Here’s a graph of all the 3 years rankings:

According to the QS World University Rankings, it was placed at #443 in 2024, dropped to #452 in 2025, and further declined to #465 in 2026, indicating a consistent downward trend. 

Similarly, in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the university shifted from the 301–350 band in 2024 to the 351–400 band in 2025, with no data available for 2026. 

On the national front, as per the U.S. News rankings the ranking moved from #145 in 2024 to #152 in 2025, with 2026 data not yet available. This overall pattern suggests a need for strategic improvements in areas such as academic output, research quality, and student performance to regain a stronger position in future evaluations.

Now that you've reviewed the University of Kansas' general ranking, let's look at how it performs in individual subjects.

Subject-Wise Ranking of the University of Kansas

Located primarily in Lawrence with key campuses in Kansas City, Overland Park, Wichita, and Salina, KU supports around 23,598 students and maintains a student-to-staff ratio of approximately 9.5:1 . The University of Kansas (KU) consistently demonstrates strong subject-specific performance across major global ranking agencies. 

Here's a breakdown of KU’s subject-wise rankings from top global agencies:

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025

The University of Kansas (KU) exhibits notable academic strengths across various disciplines in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025. These rankings evaluate universities based on their academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-to-student ratio, international faculty and student ratios, and citations per faculty member.

Below is a summary of KU’s subject-wise rankings for 2025:

Now, let us explore the subject-wise rankings of the University of Kansas in the US News & World Report ranking.

US News Rankings 2025

The University of Kansas continues to gain recognition for its strong academic programs. The university also excels in graduate education, with its Education School tied at #15 nationally, its Business School at #72, and its Law School ranked #50 in U.S. News .  

KU’s graduate specialties continue to achieve recognition in U.S. News:

Moving from the U.S. News rankings to the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings, the University of Kansas continues to showcase its academic excellence across a wide range of fields.

Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings 2025

The University of Kansas shows impressive strength in several disciplines according to THE subject rankings. These results reflect rigorous assessments of teaching, research, citations, international outlook, and industry engagement.

Below is a summary of KU’s performance in key subject areas for 2025:

These rankings highlight KU’s regional and global standing in education, psychology, and law. Now that you've seen how the University of Kansas performs by subject, let's examine its overall rankings from other reputable sources.

Miscellaneous Rankings 2025

In 2025, KU was ranked #152 among National Universities by U.S. News & World Report, highlighting its strong academic standing. Additionally, KU's commitment to social mobility was recognized with a ranking of #211 in the same report. These recognitions reflect KU's commitment to delivering high-quality education.

Below is a summary of KU's notable rankings in 2025:

Now, let us explore the University of Kansas’s academic, community, and cultural achievements that make it an excellent option to study in the USA for Indian students after the 12th grade.

University of Kansas: Excellence and Achievements

The University of Kansas (KU) is renowned for its commitment to academic excellence, career readiness, and community engagement. In 2025, KU achieved a 66% six-year graduation rate, ranking it in the top 35% of institutions nationally. Additionally, KU possesses an impressive 85% first-year retention rate.

KU's dedication to providing quality education is further evidenced by its 94% employment rate for MBA graduates within six months of graduation. 

Below is a breakdown of KU's recent achievements and recognitions:

Academic Excellence and National Recognition

In 2025, KU's School of Business and its accounting program retained their dual AACSB accreditation, a distinction held by fewer than 6% of business schools worldwide. Additionally, KU's Environmental Law program is ranked #25 nationally, reflecting its strength in this specialized field.

Below is an overview of KU's notable academic recognitions:

These accolades highlight KU's commitment to delivering high-quality education and promoting student success across diverse disciplines. Now, let us explore the community and lifestyle recognitions of the University of Kansas.

Community and Lifestyle Recognitions

In the 2025-2026 Military Friendly Schools survey, KU's Lawrence campus was ranked the No. 9 Military Friendly School, and the KU School of Medicine-Wichita campus was ranked No. 8 Military Friendly and No. 8 Military Spouse Friendly School. 

Below are some of KU's key community development initiatives:

After exploring the University of Kansas’ notable achievements, let's now compare its rankings with the acceptance rate to gain a clearer picture of its selectivity.

Cultural and Creative Excellence

The University of Kansas (KU) continues to showcase its commitment to cultural and creative excellence. In 2025, KU's Department of Theatre & Dance honored 30 students for their outstanding academic and performance achievements during the annual awards banquet. 

Below are some highlights of KU's cultural and creative achievements:

These recognitions reflect KU's strong campus culture and its commitment to nurturing creativity and excellence among its students. 

Now, let's compare its rankings with the acceptance rate to gain a clearer picture of its selectivity.

University of Kansas: Ranking V/S Acceptance Rate

The University of Kansas (KU) maintains a high acceptance rate of 88%, making it broadly accessible, while still achieving strong program rankings, which showcase a balance of selectivity and academic quality. 

This acceptance rate applies to all undergraduate admissions, while graduate and professional programs may have more selective entry criteria.

Here's how select KU programs compare in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings and overall acceptance:

Here’s a detailed look at the criteria used for QS World ranking universities.

QS World University Rankings

The QS World University Rankings evaluate institutions worldwide based on six key performance indicators, with a focus on academic reputation, research impact, and internationalization. QS has also added three new indicators - International Research Network, Employment Outcomes, and Sustainability - each contributing 5% to the overall score.

Below is a breakdown of the core methodology used by QS to assess global institutions:

Here’s a detailed look at the criteria used for THE World ranking universities.

Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings

Times Higher Education (THE) assesses universities by examining teaching quality, research performance, and global engagement. In addition, graduation rate performance (10%) compares KU’s actual graduation outcomes against expected benchmarks, while peer assessment (20%) reflects KU’s reputation among academic leaders. 

Below are the key indicators used in THE's evaluation:

Next, let’s examine how U.S. News and World Report structures its rankings and where the University of Kansas stands within its framework.

U.S. News and World Report Rankings

U.S. News evaluates universities on several key metrics to gauge their effectiveness in supporting student success. One critical measure is graduation performance, which accounts for 5.5% of the overall score, comparing the six-year bachelor’s graduation rates between KU’s recipients and non-recipients.

Here are the focus indicators and their weightage used in the 2025 rankings:

Next, let’s look into the overall summary.

Conclusion

The University of Kansas (KU) has maintained a stable and commendable performance across major global and national ranking bodies in 2025. According to U.S. News & World Report, KU is ranked #152 among National Universities, indicating a consistent commitment to academic excellence and student success. 

The Times Higher Education ranks KU in the 351–400 global band, reflecting its balanced strengths in teaching, research, and international outlook. Meanwhile, the QS World University Rankings position KU at #452 globally, underlining its academic reputation and international research influence.