Respected college guide cites KU as a "best buy"

KU remains one of the nation's "best buys" in higher education, according to a respected national publication that compares tuition costs with academic and other lifestyle information at colleges and universities around the country.

The newly released 2003 Fiske Guide to Colleges names KU as one of 21 public universities in the nation that "offer remarkable educational values at a relatively modest cost." KU is the only university in Kansas as well as Missouri, Oklahoma and Nebraska on the "best buy" list. No other Kansas college or university is included among the profiles of 300 U.S. and Canadian universities selected by the guide's staff as "the best and most interesting."

The University also once again earned four-star rankings (out of five) in academics, social life and quality of life. Fiske describes KU's academic program as solid, the extracurricular programs as outstanding and the social life, stellar.

"Those with outstanding high school records should definitely look into the honors program, which offers small classes with top professors," the guide states. "Professors earn high marks for their teaching ability and dedication."

Other highlights from this year's guide:
-- KU is one of 22 public universities listed as "inexpensive."
-- KU programs cited for "unusual strength" are the School of Architecture and Urban Design, one of 13 public universities cited, and the Department of Theatre and Film, one of 12 among all major universities cited.
-- Most noted undergraduate programs among Ku's 14 schools include architecture and urban design, allied health, fine arts, social welfare, pharmacy, nursing, education, business and engineering. "The journalism, architecture and business programs receive rave reviews from students," the guide adds.
-- "Strongest programs" are architecture and urban design, education, environmental studies, journalism, nursing / pharmacy and social welfare.

"With Ku's huge number of high-ranking academic programs, its national reputation (the non-basketball one) has certainly improved," the guide states. "Kansas is a heck of a deal."

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