National college guides praise KU's academics, quality of life

You may have heard about some purported research regarding the flatness of pancakes and Kansas.

But the new 2004 Fiske Guide to Colleges has set the record straight. Editors observed that "Lawrence is not flat as a pancake ... KU has a gorgeous campus and is one of the premier college bargains in the United States." The guide also calls KU one of the 22 public university best buys for "quality of the academic offerings in relation to the cost."

The Fiske Guide is one of two 2004 college guide editions that arrived in bookstores in August and that give KU high rankings. See Fiske Guide highlights below.

U.S. News' 2004 edition of "America's Best Colleges" again ranks KU in the top 50 of the nation's 162 public national universities that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors as well as master's and doctoral degrees.

"We're pleased by the Fiske Guide's glowing words for KU and Lawrence, and we're glad to see both guides confirm that KU belongs on any list of the nation's top public universities, in terms of cost and academic quality," said Chancellor Robert Hemenway.

"America's Best Colleges" ranks KU 44th among public national universities. All public Big 12 schools ranked among the top 50 public universities dropped from last year"s rankings. KU ranked 41st last year. The University of Texas at Austin dropped from 14th to 17th this year; Texas A&M University at College Station, from 24th to 27th; the University of Missouri at Columbia, from 28th to 32nd; the University of Colorado at Boulder, from 31st to 35th; and Iowa State University, from 39th to 41st.

"Given the weight U.S. News places on financial and faculty resources, we're not surprised to see all ranked Big 12 universities drop slightly," Hemenway said. "The public has noted the two-year economic pinch on state higher education in the Midwest. But with strategic investments from our KU First fund-raising campaign and our five-year tuition plan, KU is evolving into a leaner, stronger university."

Here are the FISKE GUIDE highlights:

• KU again rates four stars out of a possible five for academics, social life and quality of life. "It might be in the center of the conservative Midwest, but KU itself is an oasis of tolerance and open-mindedness," the editors note.

• Eight KU programs are singled out as among the strongest: architecture and urban design, education, environmental studies, journalism, nursing/pharmacy, social welfare, business and engineering.

• Other highlights include "a great honors program," the Mount Oread Scholars Program and the Indigenous Nations Studies Program.

• KU is joined by only two other Big 12 public universities, Texas A&M and the University of Colorado, on the best-buy list for public universities.

• The city of Lawrence receives rave reviews from students: "'I visited nine campuses, and this town had me from 'hello,' says a psychology and business major."