Founded in 1864, the main KU campus consists of 950 acres atop historic Mount Oread in Lawrence, Kansas. KU serves as a major comprehensive research and teaching institution as well as a center for learning, scholarship, and creative endeavor.

The Rivers, the Valley, and Mount Oread
Lawrence lies in the Kaw Valley, bordered on the north and south by the Kansas (Kaw) and Wakarusa rivers, and overlooked by Mount Oread, the hill on which the KU campus is built. Early settlers called the hill "Hogback Ridge," but it was later renamed after the Oread Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts. The word "oread" comes from the Greek, meaning "mountain nymph."

The city of Lawrence, located in Douglas County in northeast Kansas, is a fast-growing, multi-cultural college town and an increasingly popular bedroom community for commuters. Lawrence has a well-earned reputation as a vibrant hub for entertainment and the arts.