University of Missouri—Kansas City (UMKC)

The University of Missouri—Kansas City offers a slew of majors and programs. The "outstanding" business programs include the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which has helped students launch dozens of money-making ventures. If you have stellar credentials, the School of Medicine's unique six-year B.A./M.D. program provides a fast track to a medical degree. Also notable are UMKC's fine arts programs, especially the Conservatory of Music and Dance. Otherwise, UMKC offers the kind of experience that is pretty typical for a regional state school. "Administrative processes are chaotic." "Some professors are really good and give a lot of insights." They "go out of their way to help." "They are the experts in their field and are fully absorbed in the subject matter." Other faculty members "are not very good and clearly do not love to teach." "UMKC is pretty much straightforward," explains a discerning business major. "They accept a lot of different types of students, try hard to bring in professors who can teach them, and give them a degree for an affordable price. It is never going to be Harvard, or Caltech, or even MU in Columbia but, for many people, it is enough to get them going. It is a service that hits an appropriate market."

For many students here, UMKC is the default choice because it is "nearby and cost effective." Students tend to hail "from Kansas City or the surrounding areas." At the same time, this campus is "extremely diverse." Ethnic minorities make up an ample contingent of the undergraduate population. There are students from all across the country. "There are many international students" as well. While UMKC is home to plenty of newly-minted high school graduates, "there are quite a few students in their thirties and forties" and "it is not strange to see nontraditional students in every class." At UMKC, you'll find "focused" business students, art students who "drink expensive coffee," and pretty much any other kind of student you seek. By and large, students are "serious, committed to making good grades, and very busy trying to fit everything into their schedule," "but not so driven that they don't have time to relax and enjoy life."

The "urban" campus here is "right in the middle of the Kansas City metro area." It's "beautiful," though a few buildings "could improve." Socially, some students tell us that UMKC "has the feeling of a small town in a big city." It's "easy to blend in," they say. "Everyone mashes up in a pleasant enough way," "and there is a sense of community." "There are some small parties," and there is a faint smattering of Greek life. Other students see things differently. They describe an atmosphere with "very little interaction" because so many students "go to school and then go straight home." School spirit isn't the greatest either. "I never know when sports games are happening, and no one is ever talking about it," complains a junior. Off campus, Kansas City itself is an affordable place to live, and it provides a wealth of entertainment opportunities and "great food." (We recommend the ribs.) Downtown Kansas City and The Plaza "are great hang out zones." Theoretically, you can walk to quite a few worthwhile places Nevertheless, and despite the fact that parking is "atrocious," students warn that a car is a real necessity around here.