Take a trip to Emporia State University, Kansas State University and The University of Kansas to discover some of the unique programs offered.
Lawrence's vibrant social environment and competitive tuition rates helped it finish first in Kansas in a ranking of best college towns and cities published last week by the personal financial website WalletHub.
Austin, Texas, placed first nationwide out of 415 communities of varying sizes on the list, which WalletHub created while taking into account 31 key metrics, including student life, cost of living and quality of education.
Finishing second through fifth nationwide were the following:
* Ann Arbor, Michigan.
* Orlando, Florida.
* Tampa, Florida.
* Raleigh, North Carolina.
Wichita finished first statewide in terms of wallet friendliness
Lawrence's first-place finish in Kansas was buoyed by rankings it received of first place statewide in social environment and second place, behind Wichita, in wallet friendliness.
WalletHub included seven Kansas college towns and cities in its study, which was published Oct. 21. Here's how those communities finished statewide.
1. Lawrence
The home of the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University, Lawrence overall finished first in Kansas and 106th nationally.
It placed 55th nationally in wallet friendliness, 132nd in social and environmental ranking and 317th in academic and economic opportunities.
2. Overland Park
Overland Park, the home of Johnson County Community College, Kansas Christian College and Cleveland University-Kansas City, finished second overall in Kansas and 161st nationally.
Nationally, Overland Park finished 78th in academic and economic opportunities; 237th in wallet friendliness and 285th in social and environmental ranking.
3. Wichita
Wichita finished first in Kansas and 53rd nationally in terms of wallet friendliness.
It is the home of Friends University, Newman University, Wichita Technical Institute, Wichita State University, Wichita State University Campus of Applied Services and Technology and Kansas Health Science University-Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Nationally, Wichita finished 264th overall, 242nd in social and environmental ranking and 371st in academic and economic opportunities.
4. Manhattan
The home of Kansas State University, Manhattan Christian College and Manhattan Area Technical College, Manhattan received national rankings of 267th overall, 137th in wallet friendliness, 191st in social and environmental ranking and 344th in academic and economic opportunities.
5. Topeka
The home of Washburn University and Washburn Institute of Technology, Topeka received national rankings of 303rd overall, 123rd in wallet friendliness, 376th in social and environmental ranking and 247th in academic and economic opportunities.
6. Olathe
The home of MidAmerica Nazarene University, Olathe received national rankings of 331st overall, 232nd in wallet friendliness, 380th in social and environmental ranking and 225th in academic and economic opportunities.
7. Kansas City, Kansas
The home of Donnelly College and Kansas City, Kansas, Community College, Kansas City, Kansas, received national rankings of 340th overall, 172nd in wallet friendliness, 400th in social and environmental ranking and 237th in academic and economic opportunities.