Best for Your Money

Introduction
The biggest factors in choosing KU have been the environment on campus and how affordable it is. My other college choice I had been struggling with (UC Davis) had tuition 4 x times the amount of KU tuition. Being a student paying for college solely on my own, it was very important to me that I wouldn't end up with student loan debt up to my eyeballs for the rest of my life.

Campus Life and Social Life
Well, this doesn't have a category, but the dorms are fairly good depending on what you get. McCollum however is the largest and craziest hall, not always in a good way. Look, someone pulled the fire alarm yet again! This occurrence happens on a regular basis, which isn't helpful when you trying to study, etc. A lot of students enjoy the scholarship halls, or off-campus housing, each of which aren't hard to find. The only advantage to McCollum is you can keep living there during Thanksgiving(Fall), Winter, and Spring Breaks. Advertisement
Academics
The workload all depends on what you take, it's hard to generalize.

Student Body
There are Lots of fun traditions are at KU, the Rock Chalk Jayhawk Chant, waving the wheat, KU Relays, etc. A good amount of clubs for everyone. There is even a story the admission office likes to tell about a student who created a fan club of himself. The number is only about 4-7 people and a sponsor to create a new club or interest group, so if you can't find what you want, you can always create it!

In Closing...
I was shocked to see that KU's profile said it was a fairly conservative school. ... KU and Lawrence are definitely much more liberal areas. And the weather is hard to say, I mean it is polar opposites depending upon the seasons. We get a fair amount of snow in the winter with temperatures getting down there, but in the summer it is easily over 100, plus it is very humid.