University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS · NTD ID 70044 · 2024 report year
University of Kansas carries 1.6 million passenger trips a year on bus service — making it the 229th-busiest transit operator in the United States, and the largest in Kansas. It is based in Lawrence, KS.
It spends $3.3 million a year running that service, or $2.03 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $2.03 per rider — 85% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 9 years reported, ridership remains 2% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 36% on 2023.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#193 of 1,162 nationally | 1,628,191 | $3.3 million | $2.03 | -85% | — | 21 |
Ridership, 2016–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,628,191 | $3.3 million | $2.03 |
| 2023 | 1,195,326 | $2.9 million | $2.39 |
| 2022 | 1,069,797 | $3.9 million | $3.60 |
| 2021 | 257,534 | $3.7 million | $14.37 |
| 2020 | 1,311,663 | $4.4 million | $3.37 |
| 2019 | 1,656,186 | $3.8 million | $2.31 |
| 2018 | 1,811,784 | $3.2 million | $1.77 |
| 2017 | 2,188,549 | $4.7 million | $2.13 |
| 2016 | 1,065,225 | $2.0 million | $1.88 |
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Ask NTD about University of Kansas →Source & method. Figures are from the Federal Transit Administration's National Transit Database (NTD) annual reporting for 2024, the most recent published report year. Cost per rider is operating expense divided by unlinked passenger trips. Farebox recovery is fare revenue divided by operating expense. Ten-year trends are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; single-year figures are as reported. Agencies self-report to the NTD, and reporting practice varies, so figures are best read as comparable in magnitude rather than to the cent.