Missouri's only R1 research university, home to the state's public dental school and a distinctive six-year medical program.
UMKC operates 12 academic units including the College of Arts and Sciences, Conservatory of Music and Dance, Henry W. Bloch School of Management, School of Science and Engineering, School of Dentistry, School of Education, School of Law, School of Medicine, School of Nursing and Health Studies, School of Pharmacy, and School of Graduate Studies. The School of Medicine is renowned for its distinctive six-year post-secondary program combining a Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Medicine degree. The university holds the Fungal Genetics Stock Center, established in 1960 and supported by the National Science Foundation, which distributes research materials globally.
UMKC is home to Missouri's only public dental school and one of four law schools in Missouri. The School of Law is one of only seven American law schools to have educated both a U.S. President (Harry S. Truman, who attended but did not graduate) and a Supreme Court Justice (Charles Evans Whittaker). The UMKC Theatre program, particularly its MFA in acting and costume design, ranks among the nation's strongest; the costume design program was ranked in the top 10 by The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
The main Volker Campus spans 157 acres in Kansas City's Rockhill neighborhood, east of Country Club Plaza and adjacent to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. The Health Sciences District campus on Hospital Hill houses medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and nursing programs and is connected to University Health Truman Medical Center. A new St. Joseph campus medical education building opened in August 2025. UMKC athletics compete in NCAA Division I Summit League with 16 sports; the mascot is Kasey the Kangaroo, and school colors are blue and gold.
UMKC achieved Carnegie R1: Very High Research Activity status, making it the only R1 university in Kansas City. The university operates the Fungal Genetics Stock Center and hosts New Letters, a nationally recognized literary magazine, and KCUR, an NPR-affiliated radio station broadcasting for over 50 years. The Supplemental Instruction program was established and developed at UMKC.