Top Ranked U.S. Colleges: Universities | Public Universities | Liberal Arts Colleges | Engineering | Business | Women's | Most Selective | More Top Picks
Wisconsin has a wide range of options for both public and private institutions. From a large public research university like the University of Wisconsin at Madison to small eco-friendly Northland College, Wisconsin has schools to match a variety of student personalities and interests. The 11 top Wisconsin colleges below are listed alphabetically to avoid the often arbitrary distinctions used to distinguish #1 from #2, and because of the impossibility of comparing a small private college with a huge state institution. The schools were chosen based on their academic reputations, curricular innovations, first-year retention rates, six-year graduation rates, value, financial aid and student engagement.
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Beloit College
firepile / Flickr
- Location: Beloit, Wisconsin
- Enrollment: 1,407 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 15; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; large number of graduates go on to earn PhDs; curriculum emphasizes experiential learning, independent research, and fieldwork
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Beloit College profile
Carroll University
Photo Courtesy of Carroll University
- Location: Waukesha, Wisconsin
- Enrollment: 3,403 (3,118 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private Christian liberal arts college
- Distinctions: 16 to 1 student / faculty ratio; 50 student clubs and organizations; most students get grant aid; academic experience built upon "Four Pillars" of integrated knowledge, gateway experiences, lifelong skills and enduring values
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Carroll University profile
Lawrence University
bonnie-brown / Flickr
- Location: Appleton, Wisconsin
- Enrollment: 1,483 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college and music conservatory
- Distinctions: 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; featured in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives; 90% of students have one-on-one instruction by graduation; 44 international programs
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Lawrence University profile
Marquette University
scottfeldstein / Flickr
- Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Enrollment: 11,689 (8,081 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private Catholic university
- Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 14 to 1 student / faculty ratio; 116 majors and 65 minors; strong programs in business, nursing and the biomedical sciences; member of the NCAA Division I Big East Conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Marquette University profile
Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE)
- Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Enrollment: 2,648 (2,438 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private engineering school
- Distinctions: one of the country's top undergraduate engineering colleges; 14 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 21; home to the Grohmann Museum;
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the MSOE profile
Northland College
Photo Courtesy of Northland College
- Location: Ashland, Wisconsin
- Enrollment: 612 (602 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: environmental liberal arts college affiliated with the United Church of Christ
- Distinctions: interdisciplinary core curriculum explores the relationships between the liberal arts, the environment, and our planet's future; all students earn an environmental studies minor; small classes; member of the Eco League with four other colleges
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Northland College profile
Ripon College
Madmaxmarchhare / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Ripon, Wisconsin
- Enrollment: 1,064 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts education
- Distinctions: excellent value with good grant aid; high graduation rate compared to similar schools; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 15 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 20
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Ripon College profile
St. Norbert College
Nick Schweitzer / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: De Pere, Wisconsin
- Enrollment: 2,175 (2,113 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private Catholic liberal arts college
- Distinctions: 14 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 22; focus on the development of the whole person -- intellectual, personal and spiritual; over 60 student clubs and organizations; Honors Program with a living-learning community
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the St. Norbert College profile
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Jo2222 of English Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin
- Enrollment: 10,009 (8,871 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public university
- Distinctions: average class size of 26; students come from 37 states and 44 countries; 88 degree programs for undergraduates; located in the scenic 7 Rivers Region on the Upper Mississippi
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse profile
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Mark Sadowski / Flickr
- Location: Madison, Wisconsin
- Enrollment: 41,654 (29,925 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public university
- Distinctions: flagship campus of the Wisconsin university system; 900-acre waterfront campus; member of the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; one of the top ten public universities in the country; member of the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the University of Wisconsin at Madison profile
Wisconsin Lutheran College
Photo Credit: WLC Public Affairs
- Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Enrollment: 776 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private Christian liberal arts college
- Distinctions: 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 16; 34 majors and 22 minors; 30 student clubs and organizations; good graduation rate compared to similar colleges; most students receive grant aid
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Wisconsin Lutheran College profile
