This page compares the best colleges in Wisconsin with tuition, admission, and more academic facts (Ranking data from College Evaluator). For the academic year 2021-2022, University of Wisconsin-Madison rank first in the best Wisconsin college ranking and Lawrence University is placed in second.
Admission Comparison Between Best Colleges in Wisconsin
7 public and 3 private schools rank in the best Wisconsin colleges. The schools' average acceptance rate is 76.50% where University of Wisconsin-Madison has the tightest (lowest) acceptance rate of 57% and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has the highest rate of 90%. Total 131,581 students are attending one of the best Wisconsin schools where University of Wisconsin-Madison has the largest population with 44,640 students and Lawrence University has the smallest number of students (1,430 students). The average graduation rate is 66.50% and the average students to faculty ratio is 17.70:1 at those colleges.
| Rank | Name | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Graduation Rate | Population | Student-Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI | 57% | 1,360 | 88% | 44,640 | 17:1 (5.88 %) |
| 2 | Lawrence University Appleton, WI | 69% | 1,300 | 79% | 1,430 | 8:1 (12.50 %) |
| 3 | Marquette University Milwaukee, WI | 82% | 1,250 | 84% | 11,550 | 14:1 (7.14 %) |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-River Falls River Falls, WI | 77% | - | 58% | 5,855 | 22:1 (4.55 %) |
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-La Crosse La Crosse, WI | 75% | - | 71% | 10,531 | 19:1 (5.26 %) |
| 6 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI | 84% | - | 65% | 11,017 | 23:1 (4.35 %) |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | 79% | - | 46% | 24,565 | 18:1 (5.56 %) |
| 8 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville Platteville, WI | 81% | - | 56% | 7,547 | 21:1 (4.76 %) |
| 9 | Concordia University-Wisconsin Mequon, WI | 71% | - | 61% | 5,492 | 12:1 (8.33 %) |
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Green Bay, WI | 90% | - | 57% | 8,954 | 23:1 (4.35 %) |
| Average | 76.50% | 1,303 | 66.50% | 131,581 (Total) | 17.70:1 (5.65 %) |
Best Wisconsin Colleges 2022 Tuition Comparison and 2023 Estimated Costs
The following table lists 2021-2022 tuition & fees and compares them between the best Wisconsin colleges. The 2021-2022 costs are officially published by IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education. The estimated costs for the academic year 2022-2023 are calculated and estimated based on each school's rate of tuition change from 2021 to 2022.
For the undergraduate programs, the average tuition & fees of the best Wisconsin colleges is $27,360 where Lawrence University has the most expensive costs at $52,401 and University of Wisconsin-River Falls has the lowest amount of tuition at $15,661. The average graduate tuition & fees of the best Wisconsin colleges is $20,042 where University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has the highest tuition with $25,651 and Concordia University-Wisconsin has the lowest amount of graduate school tuition with $11,760.
| Rank | School Name | 2022 Tuition & Fees | 2023 Estimated Tuition & Fees | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | In-State | Out-of-State | ||
| 1 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | $10,720 | $38,608 | $10,698 | $38,586 |
| 2 | Lawrence University | $52,401 | $53,885 | ||
| 3 | Marquette University | $45,766 | $45,866 | ||
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-River Falls | $8,088 | $15,661 | $8,113 | $15,686 |
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-La Crosse | $9,195 | $18,014 | $9,230 | $18,049 |
| 6 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | $8,874 | $17,149 | $8,878 | $17,153 |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | $9,610 | $21,475 | $9,980 | $21,837 |
| 8 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville | $7,844 | $16,483 | $7,815 | $16,825 |
| 9 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | $31,952 | $32,741 | ||
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | $7,873 | $16,091 | $7,873 | $16,091 |
| Average | $8,886 | $27,360 | $8,941 | $27,672 | |
| Rank | School Name | 2022 Tuition & Fees | 2023 Estimated Tuition & Fees | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | In-State | Out-of-State | ||
| 1 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | $12,175 | $25,501 | $12,175 | $12,153 |
| 2 | Lawrence University | - | - | ||
| 3 | Marquette University | $21,960 | $22,233 | ||
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-River Falls | $9,124 | $18,255 | $9,124 | $9,146 |
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-La Crosse | $10,087 | $20,073 | $10,087 | $10,122 |
| 6 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | $9,400 | $19,434 | $9,400 | $9,404 |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | $12,220 | $25,651 | $12,220 | $12,587 |
| 8 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville | $9,257 | $18,617 | $9,257 | $9,422 |
| 9 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | $11,760 | $12,068 | ||
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | $9,571 | $19,126 | $9,571 | $9,571 |
| Average | $10,262 | $20,042 | $10,344 | $20,195 | |