Why Wisconsin

Students choose Wisconsin for many different reasons. Here are just a few...

Exceptional Academics

Inspiring Students, Faculty, and Alumni

Photo of Michael Hunt, professor of environment, textiles and design, and his students analyzing preliminary designs for improving the shared public spaces in the Oakwood Village West retirement community.
  • 28,500 undergraduates from every county in Wisconsin, all 50 states, and more than 100 countries
  • 18 percent of students study abroad, ranking Wisconsin eleventh among U.S. colleges in the number of students who study overseas
  • 2,000 faculty members who are both recognized scholars and committed to classroom teaching
  • Ranked sixth in the nation in the number of professors who have won prestigious awards and grants (The Top American Research Universities)
  • 365,000 alumni living around the world
  • Top producer of S&P 500 CEOs (Wall Street Journal)
  • 17 Nobel Prize-winners and 29 Pulitzer Prize-winners who have taught or studied at Wisconsin

Incredible Campus Life

Photo of students playing in the snow on Library Mall.

Amazing Campus and Community

Photo of downtown Madison, the capitol of Wisconsin.

Downtown Madison

  • A beautiful campus of 933 acres along the shore of Lake Mendota
  • 5 area lakes and more than 100 miles of running, hiking, and biking trails in Madison
  • The benefits of being situated in the state capital city of Madison (pop. 220,000), which tops many "best" lists—best place to live and work, best college sports town, one of America's safest cities, and a top green city
  • A convenient south central Wisconsin location, 80 miles from Milwaukee, 150 miles from Chicago, and 270 miles from Minneapolis
  • Just 10 minutes from Dane County Airport, which offers more than 100 daily flights and nonstop flights to 16 major cities

Great Value

  • 60% of undergraduates receive financial assistance totaling $155 million
  • 25th best value in American public higher education (Kiplinger's Personal Finance)
  • Financial awards based on demonstrated financial need and in recognition of academics, merit, athletic ability, and artistic talent
  • Wisconsin's combination of academic excellence and great value recognized by The Princeton Review, Barron's Best Buys in College Education, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, and The Fiske Guide to Colleges