Top Universities in Wisconsin

Wisconsin has one of the finest state university systems in the US — anchored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison (one of the great public universities in the world) with 12 additional UW System campuses.

University of Wisconsin-Madison
The flagship — UW-Madison is consistently ranked among the top 10 public universities in the US and top 40 globally. The university is particularly strong in oncology research (the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research — the world's first dedicated cancer research laboratory), agricultural research (the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is consistently top 5 nationally), sociology (the Wisconsin School of Sociology is the most historically significant sociology department in the US), and engineering. The campus on the isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona is among the most beautiful in the US; State Street (connecting the campus to the State Capitol) is one of the finest college-town commercial streets in America.

Marquette University (Milwaukee)
Wisconsin's most prominent private research university — a Jesuit institution with particularly strong programs in law (Marquette Law School — home of the only Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Education tracking Supreme Court decision patterns), business (the Kohler Center for Entrepreneurship), and dentistry (one of the 10 oldest dental schools in the US). The Milwaukee location gives students access to major industries.

Lawrence University (Appleton)
A highly selective liberal arts conservatory — Lawrence combines a strong liberal arts college with a nationally recognized conservatory of music. The Fox Cities location in the Paper Valley gives it a distinctive industrial heartland context.

Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
A freestanding medical school — one of the largest private medical schools in the US. The MCW's strong research programs in genomics (the Human and Molecular Genetics Center) and children's medicine (Children's Wisconsin Hospital) make it a significant Wisconsin research institution.