The 7 Most Popular Universities in Wisconsin

Finding the right university to attend can be an intimidating process. In this day and age, there are countless universities in US offering various degree options which makes the decision even more difficult. It is important that you select a school that best suits your interests and goals.

To help make it easier for prospective students, we’ve created a list of the top 7 universities in Wisconsin that offer some of the highest quality education available! Explore each school’s strengths, examine their highly ranked academics, learn about their thought-provoking research projects and discover why these schools are considered among America’s finest.

The Top 7 Universities in Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Address: Madison, WI, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.6 (982)
• Phone: +1 608-263-2400
• Website: Link
• Reviews:
  The trees are beautiful in the summer. Stopped on my way through and was well worth the stop.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Naaman Smith (6 months ago)

  Very large campus, with I believe 35k students on average. The campus and it’s buildings are very nice. Luckily, I visited before school started, so it wasn’t busy at all. University of Wisconsin-Madison even has it’s own ice cream shop! I believe that UWM runs it’s own dairy. The path by the lake is also very beautiful, and I would recommend walking there. My only complaint is that everything seems to be very spread out, but that’s a good way to get steps.

  ✭✭✭✭ By Griffin May (4 months ago)

  Excellent Temple of knowledge. Beautiful buildings and competent professionals. Must see.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Renato Martins (3 weeks ago)

  If you like Big Ten Football, you’ll love this stadium

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Dave S (2 months ago)

  Proud to be a Badger alum. It’s always a great treat to return to visit.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Steve Fantle (2 months ago)

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

• Address: Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.3 (316)
• Website: Link
• Reviews:
  The best universities in Milwaukee. This was my first choice because of several factors. First thing being the teaching and the students to faculty ratio. And second one being the recreational events and vide range of festivals and stuff. I like this place quite a lot…

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Adi Narayana. Repudi (3 months ago)

  The best university in the city of Milwaukee. Many programs and very helpful staff. Amazing student atmosphere. Teaching the leaders of tomorrow!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Ras Maurice McCutcheon (a week ago)

  One of the academic worlds wonders of the world. A plethora of academic disciplines that one can pursue to their fullest extent. A wonderful world class library, planetarium, several theaters all open to both students and the community.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By RAS AMERLOCK (a month ago)

  Attended business seminar at connected systems institute within library building. Parked at North end of union parking garage and walked up stairs to be right in front of building. Facility had wifi and conference food. Everyone was helpful.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Ted Tang (a month ago)

  Great experience coming here. Amazing and safe campus, plenty of things to do as well. Plus, for incomign freshman the dorm experience is unmatched.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By James (3 months ago)

Marquette University

• Address: 1250 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53233, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.3 (106)
• Phone: +1 800-222-6544
• Website: Link
• Reviews:
  Best school ever! I have 2 degrees from Marquette and had such a wonderful learning and growing experience at this fine University. The winters are rough, but the MU teachers and students make up for it. The education is stellar, and I have so many fond memories and fun times at my school!. MU forever….

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Cyndi Anderson (8 years ago)

  We visited for the whole architectural experience, and there is plenty of that. The campus is very nice and you can experience the entire areas in a short period of time. A highlight of the visit was the Joan of Arc Chapel that is on campus grounds. It was moved from France and reassembled in Milwaukee.

  It’s a pleasant stroll and if you are looking to occupy some time I suggest it you will not be disappointed.

  ✭✭✭✭ By Ric Rini (5 years ago)

  Marquette offers a great college experience and a fantastic education for well rounded young adults. Marquette is located in a fun city that is going through a healthy revival with a large community of people under 40 deciding to live in the city instead the the burbs. It’s a Jesuit school, so the school and students are more conservative than public land-grant universities. We were impressed with the indications of community service, tolerance, and good works that we observed practically everywhere we looked. It was the only school we saw that had postings on their student boards for volunteer work and community service. Marquette also offers deep academic resources. Strong Alumni organization.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Laleen Doerrer (4 years ago)

  Best network I have ever seen. I was in the business college (Accounting and Finance) and had multiple competitive offers well before I graduated. The education, professors, amount of things to do, and placement office are top notch. It costs a lot, but the results speak for themselves. I now have access to a network that rivals or exceeds anything I have seen. If you get the chance and you are in a business area, you should seriously go here.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Liam K (6 years ago)

  I just graduated in May 2014, I could not be more grateful for the experience Marquette provided me over the last 4 years.

  It contains the great campus community of a large school while having the city of Milwaukee in walking distance for an endless amount of activities for weekends.

  The graduation and job rates are over 50% greater for MU grads compared to many of the local in-state schools, it’s well worth the money. Do not let the high price tag published online scare you away, over 90% of students receive a scholarship starting freshman year.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Brian Sobon (8 years ago)

University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire

• Address: 105 Garfield Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4 (58)
• Phone: +1 715-836-4636
• Website: Link
• Opening hours:
  Monday: 8:25 AM – 4:00 PM

  Tuesday: 8:25 AM – 4:00 PM

  Wednesday: 8:25 AM – 4:00 PM

  Thursday: 8:25 AM – 4:00 PM

  Friday: 8:25 AM – 4:00 PM

  Saturday: Closed

  Sunday: Closed
• Reviews:
  I love going to school here! They made my transfer process easy and accepted more credits than I expected. My advisor has been amazing, my department is outstanding, and I haven’t had an issue with any faculty to date. I wish people knew how many resources are available on campus, I wish I had them at the first college I went to! They do all they can (with the cards they’re dealt) to improve the experience of their students. College is NOT cheap, but I feel like I get my money’s worth here. having multiple sources of coffee on campus is amazing! Some of the buildings aren’t as great as the others, but I guess that’s to be expected with a campus that’s been here for 100 years. The constant construction gets pretty annoying, but luckily it doesn’t interfere with my day too much. The campus is beautiful, making those long walks not SO unbearable. What I don’t like is how spread out the campus is. There’s really 3 sections of campus, and when you only have 10mins to get from up the hill to the water street buildings, it feels just about impossible! Also, the updates in some buildings are way over the top when some of the older buildings actually need basic renovations. HAAS and HSS don’t have accessible or gender neutral bathrooms, or enough stalls in either building, yet Davies has 30 stalls on their upper floor that’s hardly used.

  ✭✭✭✭ By Grace Baumgarten (5 years ago)

  University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire is one of the most beautiful campuses in the UW system! Eau Claire is an artsy, green, friendly, and active community of people. I adore this university and all it has to offer for students. I have had wonderful professors and enjoyed living both on and off campus. There are tons of organizations and clubs to get involved in. This is truly a liberal arts college and it is nice having a variety of different cultures and backgrounds. I would recommend this university to anybody and know it will only grow and welcome more students as time passes!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Alyssa Rudolph (7 years ago)

  I am glad I picked this school; the town is quaint with an active community, people stay on the weekends and there is a lot to do, the price is low, and I have had great experiences with my professors. I was a biology major for my first year and a half, then I switched to education. In both fields I had some wonderful professors, some who I still maintain a good professor-to-student relationship. The school is very well-rounded with many opportunities to get involved. I enjoyed intramurals, on-campus clubs, and met people and learned about others by going to events and taking advantage of the unorganized fun things to be found around Eau Claire if you explore a little bit.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Andrea Powell (8 years ago)

  Realistic Review: Let me start by saying that, having attended and graduated from UW Oshkosh, this school IS academically difficult. I am an education major in my last semester on campus. Classes are tough, don’t let the reviews fool you.

  Second, all the reviews calling Eau Claire a “hick town” are total BS. It is a Wisconsin city, with a somewhat smaller town feel. There are not people walking around in camouflage or orange jumpsuits like they just left the tree stand. Give me a break. It is a city of younger, hard working people, trying to make a living. The downtown is friendly and upbeat, great work young people and new families. Lots of parks and walking trails help to show off this beautiful city and her waterways.

  Lastly, on the quality of non-academics of UWEC: The dorms are average, the food quality is average, and the services provide are exceptionally average. But my point stands at this – Are you attended college because you want a solid, academically rigorous challenge, ending in a life altering degree reception? Or are you here to make friends and flourish as a self-actualized adult? Because both will occur if you attend UWEC.

  ✭✭✭✭ By Fyeris (6 years ago)

  A pretty good school location in mid-size city. The staff is professional, friendly and the education is decent for an UW school. I would recommend coming here because the size, location and the job I received out of college was great. Also, the landscape and area is so pretty all year around.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By John Neman (6 years ago)

Concordia University Wisconsin

• Address: 12800 N Lake Shore Dr, Mequon, WI 53097, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.3 (56)
• Phone: +1 262-243-5700
• Website: Link
• Opening hours:
  Monday: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

  Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

  Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

  Thursday: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

  Friday: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

  Saturday: Closed

  Sunday: Closed
• Reviews:
  I haven’t a clue how this place is as a school.. but oh my god, what a view! This is a great place to get some exercise. They have a gorgeous cliffside path going down to the lake, and there’s always a band playing. Breathtaking.

  Fun academic fact: they apparently offer a Masters degree in Church Music. If you’ve been looking for this program – you may have found your new home here!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Nikki Grigoryan (5 years ago)

  I like MOST of the people and foundation it has there. But I don’t feel that it is any more diverse than they would accuse to be. In my experience, its not as diverse as they make you think at first. For me, I love Concordia but there are obvious times when I do feel like I do not belong. And SOME professors are down right rude. I email, ask questions, and try to understand but their feedback always comes up short with opinions that are negative and show obvious reasons they simply do not care if I fail the class or not. That is just my freshman experience though.I hope this will not happen again.

  ✭✭ By Asia Khang (3 years ago)

  If you have a different religion/belief than the one school advertises, please be warned. They do not care or respect yours. As stated by one of the directors of this institute, “this is a religious entity first and educational institute second; not the other way around”. It would be fair if this philosophy is conveyed at the time of admissions
  I signed up for MBA core course at one of the campuses. What I learned from that course was English composition, grammar, Bible study, theology and how to listen to stories. The syllabus was changed in the 2nd class not the first one out of 8 weeks class duration and homeworks were about religious text which has nothing to do with course.
  The final exam was copy of the original professor and had contents/questions which were not even discussed in the class. We did not even go through the contents of the book that’s mentioned in the syllabus.
  At Graduate level, this is not acceptable by any means. I expect to look beyond grammar and spellings page numbering and length of paper. I did submit to online writing help provided at the University and changed my term paper accordingly but was not appropriate according to the lecturer standard.
  Save your money and find admission at other place because they are not worth the fees you will pay compared to a state university.Do your homework before you join this institute. The state university is much cheaper and the degrees are well recognized across other universities than this one. You cannot transfer your credit from here to any state university either.I am still trying to find anything positive with this school.

  ✭ By Jack Smith (6 years ago)

  Droms; I wrote an extensive review about dorm life, however it was too long for Google. To sum it up they will basically show you great dorms on the tour and then stick you in cramped and mostly unsanitary dorms. Housing is a flat rate at CUW so you will be paying roughly $3,300 a semester even though you live in the worst dorm rooms. I would also like to point out that the best dorms at CUW aren’t even close to being worth $6,600 a year and you could get a way better and more cost efficient apartment off campus with roommates.
  Classrooms and staff: The quality of the classrooms themselves vary depending upon which part of the school they are in. Classrooms in the newer Chemnitz, Coburg and Regents wings are really nice. They are carpeted and the equipment is decent quality. The older classrooms are tiled and consists of hard or old rolling computer chairs. The staff at Concordia is either hit or miss, as they are failing to properly accommodate the amount of growth Concordia is experiencing. I have had some great professors that I’ve learned a lot from, but also terrible ones. My freshman history teacher was only here for one semester and he was very biased. Even though he was taken care of, grades still suffered because of him and the entire class felt like a waste of time. The only definite upside to the classrooms at concordia is they are very small. Most classrooms consist of maybe 25 people, the very most being around 40. So if you need help from the professor they will most likely know you by name and be willing to lend a hand.
  Dining:There are three places on campus to eat; the Nest, Cafe, and landing. The Cafe is a buffet style cafe with several entrees, sides and a salad bar daily. The nest is a mesh of things including pizza, burgers, chicken, tacos, stir fry and a smoothie bar that are all open different times during the day. The landing is a sub shop, similar to that of subway, except choices are a lot more limited. All of this may sound great, but the selection isn’t enough. You will get sick of eating the same stuff all the time, and I mean literally sick. Sodexo is the food provider at CUW and they are basically the worst food provider possible. Give Sodexo a quick google if you don’t believe me. “Sodexo diarrhea” is actually a joke at the school because your bowels will let you know that what your eating is terrible quality. Most of the food they actually make in the cafe is dry or poor quality, so even though they have different entrees throughout the week the choices are limited based on quality. The landing is pretty decent, but the line is often ridiculous as they have three people working, but only one person actually making the subs. The nest stir fry is pretty good and the lady working the stir fry is an absolute sweetheart. The other options in the nest though are not cooked very well (burgers are over cooked or frys are undercooked and soggy) and will become repetitive quickly as it’s the only place to eat after 7pm on the weekdays. The staff at Sodexo is also pretty terrible consisting of a few veterans, some student workers and pretty much anybody willing to work a job. A lot of Sodexo team members don’t care about their job and come and go within a few weeks. One lady at the landing verbally assaulted my friend one time because she gave him mayo and he asked for no mayo.
  Overall, Concordia University is basically a trap. The reel you in by showing you expensive looking residence halls and equipment. They also give you what looks to be a large amount of aid (average is $8,000) but it only brings the price of university down to $24,000. There is a far better college experience and education to be had at other universities that cost way less. My advice, don’t attend CUW.
  *Update* Student life is terrible, there is nothing to do, but run on a treadmill. You can’t even use the Field house to play basketball as without a supervisor you will be kicked out. There is never a supervisor available.

  ✭ By Jesse Thomas (7 years ago)

  Kapco Park. Beautiful lakefront. Rocky beach. Incredible view. If you told me this was the most beautiful campus in America, I would believe you. A pure gem, that is welcoming to visitors. Come for a Lakeshore Chinooks game. You’ll be glad you did.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Paul Barnes (3 years ago)

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

• Address: 800 W Main St, Whitewater, WI 53190, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.3 (55)

University of Wisconsin-Stout

• Address: 712 Broadway St S, Menomonie, WI 54751, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4 (49)

Thank you for reading! We hope this list helps you find the best universities in Wisconsin. If you have any additional information, please leave a comment below!