Why This Matters
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51 FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES IN WISCONSIN
According to College Navigator, the four-year colleges in Wisconsin include 17 public and 34 private non-profit options.
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$9,229 AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION & FEES
For the 2022-23 school year, the average in-state tuition for public four-year colleges in Wisconsin is $9,229, according to College Board.
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$15,330 AVERAGE FINANCIAL AID
In the U.S., full-time undergraduate students attending college in 2021-22 received an average of $15,330 per year in financial aid.
Our Research
This list features some of the best brick-and-mortar colleges in Wisconsin. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality. We included liberal arts colleges and research universities as well as small, midsize, and large institutions. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications, such as U.S. News & World Report, to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
The colleges on our list are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) — this organization examines the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of postsecondary education programs in the central United States.
We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission standards, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the resources and services provided for on-campus students. Then, we used this information to calculate the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
Online College Programs That Might Interest You
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
The Top 50 Colleges in Wisconsin

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What You Should Know About Graduating From College in Wisconsin
Career potential is a valuable factor to consider when choosing where you want to go to school. With a bachelor’s degree from a Wisconsin college, your career outlook is bright. The state has a lower than average unemployment rate, and the fastest-growing occupations for workers with a bachelor’s degree are materials scientists, logisticians, data scientists, medical and health services managers, and actuaries.
As of May 2022, the five industries employing the most people in Wisconsin are office and administrative support occupations, production, transportation and material moving, sales, and food preparation and serving.
To get an even better sense of what your employment prospects might look like after graduation, here are five of the largest employers in Wisconsin: Mayo Clinic, the University of Wisconsin—Madison, Menards, Epic, and Kohl’s. With proximity to Illinois and Minnesota, residents of Wisconsin benefit from additional employment opportunities in the metro areas of Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
What’s Next?
Financing a college education is a big responsibility, but assistance is available. Here are some state and federal resources to help you understand the many different financial aid opportunities in Wisconsin:
- Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board. The Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB) administers state-funded financial aid in Wisconsin. This includes gift aid (grants and scholarships that don’t need to be repaid), loans, tuition capitation, and tuition reciprocity programs with other states.
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Provided by the U.S. Department of Education, FAFSA is the main form students use to apply for financial aid for college. To determine if you’re eligible for aid, submit a completed FAFSA form online.
- CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder. This tool will show you available scholarships, grants, and loans and can be filtered by state and degree type. It includes information such as dollar amounts, how to apply, qualifications, deadlines, and contact details.