These Are Wisconsin’s Most Liberal And Most Conservative Colleges

MADISON, WI — From progressive liberal arts campuses to faith-centered universities, Wisconsin colleges run the full political spectrum.

A new set of 2026 rankings from Niche highlights the most liberal and most conservative schools in the state, based on student surveys.

A University of Wisconsin campus appears on both the state’s most liberal and most conservative college lists.

Methodology

Niche’s rankings are based on self-reported student surveys of political leanings. For both lists, 80 percent of the weight comes from students reporting their personal political preferences, and 20 percent comes from students reporting the leanings of their campus community.

Most Liberal Colleges In Wisconsin (2026)

1. University of Wisconsin–Madison — Overall Niche Grade: A+
2. Beloit College — Overall Niche Grade: B
3. University of Wisconsin–Stout — Overall Niche Grade: B-
4. Lawrence University — Overall Niche Grade: B+
5. St. Norbert College — Overall Niche Grade: B

Most Conservative Colleges In Wisconsin (2026)

1. University of Wisconsin–Platteville — Overall Niche Grade: B-
2. Concordia University Wisconsin — Overall Niche Grade: B
3. University of Wisconsin–River Falls — Overall Niche Grade: B-
4. Marquette University — Overall Niche Grade: A-
5. Wisconsin Lutheran College — Overall Niche Grade: B+

National Rankings

Niche also released its 2026 rankings of the most liberal and conservative colleges in America.

Top five most liberal colleges in the U.S.:

1. American University (Washington, D.C.) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
2. University of Vermont (Burlington, VT) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
3. SUNY Purchase College (Purchase, NY) — Overall Niche Grade: C
4. George Washington University (Washington, D.C.) — Overall Niche Grade: A
5. Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH) — Overall Niche Grade: B+

Top five most conservative colleges in the U.S.:

1. Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
2. Grove City College (Grove City, PA) — Overall Niche Grade: B-
3. Brigham Young University–Idaho (Rexburg, ID) — Overall Niche Grade: B
4. Colorado Christian University (Lakewood, CO) — Overall Niche Grade: B
5. Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC) — Overall Niche Grade: B

See the full rankings at Niche.