8 Wisconsin Colleges Among Top 500 In U.S.: Forbes

WISCONSIN — Eight colleges in Wisconsin are among the top 500 schools in the nation, according to this year's ranking by Forbes.

The publication said its 14th annual list of America’s Top Colleges highlights colleges that offer “top academics and career success while minimizing debt for students across America."

Several schools in Wisconsin made it to the list, including public and private institutions.

“We know that a college degree is a significant investment for any student, and one that’s been compounded by recent years of financial turmoil for many,” Emma Whitford, senior education reporter at Forbes, said in a release. “This list reflects the public and private universities that are going above and beyond to deliver on that investment.”

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The University of Wisconsin-Madison came in at No. 49 on this year’s list. It's the highest ranking Wisconsin school mentioned by Forbes. On average, students who attend Madison receive about $10,000 in grant aid and graduate with approximately $8000 in debt. Graduates also have a median 10-year salary of $117,000.

Other Wisconsin schools on this year’s list include:

• Marquette University in Milwaukee. Ranked No. 159.
• University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Ranked No. 252.
• Lawrence University. Ranked No. 344.
• Beloit College. Ranked No. 356.
• University of Wisconsin La Crosse. Ranked No. 361.
• Milwaukee School of Engineering. Ranked No. 364.
• University of Wisconsin Platteville. Ranked No. 451.

To choose this year’s top schools, Forbes focused on factors including whether students graduated on time, secured high salaries after graduation, and if students went on to have successful careers. Forbes also looked at how much debt students had post-graduation.

Data used to determine the ranking came from two federal government databases. Forbes also used data from its own publications as well as the Seattle-based software and data company PayScale, Washington, D.C.-based public policy think tank Third Way, and the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.

Schools with less than 300 undergraduate students were excluded. The five federal military academies in the United States were ranked in a separate list.

Read more about the 2022 Top Colleges methodology.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology took the top spot on this year’s list followed by the University of California - Berkeley and Stanford University, which tied for No. 2. Meanwhile, Harvard University dropped several spots to No. 15 this year after holding the No. 1 spot from 2017 to 2019.

See the full list of Forbes 2022 Top Colleges.