Unsurprisingly for a school with nearly 52,000 students, opportunities abound at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Eclectic arts scene? U-W boasts the biggest museum collection in the Big Ten. Grade-A athletics? Badger faithful know how to “jump around” on game day. Charming college town? Yup — people bike, kayak and ice fish along Lake Mendota. Impassioned political activism? The university is steps from the state capitol. Research opportunities? Check, check, check.
Students have nearly 9,000 courses and hundreds of majors and certificates to pick from. The education and engineering programs are notably prestigious. The downsides are that the school's size can be intimidating, and students say professors are sometimes more focused on research than teaching. Still, UW-Madison students come from all over the country to attend this esteemed public institution, and 89% of them graduate within six years of matriculating.
Money estimates that the net cost of a degree from UW-Madison comes in at just over $109,000 — a cool $40,000 cheaper than the median cost of all the schools on Money’s list. Graduates bring in median salaries of nearly $79,000 a few years after leaving school, according to the College Scorecard.
Badger alums go on to do other big things, too, like designing luxury brands (the late Virgil Abloh), starting a massively popular podcast (Hannah Berner), and working for the Peace Corps (they’re one of the highest volunteer-producing institutions).
