Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin – Madison Rankings and Review

The main campus of the University of Wisconsin is located just a mile from the state capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin. Much of the unrest in the state Capitol missed the campus, although it is said some faculty members participated. Surrounding area crime rates have affected other universities in the past, such as Columbia, but thus far Wisconsin has escaped impact on rankings and the campus safety factor. Its rankings profile can be found at the end of this review.

The campus is situated on over 900 acres, in a scenic location between two lakes – Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, perhaps explaining its insulation from goings on in the surrounding community. Despite the physical isolation, a guiding principal of the university is the “Wisconsin idea.” First articulated by former UW president Charles Van Hise, who set the goal of providing a “beneficent influence” on “every family of the state.” (1905). The university was founded in 1848, and still has many historic buildings, including Music Hall, shown here.

Besides academics, part of Wisconsin’s renown comes from its athletics. Competing in the Big 10 conference, Wisconsin has won a number of recent championships and appeared in the Rose Bowl. Although this does not mean their academics have improved, this renown serves to encourage alumni engagement and donations, and foster the sense of university community that gives graduates some connection in the workplace.

The Basics

RealRank Ranking Categories

Key: Platinum: Elite Class; Gold: Very good; Silver: Successful, with room to improve;

Bronze: Mid to low range; NI: Needs improvement.

Academic Profile

Renowned Alumni

Here are a few of the notable alumni of University of Washington that you may have heard of:

• Don Ameche – Actor and radio personality.
• Tammy Baldwin – Unite States Senator from Wisconsin.
• Carol Bartz – Former CEO of Yahoo!
• Saul Bellow – Novelist.
• Michael Bennett – NFL football running back.
• Dick Cheney – former Vice-President of United States; father of Liz Cheney.
• Lynne Cheney – Author and wife of former Vice-President Dick Cheney
• Laurel Clark – Space Shuttle mission specialist.
• Joan Cusack – Actress.
• Lorraine Hansberry – Playwright.
• Jim Jordan – U.S. Congressman from Ohio.
• Kay Koplovitz – Founder and CEO of USA Network.
• Robert M. La Follette – former Governor of Wisconsin, and unsuccessful candidate for President of U.S.
• Charles Lindbergh – Aviator, but with questionable allegiances during World War II.
• Jim Lovell – Astronaut
• John Muir – Naturalist who created the vision of the U.S. national park system, and explorer of Yosemite and co-founder of the Sierra Club.
• Joyce Carol Oates – Novelist.
• George Poage – First African-American to win Olympic medals.
• Seann William Scott – Actor and comedian; most famous for role as Steve Stifler in the American Pie movie franchise.
• Boz Skaggs – Musician and songwriter.
• Greta Van Susteren – Journalist and political commentator.
• Russell Wilson – transferred from N.C. State and led Wisconsin to Rose Bowl. Quarterback for NFL Seattle Seahawks.
• Frank Lloyd Wright – Renowned Architect.
• David Zucker – Movie Producer.
• Jerry Zucker – Movie Producer.

Who else would you add to this list?

Most Popular Majors

The most popular majors at Wisconsin include the following, in decreasing order of popularity. This ordering may change slightly from year-to-year.