Address: 500 Lincoln Drive, 53706 Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Life Sciences, Engineering, Social Sciences
Established in 1848, UW Madison is a public land-grant research university and the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It is renowned for its broad research enterprise and strong programs across many disciplines, including a strong tradition in social activism.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison was founded in 1848, the same year Wisconsin became a state, and it opened with a handful of students on a hill above the Isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. Bascom Hall, with its columns and the statue of Abraham Lincoln in front, crowns the hill and gives the campus its image. It is the flagship of the University of Wisconsin System and a land-grant institution. It has about 50,300 students and 15,000 staff.
The Wisconsin Idea is the best-known principle of the university. It holds that the work of the campus should benefit people across the state, in agriculture, public health, government and industry. In the early twentieth century, President Charles Van Hise and the political leaders of the Progressive movement made the university an adviser on legislation. Stephen Babcock developed a test for butterfat in milk in 1890, which helped the dairy industry, and Harry Steenbock found that irradiation adds vitamin D to food. His patent led to the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, created in 1925 to fund research.
James Thomson isolated the first human embryonic stem cell lines at Madison in 1998. Aldo Leopold, a professor of wildlife ecology, wrote A Sand County Almanac, a founding text of environmental ethics. The university is known for agriculture and life sciences, chemistry, physics, engineering, business, education, journalism and the social sciences, and the library system is large. The Arboretum, a restored prairie and forest, is used for research and teaching.
The campus has a tradition of activism, from protests against the Vietnam War to labour and civil rights movements. The Memorial Union Terrace on Lake Mendota, with its sunburst chairs, is a social centre. The Badgers compete in the Big Ten Conference. Admission is by application, and tuition is higher for non-residents and international students. Check the current tariff. Teaching is in English.
Madison is a lively state capital with lakes, bike paths and a large student population.
Domains taught:
Agriculture, AI and Machine Learning, Chemistry, Data Analytics, Engineering, Life Sciences, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Flagship of UW System. A leading recipient of research funding. Strong connections with agricultural and biotech industries. Member of Big Ten Academic Alliance and AAU. Wisconsin Idea emphasizes public service.
Research:
A top public research university with a vast research portfolio, including strengths in life sciences (stem cells, genetics), engineering, agriculture, education, computer science, and social sciences. Very high research activity.
Famous Alumnis:
John Muir, Frank Lloyd Wright (attended briefly), Laurel Clark, Jim Lovell (attended briefly), Charles Lindbergh (attended briefly), Dick Cheney, Greta Van Susteren
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
15200
Current students***:
50300
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
465000
Pros
Major public research university with comprehensive excellence, high research output, vibrant college town atmosphere (Madison is often ranked a top US city), strong school spirit and alumni engagement.
Cons
Very large student population, can have harsh winters, some undergraduate classes are large, competitive for popular majors.
Best For
Students seeking a comprehensive, research-intensive public education with a strong academic and social environment in a classic college town, valuing public service and broad academic strengths.
University of Minnesota Twin Cities sits close to this university on agriculture, chemistry and life sciences; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and has almost the same size, at about 55,000 students.
Think of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign when agriculture, life sciences and data analytics is the priority: it covers materials as well, and is slightly larger, at about 57,200 students against roughly 50,300 here.
Cornell University offers a comparable education in agriculture, life sciences and data analytics: it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers project management as well.
Michigan State University offers a comparable education in agriculture, life sciences and data analytics: it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers logistics as well.
In terms of fields, Ohio State University is the nearest neighbour, with agriculture, life sciences and data analytics again at the core; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
University of Nottingham brings a the United Kingdom setting to the same core fields, agriculture, chemistry and life sciences, and it has almost the same size, at about 46,500 students, and is also a public institution.
University of Melbourne in Australia shares the agriculture, chemistry and life sciences orientation of this university, and it also offers graduate certificate and graduate diploma programmes and covers microbiology and genetics and physics as well.
University of Alberta in Canada shares the agriculture, chemistry and life sciences orientation of this university, and it is also a public institution and also offers certificate and diploma programmes.
University of Lisbon brings a Portugal setting to the same core fields, agriculture, chemistry and life sciences, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba.
King Saud University, in Saudi Arabia, takes a similar route through agriculture, chemistry and life sciences; it is also a public institution and does not run the mba programmes found here.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is UW-Madison?
In Madison, Wisconsin, on a hill between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona.
When was it founded?
In 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state.
How large is it?
About 50,300 students and 15,000 staff.
What is the Wisconsin Idea?
The principle that the work of the university should benefit people across the state.
What did Stephen Babcock develop?
A test for butterfat in milk, in 1890.
What is WARF?
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, created in 1925 after Harry Steenbock found that irradiation adds vitamin D to food.
What did James Thomson achieve?
He isolated the first human embryonic stem cell lines at Madison in 1998.
Who was Aldo Leopold?
A professor of wildlife ecology who wrote A Sand County Almanac.
What is the Memorial Union Terrace?
A social centre on Lake Mendota, known for its sunburst chairs.
What does it cost?
Tuition is higher for non-residents and international students. Check the current tariff.
Agriculture, Engineering, Innovation, Sustainable Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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