Washington Monthly ranks UW as No. 1 national public university
Student volunteers harvest for The People’s Farm student organization at the F.H. King garden on Oct. 1, 2023. The food was distributed for free to community members at East Campus Mall. UW–Madison was ranked No. 1 among public universities by Washington Monthly, thanks in part to its high “public service” rankings. Photo: Bryce Richter
Boosted by strong scores in metrics measuring public service and an improved score in social mobility, the University of Wisconsin–Madison is ranked first among national public universities and 12th overall in Washington Monthly’s 2024 College Guide and Rankings.
Last year, UW was ranked second among public universities and 11th overall in the rankings released on Aug. 26.
”Public universities have a mission to provide an education both inside and outside of the classroom so that our students become more active, thoughtful, and well-rounded citizens of the world,” said Provost Charles Lee Isbell Jr. “While no single ranking tells the entire story, I’m pleased that Washington Monthly rankings value the Wisconsin Experience we provide to students.”
Washington Monthly says it rates schools “based on what they do for the country.”
The rankings are based on a school’s contribution to the public good in three categories: social mobility, research, and providing opportunities for public service.
UW–Madison was ranked seventh in public service (6th last year), which looks at AmeriCorps and Peace Corps participation among alumni; ROTC participation; the percent of federal work-study funds spent on service; community engagement; voter engagement; and the percent of grads with service-oriented majors.
It was 18th in research (17th last year); and was 42nd overall for social mobility (62nd last year).
UW–Madison also ranked 12th in the Midwest, up from 21st last year, in Washington Monthly’s “Best Bang for your Buck” rankings, a list of schools ranked based on how well they help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.
In net price of attendance for families below $75,000 income, UW ranked 16th overall.
UW–Madison leaders have worked to make UW affordable with programs such as Bucky’s Tuition Promise, which guarantees scholarships and grants to cover tuition and segregated fees for Wisconsin resident students in need; Bucky’s Pell Pathway, which provides full-need funding for Wisconsin resident students who qualify for Pell grants; and the Badger Promise, which assists Wisconsin transfer students.
UW–Madison ranked seventh in research expenditures. Other national rankings include seventh in AmeriCorps/Peace Corps participation, 10th in the number of science and engineering PhDs awarded and 30th in faculty accolades (number of faculty receiving prestigious awards and number who are members of the National Academies, relative to the number of full-time faculty).
Also recently, UW–Madison was:
- Recognized among Princeton Review’s Best 390 Colleges released Aug. 27. Within the Princeton Review rankings, UW–Madison was No. 9 in Best-Run Colleges, No. 9 in Students Love Their School Teams, No. 17 in Their Students Love These Colleges and No. 23 in College City Gets High Marks. In June, UW was named No. 22 in Princeton Review’s Top 50 Best Value Colleges (Public Schools) and No. 7 on Best Schools for Financial Aid (Public Schools).
- Ranked 36th in the Academic Ranking of Worldwide Universities by Shanghai Ranking released Aug. 15, compared to 35th last year, putting it in the top 4 percent of all institutions globally. ARWU recognizes institutions based on their research output, faculty research citations, and number of faculty and alumni who have received Nobel Prize awards and Field Medals.
- Read about other recent UW rankings here.