UW rises to 8th among publics, 34th overall, in U.S. News rankings

The University of Wisconsin–Madison has been ranked among the top 10 public institutions in the country for undergraduate education in the 2027 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings and is among the top five schools in the country ranked best value for in-state students.

The rankings, released today, placed UW–Madison 34th overall out of 422 public and private doctoral institutions and 8th among public universities, its highest rankings in the Best Colleges report in close to two decades.

This year’s rankings demonstrate UW–Madison’s strength across a broad range of academic disciplines. The university’s undergraduate economics program ranked 5th among public universities and 19th overall, while the undergraduate psychology program rose to 4th among public universities and 8th overall. Wisconsin School of Business’s undergraduate real estate program retained its 1st-place ranking for the fifth consecutive year, while the undergraduate insurance/risk management program rose two places to claim the 1st place spot. Overall, UW–Madison undergraduate programs received top-25 rankings in business, computer science, economics, engineering, nursing and psychology.

“These rankings — while only one measure of a school’s success — reflect the incredible breadth of educational programs, research opportunities and cross-campus collaborations that makes UW–Madison unique,” says interim Chancellor Eric M. Wilcots. “From real estate to psychology, nursing to engineering, and in every discipline on campus, we are dedicated to excellence and preparing today’s learners to be tomorrow’s forward-looking leaders.”

The report also reflects the university’s ongoing commitment to financial support for its students. UW–Madison rose 23 places, to 24th, in the “Best Value Schools” ranking, and was ranked 4th in the nation for “Best Value Schools for In-State Students,” a new category this year.

Wilcots says that UW–Madison’s high placement in these categories is also “validation of the many innovative programs we offer to make college accessible and affordable, such as Bucky’s Pell Pathway and Bucky’s Tuition Promise.”

Both of these programs are designed to put a world-class education within reach for low-income students.

In 2024-25, nearly 57% of all UW–Madison undergraduates received financial aid, including close to $129 million in scholarships. Two-thirds of Badgers earn a degree with no student loan debt.

In the 2027 Best Colleges ranking, UW–Madison also saw increases in its faculty resources rank, student outcomes rank and faculty research rank. In the “Best College for Veterans” ranking, UW–Madison ranked 8th among public universities and 16th overall.

Each year, U.S. News also ranks specific undergraduate programs on a reputational basis. Deans and senior faculty at institutions are invited to rate peer institutions on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (distinguished). For business, computer science, economics and engineering, survey respondents are also invited to nominate programs in specialty areas within their disciplines. In the 2027 rankings, UW–Madison was rated among the best undergraduate programs for:

UW-Madison was also highly ranked in several specialty rankings, reflecting the university’s commitments to the undergraduate experience, serving veterans and affordability for the student:

Visit the U.S. News & World Report website to see the complete 2027 rankings and methodology.