UW–Madison moves up in annual ranking of America’s Best Large Employers
Bascom Hall and the central University of Wisconsin–Madison campus are pictured in an aerial view during a sunny autumn day on Oct. 22, 2023. Photo: Jeff Miller
The University of Wisconsin–Madison ranked in the top 600 among “America’s Best Large Employers” for 2024 in a survey by Forbes.
UW–Madison came in at No. 113 on the list of employers with more than 5,000 employees. In 2023, the university ranked No. 196 in the same survey. Twelve private and public sector employers with headquarters in the state of Wisconsin were recognized in the 2024 rankings, with UW–Madison ranking third. UW–Madison was ranked tenth among large higher education institutions.
“I’m pleased to see us recognized by Forbes as one of ‘America’s Best Large Employers,’ particularly given that the rankings are based on a survey of employees nationwide,” said Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin. “We work hard to be a place that supports our talented employees and helps them to flourish.
“That said, we also can and must continue to innovate, and to keep finding new and better ways to support and engage our employees to make UW–Madison an even better place to work.”
Forbes partnered with an independent market research firm to compile the list of America’s Best Large Employers. The ranking is based on a survey of about 170,000 U.S.-based workers at American companies and institutions with 1,000 or more employees.
Survey respondents were asked to rate their employer, and if they would recommend their employer to others. Responses were given by current employees, employees who had worked for the company within the past two years, and individuals familiar with the company through friends, family, or peers in their industry. Greater weight was given to evaluations from current employees and former employees.
For the first time this year, the survey included data from the past three years — with more recent data weighted more heavily — to better identify companies that have been rated well consistently over time. The annual rankings from Forbes list the 600 large (more than 5,000 employees) and 400 mid-size (1,000–5,000 employees) employers that received the highest scores based on the survey results.