State Hub

Colleges in Wisconsin

CampusPin tracks 65 colleges in Wisconsin, 49 universities and 16 community colleges. Compare tuition, acceptance, size, and setting to build a shortlist that fits.

Colleges tracked

65

Universities

49

Community colleges

16

Avg. in-state tuition

$19k

About college search in Wisconsin

How Wisconsin's higher-education landscape shapes a search

Wisconsin’s public higher-education sector is organized into the University of Wisconsin System with 13 universities (Madison flagship, Milwaukee, plus 11 regional comprehensive universities) plus the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) with 16 technical colleges. The University of Wisconsin–Madison is the state’s public flagship and one of the more selective public research universities in the U.S. Private institutions include Marquette University (Milwaukee), Lawrence University (Appleton), Beloit College, and several mid-sized colleges.

UW–Madison as flagship

The University of Wisconsin–Madison is the state’s public flagship and one of the more selective public research universities in the U.S.

UW System (13 universities)

The University of Wisconsin System runs 13 universities statewide, including Madison, Milwaukee (UWM), and 11 regional comprehensive universities.

Wisconsin Technical College System (16 colleges)

The WTCS coordinates 16 technical colleges that combine workforce-focused two-year programs with formal transfer paths to UW System universities.

Wisconsin Tuition Grant

The Wisconsin Tuition Grant supports eligible in-state students at UW System institutions and selected private colleges. Verify current eligibility with the institution.

Public university system

University of Wisconsin System, 13 universities

The UW System governs UW–Madison (flagship), UWM (Milwaukee), and 11 regional comprehensive universities (Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Oshkosh, Parkside, Platteville, River Falls, Stevens Point, Stout, Superior, Whitewater).

Community college network

Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS), 16 colleges

WTCS coordinates Wisconsin’s 16 technical colleges. The UW System and WTCS have formal transfer agreements for general-education credit.

In-state vs. out-of-state tuition

Wisconsin in-state public tuition at UW–Madison is in the upper range of U.S. publics, but in-state rates have historically been frozen by the state legislature. UW System regional universities post lower rates. Out-of-state rates are substantially higher. Verify residency rules with the institution.

Top metros for college search

Where Wisconsin's higher-education density concentrates

  • Madison

    Madison is built around the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the state’s public flagship.

  • Milwaukee

    Milwaukee hosts the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Marquette University (private), Milwaukee School of Engineering (private), and Milwaukee Area Technical College.

  • Green Bay / Fox Valley

    Green Bay hosts UW–Green Bay; nearby Appleton is the home of Lawrence University (private).

  • Eau Claire / La Crosse / Stevens Point

    Three of the larger UW System regional comprehensive universities, each anchoring a regional metro.

What Wisconsin actually costs

Median net price after grants
$10,392 for families under $30,000
$18,553 at $110,000 or more
Across 51 Wisconsin colleges reporting the full series. All five income bands
Median federal debt at graduation
$21,500 with 44.5% borrowing
Debt without the borrower share is misleading, so CampusPin never shows one alone. Debt by college
Studying entirely online
15% of Wisconsin students
Federal enrolment collection, weighted by students rather than campuses. Where they study

Every college we track

Colleges and universities in Wisconsin

Filter all Wisconsin schools

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Midwest region overview

What students weigh when searching colleges in Wisconsin

Across Wisconsin (WI), CampusPin currently indexes 65 institutions: 32 public and 33 private, split between 49 universities and 16 community colleges. Students often balance affordability, campus culture, public systems, and the tradeoff between local value and out-of-state reach.

Use size and setting filters after your first pass to separate flagship, regional, and smaller-campus experiences.
Look closely at support services and career pathways when several schools seem similar on cost.
Keep community-college transfer routes in the mix when price discipline matters from day one.

Browse by major

Wisconsin colleges by program

Start from the major. Each guide covers what the field studies, its federal CIP classification, and the pay and projected openings for the occupations it leads to, then send you into Wisconsin search to build a shortlist.

Fields with a distinct set of Wisconsin colleges

95 fields where the colleges that awarded credentials in Wisconsin are a materially different set from those of any closely related field, based on federal completions data. Showing the 36 with the most colleges. The number is how many colleges awarded credentials.

How to use the Wisconsin hub

Start with CampusPin results filtered to Wisconsin so your first pass stays geographically focused.
Use school profiles to compare tuition, admissions, program format, and campus fit before building a shortlist.
If you are looking for lower-cost or transfer-first options, compare community colleges and four-year destinations separately.
Use blog guides and help-center content when you need stronger decision frameworks, not just more schools.

Next actions for Wisconsin

Explore all colleges in WisconsinView community colleges in WisconsinView online programs in WisconsinRead planning guides before you compare

Frequently asked questions

Questions families ask about colleges in Wisconsin

Which is the public flagship university in Wisconsin?
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is the state’s public flagship and one of the more selective public research universities in the U.S.
How many HBCUs are in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has no federally designated HBCUs. The state hosts two tribal colleges: the College of Menominee Nation (Keshena) and Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College (Hayward).
What is the difference between the UW System and the Wisconsin Technical College System?
The University of Wisconsin System operates the state’s 13 public universities (research and comprehensive four-year). The Wisconsin Technical College System operates the state’s 16 technical colleges (workforce-focused two-year programs). They have separate governance, but credits transfer between them through formal agreements.
How does Wisconsin’s tuition freeze policy work?
Wisconsin has periodically frozen in-state tuition at UW System universities through state legislative action. Whether a freeze is in effect varies by budget cycle, verify current tuition with the UW System and the institution.

Related blog clusters

Guides that pair well with a Wisconsin search

Cost and Financial Aid

College affordability, net price, aid interpretation, borrowing decisions, and budgeting guidance for students and families using CampusPin to compare higher-ed options with more discipline.

Community College

Community-college strategy, affordability, transfer readiness, and credential pathway content for students exploring two-year options through CampusPin.

College Search Strategy

Filter-first search strategy, shortlist building, and planning content for students and parents using CampusPin to discover best-fit colleges and universities.

Help Center

Workflow guides for students searching in Wisconsin

Getting Started With CampusPin

A fast orientation to the CampusPin workflow, from your first search through profile review, pins, and next-step planning.

How to Use Filters to Narrow Your College List

A practical help article on how to use CampusPin filters without over-filtering or locking yourself into the wrong criteria too early.

How to Read a CampusPin School Profile

A guide to the major sections inside a CampusPin institution profile and how to interpret them effectively. Each page connects to clearer next steps, related guides, and the CampusPin tools that help you decide.

CampusPin research

National analyses with Wisconsin in the data

Each report is built from a checksum-verified snapshot, with full methodology and a downloadable CSV that includes Wisconsin.

Comparing schools on price? See our national analysis of how college cost relates to graduation and earnings, an association driven by selectivity and sector, not evidence that a pricier college pays off.

Explore Wisconsin

More ways to explore Wisconsin colleges

What this count of 65 includes

Other sites publish very different totals for Wisconsin, and most do not say what they are counting. Here is exactly what this one counts, so you can check it against anyone else's.

By level
49 listed as universities and 16 as community colleges. CampusPin records this as an institution type, and uses it as an approximation of four-year versus two-year; it is not a separately reported degree-level field.
By control
32 public and 33 private. CampusPin records control as public or private only, so private nonprofit and private for-profit institutions are not separated here.
  • Every institution counted has its own CampusPin profile listing the figures behind it and where each one came from, so the total can be checked against its parts rather than taken on trust.
  • This is CampusPin's directory of 3,798 institutions nationwide, not the full federal universe. NCES counted 5,829 Title IV institutions, administrative offices, and U.S. service academies nationwide for 2024-25. That figure includes entities a student would never apply to, which is one reason published totals differ so widely.
  • Figures come from federal sources on a reporting lag, so a very new or very recently closed institution may not be reflected yet. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.
Full data methodologyCoverage and data quality

Data sources & methodology

College listings for Wisconsin are compiled from federal datasets and each institution's own published information.

Sources used across this page

Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.

  • IPEDS / NCES College Navigator

    Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.

  • U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

    Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.

  • Institutional websites

    Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.

Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.

MethodologyData dictionaryReport a correction

Suggested citation

CampusPin. Colleges in Wisconsin. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/colleges-by-state/wisconsin