Universities in Madison, USA
- Rankings & Reviews -

Latest ranking updates related to universities in Madison
  • 06 Mar, 2024: Scimago Institutions published most recent results of Scimago Institutions Rankings. University of Wisconsin-Madison achieves position 60.
  • 25 Jan, 2024: Latest THE World’s Most International Universities from THE Times Higher Education, UK. University of Wisconsin-Madison in position #135.
  • 19 Dec, 2023: Latest URAP World Ranking - University Ranking by Academic Performance from Urap . University of Wisconsin-Madison in position #85.
  • 15 Dec, 2023: Latest Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments - ShanghaiRanking (Sport Science) from ShanghaiRanking Consultancy. University of Wisconsin-Madison in position #201.

Madison, Wisconsin is a vibrant university town offering great lifestyle options when it comes to outdoor activities and food especially. For students who can handle a serious winter season and everything it brings with it, Madison could be a great choice.

The city consistently ranks among the best college towns and the best places to live in the U.S. in general, despite the weather. There is not much ethnic diversity in Madison, but residents are friendly and open-minded and there are plenty of opportunities for graduates.

Madison is one of the greenest cities in America. It has more than 250 parks, is great for biking, and the lakes provide plenty of opportunities for outdoor sports. Since they freeze over in the winter, they are used year-round, sailing in summer and skating in winter represent just one option per season of the many that locals participate in every year.


Rankings of universities in Madison, USA 2024

  • #25 
  • #63 
THE World University Rankings
[Published 27 September, 2023]
  • #59 
  • #58 
Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education US College Rankings
[Published 14 September, 2021]
  • #28 
  • #102 
QS World University Rankings
[Published 27 June, 2023]
Show 32 more rankings of University of Wisconsin-Madison and subject specific rankings for 13 subjects

#2
USA

Dakota State University

  • #805 
  • #836 
Payscale College Salary Report - Best Universities (Bachelors only)
[Published 11 November, 2021]
  • #855 
  • #889 
Payscale College Salary Report - Best Universities (All Alumni)
[Published 11 November, 2021]
  • #638 
  • #3550 
Webometrics Ranking Web of Universities
[Published 31 July, 2023]

#3
USA

University of Wisconsin System

Student satisfaction: 5.0 / 5.0 (based on 23 student ratings)
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  • #23 
  • #36 
Reuters Most Innovative Universities
[Published 23 October, 2019]
  • #871 
  • #5906 
Webometrics Ranking Web of Universities
[Published 31 July, 2023]


#4
USA

Herzing University

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  • #1202 
  • #1258 
Payscale College Salary Report - Best Universities (Bachelors only)
[Published 11 November, 2021]
  • #1335 
  • #1404 
Payscale College Salary Report - Best Universities (All Alumni)
[Published 11 November, 2021]
  • #1036 
  • #6764 
Webometrics Ranking Web of Universities
[Published 31 July, 2023]

Student satisfaction: 4.7 / 5.0 (based on 97 student ratings)
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  • #317 
  • #320 
Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education US College Rankings
[Published 14 September, 2021]
  • #358 
  • #369 
Payscale College Salary Report - Best Universities (Bachelors only)
[Published 11 November, 2021]
  • #403 
  • #408 
Forbes: America's Top Colleges
[Published 30 August, 2022]
Show 5 more rankings of Drew University

  • #470 
  • #401 
Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education US College Rankings
[Published 14 September, 2021]
  • #781 
  • #809 
Payscale College Salary Report - Best Universities (Bachelors only)
[Published 11 November, 2021]
  • #294 
  • #296 
US News Best National Universities
[Published 17 September, 2023]
Show 5 more rankings of Edgewood College and subject specific rankings for 1 subjects

#7
USA

Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia

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Highest subject rankings of universities in Madison

Education US News: Best Grad Schools (US)
#5 
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Sociology QS World University Rankings By Subject
#10 
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Journalism URAP University Ranking by Academic Performance - By Field
#10 
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Business MONEY Best Colleges for Business Majors
#12 
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Mathematics GRAS Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - ShanghaiRanking
#16 
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Computer Science NTU Rankings by Subject
#19 
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Agriculture URAP University Ranking by Academic Performance - By Field
#23 
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Engineering US News: Best Grad Schools (US)
#29 
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Law US News: Best Grad Schools (US)
#43 
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Chemistry QS World University Rankings By Subject
#44 
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Student Opinions About Studying in Madison

“Traffic tends to be quite light, so it’s not a nightmare to move around and get your business taken care of. The people are also usually approachable, and the nature around the city is visually stunning.”

“Madison is the kind of place that is very advisable to visit first before deciding to move here, because it’s a place that really clicks with some people, and with others it just doesn’t seem to click. This is what I did, and after walking on a frozen lake and enjoying a hot chocolate by a fireplace in a nearby cafe, I was convinced.”

“The buses in Madison are definitely reliable, and in fact they even run ahead of schedule so often that you tend to see bus drivers pull over and wait a while so that the timetable can catch up to them.”

Madison Key Facts for International Students

PROS

  • Madison offers its inhabitants plenty of options for spending time out in the fresh air, such as mountain biking and hiking, cross-country skiing, and the opportunity to go for a walk or a swim by the various lakes around Wisconsin.

  • The average rental price for a 2-bedroom apartment is roughly aligned with the national average, around $1,400, but the cost of living in the categories of health and transportation costs are both just under 15% lower than the national average.

  • There are lots of options for the enthusiastic foodie in Madison, with a good selection of international dining options, which really helps the international residents to feel a little bit more at home.

CONS

  • Winters are challenging in Madison due to the harsh temperatures, heavy snowfall, and short days. These are factors which can negatively impact your social life during the winter, and street parking becomes more difficult with snowfall.

  • A significant number of long-time residents have expressed their concerns about Madison’s low rates of diversity, and some of the problems they have encountered in the city due to that.


6 out of 7 Universities in Madison Ranked in at least one ranking

37 Different Rankings list Universities in Madison (25 institution and 12 subject rankings)

29 Global Rankings rank Universities in Madison Among TOP 200

Population: 249000

Elevation: 267 m. above sea level

Time: GMT -6

District/province: Wisconsin, Dane County

Living costs for students in Madison:

* 100 = prices in London

  • Living costs without accommodation 77* (23% cheaper than London)
  • All costs including accommodation 65* (35% cheaper than London)
  • Meals (grocery & lower cost restaurants) 67* (33% cheaper than London)
  • Average Big Mac price 5.15 US$
  • Plug Type A
    • Residential voltage: 120 V
    • Frequency: 60 Hz
  • Plug Type B
    • Residential voltage: 120 V
    • Frequency: 60 Hz

Map with location of universities in Madison

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FAQ

University of Wisconsin-Madison ranks #1 in Madison in our meta ranking composed of 112 university rankings.

Among all universities in Madison University of Wisconsin-Madison is listed in the largest number of rankings. See all 55 rankings where University of Wisconsin-Madison is listed.

University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked best in Madison for Education (Education). See all rankings for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked best in Madison for Social Studies & Humanities (Sociology). See all rankings for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked best in Madison for Journalism & Media Studies (Journalism). See all rankings for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked best in Madison for Business (Business). See all rankings for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked best in Madison for Mathematics (Mathematics). See all rankings for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked best in Madison for Computer Science (Computer Science). See all rankings for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked best in Madison for Agriculture (Agriculture). See all rankings for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked best in Madison for Engineering (Engineering). See all rankings for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked best in Madison for Law (Law). See all rankings for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked best in Madison for Natural Sciences (Chemistry). See all rankings for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked best in Madison for Languages & Literature (Linguistics). See all rankings for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked best in Madison for Medicine & Health (Nursing & Health Care). See all rankings for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked best in Madison for Architecture, Building & Planning (Architecture). See all rankings for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Ranking publishers

4icu

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British Quacquarelli Symonds, UK

Criteria used in ranking -QS World University Rankings:

Academic Reputation 40% Employer Reputation 10% Faculty/Student Ratio 20% Citations per faculty 20% International Faculty Ratio 5% International Student Ratio 5%

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Criteria used in ranking -QS Employability Rankings:

Employer reputation 30% Alumni outcomes 25% Partnerships with Employers per Faculty 25% Employer/Student Connections 10% Graduate employment rate 10%

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CWUR Center for World University Rankings

Criteria used in ranking -CWUR Center for World University Rankings:

Research Performance: 40%

  • Research Output: 10%
  • High-Quality Publications: 10%
  • Influence: 10%
  • Citations: 10%

Quality of Education: 25%

Alumni Employment: 25%

Quality of Faculty: 10%

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Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, Netherlands

Criteria used in ranking -CWTS Leiden Ranking:

Scientific Impact Number of Publications Collaboration Open Access Gender Diversity

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Forbes

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Kiplinger

Criteria used in ranking -Kiplinger's Best College Values:

Quality Criteria 55% Cost Criteria 45%

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MONEY

Criteria used in ranking -MONEY Best Public Colleges:

Quality of education 33.33% Affordability 33.33% Outcomes 33.33%

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Criteria used in ranking -MONEY Best Colleges You Can Actually Get Into:

Quality of education 33.33% Affordability 33.33% Outcomes 33.33%

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Criteria used in ranking -MONEY Best Colleges in America, ranked by value:

Quality of education 33.33% Affordability 33.33% Outcomes 33.33%

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NTU ranking

Criteria used in ranking -NTU Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers:

Research Productivity: 25%

  • # Articles last 11 years: 10%
  • # Articles current year: 15%

Research Impact: 35%

  • # Citations last 11 years: 15%
  • # Citations last 2 years: 10%
  • Average # citations last 11 years: 10%

Research Excellence: 40%

  • H-index last 2 years: 10%
  • # Highly cited papers last 11 years: 15%
  • # Articles current year in high-impact journals: 15%

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Nature Index

Criteria used in ranking -Nature Index - Academic:

Article count (AC) Fractional count (FC) Weighted fractional count (WFC)

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Payscale

Criteria used in ranking -Payscale College Salary Report - Best Universities (Bachelors only):

Ranking is based on ROI

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RUR Ranking Agency (Moscow, Russia)

Criteria used in ranking -RUR World University Rankings:

Teaching: 40%

  • Ratio Faculty/Student: 8%
  • Ratio Faculty/Bachelor Degrees Awarded: 8%
  • Ratio Faculty/Doctoral Degrees Awarded: 8%
  • Ratio Doctoral Degrees Awarded/Bachelor Degrees Awarded: 8%
  • World Teaching Reputation: 8%

Research: 40%

  • Citations per Academic/Research Staff: 8%
  • Doctoral Degrees per Accepted PhD: 8%
  • Normalized Citation Impact: 8%
  • Papers per Academic/Research Staff: 8%
  • World Research Reputation: 8%

International Diversity: 10%

  • International Faculty: 2%
  • International Students: 2%
  • International Co-Authored Papers: 2%
  • Reputation Outside Geographical Region: 2%
  • International Level: 2%

Financial Sustainability: 10%

  • Institutional Income per Faculty: 2%
  • Institutional Income per Student: 2%
  • Papers per Research Income: 2%
  • Research Income per Academic/Research Staff: 2%
  • Research Income per Institutional Income: 2%

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Criteria used in ranking -RUR Academic Rankings:

Normalized citation impact (Citations of research publications from all university authors compared with world averages) 20% Citation per papers 20% Papers per academic and research staff 20% International research reputation 20% Share of research publications written in international co-authorship 20%

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Criteria used in ranking -RUR Reputation Ranking:

Teaching Reputation 50% Research Reputation 50%

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Scimago Institutions

Criteria used in ranking -Scimago Institutions Rankings:

Research 50% Innovation 30%
Societal 20%

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ShanghaiRanking Consultancy

Criteria used in ranking -ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities - ShanghaiRanking:

Quality of Education 10%

  • Alumni winning Nobel Prizes/Field Medals 10%

Quality of Faculty 40%

  • Staff winning Nobel Prizes/Field Medals 20%
  • Highly Cited Researchers 20%

Research Output 40%

  • Papers published in Nature and Science 20%
  • Papers indexed in Science Citation Index-Expanded & Social Science Citation Index 20%

Per Capita Performance 10%

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StuDocu

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THE Times Higher Education, UK

Criteria used in ranking -THE World University Rankings:

30% Teaching (the Learning Environment)

  • Reputation survey: 15%
  • Staff-to-student ratio: 4.5%
  • Doctorate-to-bachelor’s ratio: 2.25%
  • Doctorates-awarded-to-academic-staff ratio: 6%
  • Institutional income: 2.25%

30% Research (Volume, Income and Reputation)

  • Reputation survey: 18%
  • Research income: 6%
  • Research productivity: 6%

30% Citations (Research Influence)

7.5% International Outlook (Staff, Students and Research)

  • Proportion of international students: 2.5%
  • Proportion of international staff: 2.5%
  • International collaboration: 2.5%

2.5% Industry Income (Knowledge Transfer)"

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Criteria used in ranking -THE Global Employability University Ranking:

Employability (survey) 100%

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Criteria used in ranking -THE World Reputation Rankings:

Research Reputation 66,6% Teaching Reputation 33,3%

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Criteria used in ranking -THE World’s Most International Universities:

Proportion of international students 25% Proportion of international staff 25% Proportion of journal publications with one or more international co-authors 25% University’s international reputation 25%

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The Princeton Review

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Thomson Reuters

Criteria used in ranking -Reuters Most Innovative Universities:

Patent Volume 33% Patent Citations 34% Industry Article Citation Impact 11% Percent of Industry Collaborative Articles 11% Total Web of Science Core Collection Papers 11%

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Urap

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Us News

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Wallstreet Journal USA & THE Times Higher Education, UK

Criteria used in ranking -Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education US College Rankings:

Outcomes 40% (employability) Resources 30% Engagement 20% (teaching) Environment 10% (diversity)

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Washington Monthly

Criteria used in ranking -Washington Monthly - National Universities:

Social Mobility 33.33%
Research 33.33%
Community and National Service 33.33%

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Webometrics

Criteria used in ranking -Webometrics Ranking Web of Universities:

Visibility 50% Excellence 35% Transparency 10% Presence 5%

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