Campus Connection

U.S. News & World Report: UWL tops among UW System peers; No. 4 among Midwestern public universities

UW-La Crosse is once again Wisconsin’s top-ranked public university among its peers according to U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges listing. The popular magazine also lists UW-La Crosse as the No. 4 public university among Best Regional Universities in the Midwest. It’s the 18th year in a row that UWL has remained the state’s top-ranked comprehensive campus in the UW System and among the top 4 in the Midwest. And, UWL remains listed among “A-Plus Schools for B Students,” which identifies “where non-superstars have a decent shot at being accepted and thriving” and where spirit and hard work make a difference. “We're thrilled to remain the No. 1 comprehensive university in the UW System and No. 4 among the Midwest’s regional universities,” says Chancellor Joe Gow. “These high-ranking marks from reputable external recognition validate the outstanding work being done every day by our faculty, staff and students. We're very proud of these accolades." Corey Sjoquist, director of UWL Admissions, agrees that the ranking confirms the excellent opportunities on campus, along with the incredible talents of students, faculty and staff. He says the U.S. News awareness draws attention throughout the state and even internationally. “The continued high ranking likely contributes to the fact that UWL receives more freshman applications than any of the comprehensive UW campuses,” notes Sjoquist. “UWL is a popular campus that retains and graduates students better than any of the other comprehensive UW campuses.” The No. 4 ranking, which it has held five years in a row, continues UWL’s record of being ranked among the Midwest’s top four public universities for the past 18 years. Truman State University in Missouri remained on top. The University of Northern Iowa was No. 2, followed by Grand Valley State University in Michigan at No. 3. Among all private and public Midwestern universities, UWL was No. 32, tied with Indiana Wesleyan and Robert Morris University in Illinois. The regional category includes institutions providing a full range of undergraduate majors and master’s programs. UWL was also No. 58 in the Midwest for Best Value Schools among all regional universities. The rankings are a thorough examination of how more than 1,400 accredited, four-year schools compare on a set of up to 16 widely accepted indicators of excellence. Among the many factors weighed in determining the rankings, the key measures of quality are: peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving. Complete listings are available at www.usnews.com/colleges. This summer, UWL received national accolades when AffordableCollegesOnline.org ranked UWL No. 6 among the Top LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges for 2018-19.