Campus Connection

US News & World Report: No. 4 among Midwestern public universities

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is once again the state’s top ranked public university on U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges list. The popular magazine lists UW-La Crosse the No. 4 public university among its Best Regional Universities in the Midwest. It’s the 17th year in a row that UWL has remained the state’s top-ranked in the UW System and among the top 4 in the Midwest. Also, UWL is 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 once again be the No. 1 comprehensive university in the UW System and No. 4 among regional universities in the Midwest,” says Chancellor Joe Gow. “It is reassuring to receive such high marks from reputable external recognition. It validates the outstanding work being done each day by our faculty, staff and students. We're very proud of these accolades." The No. 4 ranking, which it has held four years in a row, continues UWL’s trend of being ranked among the Midwest’s top four public universities for the past 17 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 as No. 3. Among all private and public Midwestern universities, UWL was No. 33. The regional category includes institutions providing a full range of undergraduate majors and master’s programs. 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. These high rankings continue the accolades for UWL in recent months. Over summer, UWL was once again on a list of safest campuses in the country — ranking No. 11 out of more than 500 colleges nationwide and the only one from Wisconsin in the top 25. Also, the American Institute for Economic Research pointed to UWL when it listed La Crosse as the No. 19 best college town in America — the only Badger State city to make the ranking.