Wisconsin has a tradition of leadership in education. The state's constitution, adopted in 1848, provided for free public education; however, there was no state tax for schools until 1885. A compulsory education law was passed in 1879 and strengthened in 1903 and 1907. The first kindergarten in the United States was established in Watertown, Wisconsin, in 1856.
General public elementary and secondary education is administered under the overall supervision of the Department of Public Instruction, which is headed by a state superintendent elected on a nonpartisan basis. As of 2000, 85.1% of all Wisconsinites 25 years or older had completed high school, well above the US average of 80.4%. More than 22% had obtained a bachelor's degree or higher.
The total enrollment for fall 1999 in Wisconsin's public schools stood at 877,753. Of these, 596,439 attended schools from kindergarten through grade eight, and 281,314 attended high school. Minority students made up approximately 20% of the total enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools in 2001. Total enrollment is expected to reach 883,000 in fall 2000 but drop to 869,000 by fall 2005. Expenditures for public education in 2000/01 were estimated at $7,327,962. Enrollment in nonpublic schools in fall 2001 was 139,455.
As of fall 2000, there were 328,537 students enrolled in college or graduate school. In the same year Wisconsin had 68 degree-granting institutions. The University of Wisconsin (UW) system is comprised of 13 degree-granting campuses, 13 two-year centers, and the University of Wisconsin-Extension, which has outreach and continuing education activities on all 26 UW campuses and in all 72 Wisconsin counties. All 13 universities award bachelor's and master's degrees. University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee also confer doctoral degrees. UW-Madison, one of the world's largest and most respected institutions of higher learning, was chartered by the state's first legislature in 1848. UW-Milwaukee is the system's 2nd-largest campus. The 11 other universities are Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Oshkosh, Parkside (at Kenosha-Racine), Platteville, River Falls, Stevens Point, Stout (at Menomonie), Superior, and Whitewater.
Wisconsin's private institutions of higher education encompass a broad range of schools. There were 34 private 4-year institutions in 2000, including such leading institutions as Marquette University, Lawrence University, Ripon College, and Beloit College. In addition, there are 4 technical and professional schools, and 5 theological seminaries. Wisconsin also has a system of technical colleges, the Wisconsin Technical College System. In 1911, the legislature enacted the first system of state support for vocational, technical, and adult education in the nation. One in eight Wisconsin citizens attends a technical college. The system includes 16 technical colleges, each governed by a local board. At the same time, each college is part of a statewide system governed by an independent board. In 1997, minority students comprised 9.9% of total postsecondary enrollment.