Reputation of University of Wisconsin Campuses (Milwaukee, Madison: dorm, schools, universities)

[geekduo]

Originally Posted by KateDaum

I thought UW-River Falls was the ag college and UW-Stevens Point was more environmental and natural resources college.

UW-RF is also big on education and science majors.

[Empidonax]

Strictly on the basis of national reputation, UW-Madison is first, UW-Milwaukee second, and the other schools are generally not very well known. Regionally and within the state, Madison and Milwaukee still hold first and second, respectively, but La Crosse, Stevens Point, and Parkside also have good reps.

In terms of academics: Madison and Milwaukee are the only true public research universities in Wisconsin, and they also have the largest student populations. They have the best overall reputation for academic rigor, curriculum breadth and depth, course options, research training, etc. The other schools are smaller and thus more specialized, though places like Parkside and La Crosse provide a reasonably good education in the liberal arts tradition.

Though Madison is overall the best university in Wisconsin, it is still perceived nationally as a bit of a Big Ten party school. The undergrad aspect of Madison doesn't quite have the academic standing of a Berkeley or Virginia or Michigan, though the grad standing is a lot closer to these schools. UW-Milwaukee is still a young university, and though some programs are nationally acclaimed, it is overall a regional school on the cusp of having a national presence. (It's similar to UI-Chicago in that regard.)

Ultimately, though, what really matters is finding out what school best fits your needs and profile. Many people who go to Madison would be better off at another, less famous school, and many people who attend unknown schools by default might prosper more fully at a place like Madison or Milwaukee.

[Ron Burgundy]

I think you overrate UW-Milwaukee, quijote. While it does have research facilities and is looking to further enhance itself in that area, UW-La Crosse has been 2nd in test scores for incoming freshman for quite some time now. That's a factor "prestige". Academic rigor counts, too.

[Empidonax]

Originally Posted by Ron Burgundy

I think you overrate UW-Milwaukee, quijote. While it does have research facilities and is looking to further enhance itself in that area, UW-La Crosse has been 2nd in test scores for incoming freshman for quite some time now. That's a factor "prestige". Academic rigor counts, too.

First of all, disclaimer: I have strong ties to UWM.

Perhaps I do overrate UWM, but I see the academic process there as very different than what I see at schools such as La Crosse. La Crosse is likely more selective at the start, and probably retains a higher percentage of its students. This is good news for students who like the opportunities available at La Crosse, and it implies an overall good mission. However, how students progress throughout the college career is also important, but there's not much data available to show if La Crosse students get educated by leaps and bounds in a way that parallels or exceeds what similarly successful Madison or Milwaukee students do.

High levels of retention can mean many things, both positive and negative. On the one hand, it can suggest a great fit between students and institutions, including the students' desire to hang in there when professors are very demanding. On the other hand, it can mean that the institution does everything possible, including lower expectations, to keep students enrolled. I have seen both cultures in place at institutions in other (unnamed) states.

At UWM, the experience at the freshman and sophomore level is very different from the junior and senior level. UWM is not very selective upfront, so the selection process occurs during the college career. Though there are sincere attempts to retain students and remedy academic deficiencies, retention of first- and second-year students is rather low. Madison has a similar "weeding out" culture, but is more selective in admissions, so doesn't see such low retention rates. UWM, on the other hand, has an "open door" policy regarding admissions, but in general, it's difficult for students to stay within the system.

The junior and senior levels at UWM are also very rigorous, but by that point most students have either dropped out or found a home in a major, so retention tends to rise. Another factor is that many transfer students enter UWM at the junior and senior levels, and they tend to be very motivated. In many ways, the upper division at UWM is a very different world from the lower division--classes are smaller, research is emphasized, etc. Many of the advanced senior-level courses at UWM are linked to graduate courses, and that suggests a high level of expectation at the end of an undergrad's career.

Ultimately, UWM's open door policy shouldn't be held against it, though the resulting problem with retention is in fact one major thing that tends to lower UWM in rankings.

It should be noted that rankings only go so far. La Crosse is rated highly, not as a research-oriented school such as Milwaukee or Madison, but more as a comprehensive university with limited but well developed offerings. This could mean that La Crosse is more rigorous (more hands-on and teaching oriented), or it could mean that it isn't (less compelled by research structures). In general, though, when it comes to universities (as opposed to liberal arts colleges), I think places with a strong graduate component force the undergraduate program to maintain a high degree of rigor. UWM qualifies in this area, and Madison more so, so I tend to see these two schools as the best for academics among public institutions in Wisconsin.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by jjacobeclark

UW-Oshkosh: Dead last in academics. UWO is the party school for all the Yoopers and rednecks from the Northwoods.

They don't call it "Sloshkosh" for nothin'

[Drover]

Where does UWEC fit into this hierarchy? It always struck me as one of the preferred "also-ran" schools (along with UW-La Crosse) for those who can't get into UW or don't want to go to a monster school.

[NicePolishBoy]

The issue has different angles:

Which are the best for your area of study?

Which are the best in terms of student body?

Which are the best in terms of faculty?

Take the programs. Someone mentioned UWO's business college is very good, and it is on objective measures. Someone else mentioned maybe attending UWGB for photography. The market for photographers is in rough shape. There is a lot of competition. UWGB might be one of the few to have a degree, but it is nowhere nationally.

You can attend a university with some comparatively weaker students but with strong faculty. UWO is the only comprehensive campus in the state enabling qualified faculty to teach fewer classes than peers at other comprehensive universities (but more than UW Madison and Milwaukee). Thus, UWO can recruit faculty that the other comprehensives cannot get. I think UWO's number of state teaching award winners is very competitive. The problem for the good student is the lack of quality competition from other students to push you.

UW Milwaukee has a pretty poor rep in terms of its students, and it is not that competitive of a university with other universities offering doctorates.

[Central Illinois 1]

Originally Posted by quijote

Strictly on the basis of national reputation, UW-Madison is first, UW-Milwaukee second, and the other schools are generally not very well known. Regionally and within the state, Madison and Milwaukee still hold first and second, respectively, but La Crosse, Stevens Point, and Parkside also have good reps.

In terms of academics: Madison and Milwaukee are the only true public research universities in Wisconsin, and they also have the largest student populations. They have the best overall reputation for academic rigor, curriculum breadth and depth, course options, research training, etc. The other schools are smaller and thus more specialized, though places like Parkside and La Crosse provide a reasonably good education in the liberal arts tradition.

Though Madison is overall the best university in Wisconsin, it is still perceived nationally as a bit of a Big Ten party school. The undergrad aspect of Madison doesn't quite have the academic standing of a Berkeley or Virginia or Michigan, though the grad standing is a lot closer to these schools. UW-Milwaukee is still a young university, and though some programs are nationally acclaimed, it is overall a regional school on the cusp of having a national presence. (It's similar to UI-Chicago in that regard.)

Ultimately, though, what really matters is finding out what school best fits your needs and profile. Many people who go to Madison would be better off at another, less famous school, and many people who attend unknown schools by default might prosper more fully at a place like Madison or Milwaukee.

Good post. UW Madison and UW Milwaukee are Research I institutions, with Madison having a very strong national/international reputation and UWM being nationally known but more on par with reputations of the number two public universities in other states (e.g., UI Chicago). The other WI university that truly has a national reputation is Marquette. But I would say that its reputation is much more on par with UWM than of Madison.

[Drover]

Marquette is not part of the UW system, it's a private school.

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by Drover

Marquette is not part of the UW system, it's a private school.

I would put Marquette above UW-Madison in terms of national recognition and prestige and not b/c I'm a big MU fan.