The Most Selective Colleges in Wisconsin
Every eligible Wisconsin four-year that reports an admission rate, ranked hardest to get into first and easiest last — not a prestige Top 25. Selectivity here is the published rate, not a magazine composite.
Ranked by acceptance rate · 32 of 42 Wisconsin institutions in this universe qualify for this ranking · Compiled 2026-09-01
- 1University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WI · Public43.4%Compare nearby
- 2Beloit CollegeBeloit, WI · Private57.4%Compare nearby
- 3Carroll UniversityWaukesha, WI · Private58.4%Compare nearby
- 4Milwaukee School of EngineeringMilwaukee, WI · Private60.4%Compare nearby
- 5Milwaukee Institute of Art & DesignMilwaukee, WI · Private62.8%Compare nearby
- 6Lawrence UniversityAppleton, WI · Private63.0%Compare nearby
- 7Marian UniversityFond Du Lac, WI · Private66.8%Compare nearby
- 8Concordia University-WisconsinMequon, WI · Private67.5%Compare nearby
- 9Maranatha Baptist UniversityWatertown, WI · Private70.9%Compare nearby
- 10University of Wisconsin-ParksideKenosha, WI · Public72.6%Compare nearby
- 11University of Wisconsin-La CrosseLa Crosse, WI · Public73.3%Compare nearby
- 12Viterbo UniversityLa Crosse, WI · Private73.3%Compare nearby
- 13University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireEau Claire, WI · Public76.1%Compare nearby
- 14Wisconsin Lutheran CollegeMilwaukee, WI · Private79.0%Compare nearby
- 15University of Wisconsin-River FallsRiver Falls, WI · Public81.6%Compare nearby
- 16University of Wisconsin-WhitewaterWhitewater, WI · Public82.8%Compare nearby
- 17Ripon CollegeRipon, WI · Private83.9%Compare nearby
- 18Carthage CollegeKenosha, WI · Private84.2%Compare nearby
- 19University of Wisconsin-StoutMenomonie, WI · Public84.7%Compare nearby
- 20University of Wisconsin-OshkoshOshkosh, WI · Public86.7%Compare nearby
- 21University of Wisconsin-PlattevillePlatteville, WI · Public87.3%Compare nearby
- 22Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI · Private87.4%Compare nearby
- 23University of Wisconsin-Green BayGreen Bay, WI · Public87.8%Compare nearby
- 24University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI · Public88.4%Compare nearby
- 25University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointStevens Point, WI · Public90.1%Compare nearby
- 26Lakeland UniversityPlymouth, WI · Private91.1%Compare nearby
- 27Saint Norbert CollegeDe Pere, WI · Private92.2%Compare nearby
- 28Alverno CollegeMilwaukee, WI · Private93.1%Compare nearby
- 29Mount Mary UniversityMilwaukee, WI · Private93.3%Compare nearby
- 30University of Wisconsin-SuperiorSuperior, WI · Public93.6%Compare nearby
- 31Herzing University-MadisonMadison, WI · Private94.2%Compare nearby
- 32Edgewood CollegeMadison, WI · Private94.5%Compare nearby
How this list was built
- Measure
- Acceptance rate — sorted lowest to highest
- Source variable
ADM_RATE- Dataset
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (05-19-2025 release)
- Wisconsin institutions in this universe (42 schools).
- Wisconsin four-year main campuses only. Rank order is published admission rate; on an exact tie, higher SAT average ranks above, and missing SAT does not drop a school. SAT is not shown because it is not the ranked measure. Schools without a published ADM_RATE are omitted rather than estimated.
- Institutions enrolling fewer than 500 undergraduates are excluded — the same size floor as the national selectivity list — even when they report an admission rate. That cut is not a median-stability adjustment.
- 32 of 42 Wisconsin institutions in this universe qualify for this ranking (report the measure and pass any enrollment floor); the rest are omitted rather than estimated.
A single measure is a narrow way to judge a college. Read this alongside the others, and see the methodology for what these figures do and do not capture.
Keep exploring
- Re-rank with your weightsRe-score with your weights, pre-filtered to WI
- Showdown: University of Wisconsin-Madison vs Beloit CollegeHigher-or-lower on Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Live leaderboardReshuffle Top 10–50 on one Scorecard measure
- Explore games & mapsShowdown, Name That College, sports, and more lists
- Sports at University of Wisconsin-MadisonEADA programs for the #1 school on this list
Keep going
The Most Selective Colleges in America
Lowest share of applicants admitted. Selectivity measures demand and class size, not teaching quality.
Colleges with the Highest SAT Averages
Average SAT score of enrolled students. Reported by fewer than half of institutions as test-optional admissions has spread.
Colleges That Admit Nearly Everyone
Open and near-open admission four-year institutions, ranked by the share of applicants accepted.