Best Colleges in Wisconsin by Salary Potential
If you’re ready to get your bachelor’s degree, research the best colleges by alumni salary. These Wisconsin colleges have the highest-paid graduates.
| Rank | School Name | School Type | Early Career Pay | Mid-Career Pay | % High Meaning | % STEM Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | School Name: Milwaukee School of Engineering | School Type:Engineering, Private School | Early Career Pay:$81,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$135,100 | % High Meaning:46% | % STEM Degrees:67% |
| Rank:2 | School Name: Marquette University | School Type:Private School, Religious, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$71,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$128,000 | % High Meaning:52% | % STEM Degrees:25% |
| Rank:3 | School Name: Lawrence University | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$60,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$126,900 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:22% |
| Rank:4 | School Name: - Madison_50px.png) University of Wisconsin-Madison | School Type:Party School, Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$72,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$125,900 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:30% |
| Rank:5 | School Name: - Platteville Campus_50px.png) University of Wisconsin-Platteville | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$70,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$117,000 | % High Meaning:49% | % STEM Degrees:37% |
| Rank:6 | School Name: Ripon College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$57,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$109,100 | % High Meaning:64% | % STEM Degrees:18% |
| Rank:7 | School Name: - Eau Claire_50px.png) University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$63,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$108,900 | % High Meaning:49% | % STEM Degrees:12% |
| Rank:8 | School Name:Bellin College | School Type:Private School | Early Career Pay:$70,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$107,200 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:9 | School Name:Saint Norbert College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$60,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$107,000 | % High Meaning:43% | % STEM Degrees:18% |
| Rank:10 | School Name: - Milwaukee_50px.jpg) University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$63,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$106,100 | % High Meaning:49% | % STEM Degrees:16% |
| Rank:11 | School Name: - La Crosse Campus_50px.JPG) University of Wisconsin-La Crosse | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$61,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$105,600 | % High Meaning:52% | % STEM Degrees:18% |
| Rank:12 | School Name: - Whitewater_50px.jpg) University of Wisconsin-Whitewater | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$59,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$105,200 | % High Meaning:42% | % STEM Degrees:8% |
| Rank:13 | School Name: Beloit College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$58,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$105,000 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:26% |
| Rank:14 | School Name: Carthage College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$59,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$104,200 | % High Meaning:44% | % STEM Degrees:17% |
| Rank:15 | School Name: Carroll University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$56,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$103,700 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:11% |
| Rank:16 | School Name: Marian University (Wisconsin) | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$54,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$103,300 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:4% |
| Rank:17 | School Name: - Stout Campus_50px.png) University of Wisconsin-Stout | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$62,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$102,400 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:19% |
| Rank:18 | School Name:Edgewood College | School Type:Private School, Religious, Research University | Early Career Pay:$59,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$100,700 | % High Meaning:55% | % STEM Degrees:10% |
| Rank:19 | School Name: - Oshkosh Campus_50px.gif) University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$59,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$99,800 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:7% |
| Rank:20 | School Name: - Parkside_50px.jpg) University of Wisconsin-Parkside | School Type:Liberal Arts School, State School | Early Career Pay:$58,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$98,500 | % High Meaning:45% | % STEM Degrees:14% |
| Rank:21 | School Name: - Stevens Point Campus_50px.jpg) University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$55,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$97,300 | % High Meaning:56% | % STEM Degrees:10% |
| Rank:22 | School Name: - Superior Campus_50px.jpg) University of Wisconsin-Superior | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$53,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$96,000 | % High Meaning:49% | % STEM Degrees:7% |
| Rank:23 | School Name: Concordia University-Wisconsin | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$58,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$95,400 | % High Meaning:57% | % STEM Degrees:5% |
| Rank:24 | School Name: - River Falls Campus_50px.png) University of Wisconsin-River Falls | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$58,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$94,900 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:13% |
| Rank:25 | School Name:Wisconsin Lutheran College | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$61,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$93,700 | % High Meaning:55% | % STEM Degrees:12% |
Some of the highest-earning graduates on our list of Wisconsin schools earn their bachelor’s degrees from the Milwaukee School of Engineering. And a school with perennially high mid-year median salaries in Wisconsin is Marquette.
University of Wisconsin – Madison is the largest school; roughly 31,000 undergrads is a lot of Badgers, and about 90 percent would encourage prospective students to join them. Ripon College, a private liberal arts institution, has the smallest undergraduate population with about 1,000 students.
The dairy capital of the country, Wisconsin is home to more cows than any other state in the country, so it’s not surprising that agriculture is one the top industries. Also home to Summerfest, the largest music festival in the country, and Harley-Davidson, tourism is another important industry for the state.