College research / Rankings

Best Education Colleges for Social Mobility in Wisconsin

Updated

Best Education Colleges for Social Mobility in Wisconsin lists 13 Education schools in Wisconsin. Schools first had to sit at or above the 60th percentile on Azimuth's mobility pillar; those that qualified are ordered by the school's median earnings of all students ten years after entry, highest first, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page.

Marquette University ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $78,257 for its students ten years after entry. Across the listed schools, the median earnings of all students ten years after entry ranges from $78,257 to $52,021, with a median of $55,548.

Public institutions account for 11 of the 13 schools, or 85% of the list, alongside 2 private nonprofit college. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay posts the lowest average net price at $13,369.

University of Wisconsin-Madison sits at the 96th percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The ranked list

13 schools in list order
RankSchoolMedian earnings, 10 years after entryAverage net priceNet price, families under $30KPell shareMobility percentile
1Marquette University · Milwaukee, WI$78,257$31,487$22,26918.4%78th
Marquette University, a private nonprofit university in Milwaukee, reports median earnings of $78,257 for all students ten years after entry.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (52 graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (24 graduates), Education, General (14 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods ($56,955)

2University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI$73,792$17,354$4,20015.9%96th
An average net price of $4,200 for families earning under $30,000 accompanies the 96th percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among nonprofit four-year institutions at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (76 graduates), Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education (47 graduates), Special Education and Teaching (23 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Special Education and Teaching ($50,302), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods ($49,640), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas ($48,435)

3University of Wisconsin-Platteville · Platteville, WI$61,760$16,032$9,00921.1%74th
With a Pell share of 21%, University of Wisconsin-Platteville ranks 3rd on this list and posts median earnings of $61,760 ten years after entry.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (60 graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (18 graduates)

4University of Wisconsin-La Crosse · La Crosse, WI$60,378$16,210$8,22414.4%85th
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse reaches the 85th percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among nonprofit four-year institutions, alongside an average net price of $8,224 for families earning under $30,000.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (118 graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (23 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas ($53,218), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods ($46,328)

5University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire · Eau Claire, WI$58,561$16,550$10,27019.6%82nd
Median earnings of $58,561 ten years after entry and a Pell share of 20% are reported by University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (80 graduates), Special Education and Teaching (77 graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (32 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Special Education and Teaching ($47,877), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods ($47,473)

6University of Wisconsin-Stout · Menomonie, WI$58,084$17,490$10,96623.9%72nd
University of Wisconsin-Stout posts an average net price of $10,966 for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $58,084 for all students ten years after entry.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (76 graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (30 graduates), Special Education and Teaching (28 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas ($56,563), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods ($47,256)

7University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh · Oshkosh, WI$55,548$14,305$9,23616.1%73rd
Ranking 7th on this list, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh reports an average net price of $14,305 and median earnings of $55,548 ten years after entry.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (111 graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (53 graduates), Special Education and Teaching (38 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Special Education and Teaching ($47,828), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods ($45,902)

8University of Wisconsin-Whitewater · Whitewater, WI$55,356$14,158$8,44025.2%88th
A Pell share of 25% and the 88th percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among nonprofit four-year institutions are posted by University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (195 graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (78 graduates), Special Education and Teaching (36 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Special Education and Teaching ($51,908), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas ($50,827), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods ($46,637)

9University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI$54,990$15,014$10,32932.8%90th
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee reports median earnings of $54,990 for all students ten years after entry, with a Pell share of 33%.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Education, General (162 graduates), Educational Administration and Supervision (44 graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (22 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Education, General ($49,228), Educational Administration and Supervision ($46,822), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas ($44,776)

10University of Wisconsin-River Falls · River Falls, WI$54,458$14,054$8,47220.8%72nd
An average net price of $8,472 for families earning under $30,000 and a rank of 10th on this list are posted by University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (88 graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (75 graduates), Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language (16 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas ($54,043), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods ($46,004)

11Beloit College · Beloit, WI$53,260$21,526$15,17629.6%81st
Beloit College, a private nonprofit college in Beloit, reports median earnings of $53,260 for all students ten years after entry.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Education, General (11 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Education, General ($56,414)

12University of Wisconsin-Green Bay · Green Bay, WI$52,528$13,369$9,14421.8%72nd
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay sits at the 72nd percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts an average net price of $13,369.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Education, General (87 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Education, General ($44,331)

13University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point · Stevens Point, WI$52,021$14,559$8,83328.7%85th
An average net price of $8,833 for families earning under $30,000 and an 85th percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among nonprofit four-year institutions coincide at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, a public university in Stevens Point.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (108 graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (85 graduates), Special Education and Teaching (39 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas ($47,537), Special Education and Teaching ($46,315), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods ($45,181)

How this list is ordered

Schools first had to sit at or above the 60th percentile on Azimuth's mobility pillar; those that qualified are ordered by the school's median earnings of all students ten years after entry, highest first, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The figure is the median earnings of all federally aided students at the institution, measured ten years after entry, among those working and not enrolled. It does not adjust for cost or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. Marquette University leads the list at $78,257, with University of Wisconsin-Madison trailing by $4,465 at $73,792.

Job market context in Wisconsin

The Bureau of Labor Statistics links Education programs to occupations such as Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education, and Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in Wisconsin. The median annual wage across those occupations is $67,560, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $57,120. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 10,220 openings a year, or about 381 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 2.8% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. These labor-market figures describe the occupations linked to the field, not the earnings of any particular school's graduates, which the ranking above reports ten years after entry.