Best Engineering Colleges in Wisconsin (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 8 Engineering programs in Wisconsin by median earnings of Engineering graduates four years after completing. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point ranks 1st with median earnings of $100,034 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the 6 schools with a published figure, median earnings range from $100,034 to $71,715, with a median of $89,570.
Public institutions account for 6 of the 8 listed schools, while 2 are private nonprofit. University of Wisconsin-Madison ranks 82nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and it also posts the highest six-year completion rate on the page at 90%.
University of Wisconsin-River Falls reports the lowest average net price at $14,054.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Engineering Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point · Stevens Point, WI | $100,034 | $14,559 | $8,833 | 91.8% |
| University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point reports $100,034 in median earnings of Engineering graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 92%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Chemical Engineering (18 graduates), Paper Science and Engineering (15 graduates) | |||||
| 2 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $98,862 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 90%, University of Wisconsin-Madison ranks 82nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (183 graduates), Industrial Engineering (118 graduates), Computer Engineering (115 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Industrial Engineering ($110,711), Chemical Engineering ($101,676), Biomedical/Medical Engineering ($99,762) | |||||
| 3 | Marquette University · Milwaukee, WI | No published median | $31,487 | $22,269 | 81.3% |
| Marquette University, a private nonprofit university in Milwaukee, carries an average net price of $31,487. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (81 graduates), Biomedical/Medical Engineering (80 graduates), Civil Engineering (30 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($106,686), Computer Engineering ($97,608), Biomedical/Medical Engineering ($95,728) | |||||
| 4 | Milwaukee School of Engineering · Milwaukee, WI | $91,459 | $22,453 | $11,607 | 58.9% |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering posts $91,459 in median earnings of Engineering graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $11,607 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (134 graduates), Computer Engineering (73 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (73 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer Engineering ($103,360), Biomedical/Medical Engineering ($93,229), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($93,201) | |||||
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-Stout · Menomonie, WI | $87,680 | $17,490 | $10,966 | 87.7% |
| Ranking 5th on this list, University of Wisconsin-Stout graduates 55% of its students within six years. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (77 graduates), Electrical and Computer Engineering (27 graduates), Polymer/Plastics Engineering (14 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Manufacturing Engineering ($87,431) | |||||
| 6 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville · Platteville, WI | $87,041 | $16,032 | $9,009 | 89.4% |
| University of Wisconsin-Platteville admits 89% of applicants and reports $87,041 in median earnings of Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (197 graduates), Civil Engineering (83 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (61 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer Engineering ($95,300), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($92,443), Industrial Engineering ($88,918) | |||||
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI | No published median | $15,014 | $10,329 | 90.7% |
| An admission rate of 91% and an average net price of $15,014 are reported by University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which ranks 214th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (115 graduates), Civil Engineering (63 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (43 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($91,955), Mechanical Engineering ($86,405), Industrial Engineering ($82,763) | |||||
| 8 | University of Wisconsin-River Falls · River Falls, WI | $71,715 | $14,054 | $8,472 | 81.7% |
| University of Wisconsin-River Falls reports $71,715 in median earnings of Engineering graduates four years after completing alongside a six-year completion rate of 57%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Agricultural Engineering (5 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Agricultural Engineering ($71,715) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only schools with a reported Engineering earnings cohort in Wisconsin appear. The figures are medians for federally aided Engineering graduates who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 6 schools with a published figure. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point leads University of Wisconsin-Madison by $1,172 in median earnings, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom is $28,319.
Job market context in Wisconsin
Engineering graduates in Wisconsin enter a labor market that links to occupations such as Industrial Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, and Civil Engineers. The median annual wage across those occupations is $100,578, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $80,762. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 9.4% higher, with 5,940 projected openings a year, or about 225 openings a year for every hundred graduates. That is more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures reported here.