Highest Paying Colleges in Wisconsin (2026)
Updated
Highest Paying Colleges in Wisconsin lists 32 four-year institutions in Wisconsin. Schools are ordered by Azimuth's return pillar for Wisconsin, highest first.
Milwaukee School of Engineering ranks 1st on this list, with $90,607 in median earnings for its graduates four years after completing. Marquette University ranks 2nd on this list, reporting $80,228 in median earnings for its graduates four years after completing.
Bellin College ranks 3rd on this list, with $77,238 in median earnings for its graduates four years after completing. The list includes 13 public and 19 private nonprofit schools.
13 schools on the list are public, and 19 are private nonprofit. University of Wisconsin-Madison ranks 82nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally. University of Wisconsin-Parkside posts the lowest average net price at $11,772.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years after completion | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee School of Engineering · Milwaukee, WI | $90,607 | $22,453 | $11,607 | 58.9% |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering reports median earnings of $90,607 for its graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list. | |||||
| 2 | Marquette University · Milwaukee, WI | $80,228 | $31,487 | $22,269 | 81.3% |
| Marquette University admits 81% of applicants and posts a six-year completion rate of 83%. | |||||
| 3 | Bellin College · Green Bay, WI | $77,238 | $37,408 | $29,994 | 97.2% |
| Bellin College carries an average net price of $37,408 and an admission rate of 97%. | |||||
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $78,974 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison ranks 82nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and graduates 90% of its students within six years. | |||||
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville · Platteville, WI | $70,899 | $16,032 | $9,009 | 89.4% |
| Graduates of University of Wisconsin-Platteville earn a median of $70,899 four years after completing, and the school reports an average net price of $16,032. | |||||
| 6 | Edgewood University · Madison, WI | $68,625 | $26,113 | $22,291 | 75.7% |
| Edgewood University reports a six-year completion rate of 60% and an average net price of $26,113. | |||||
| 7 | Marian University · Fond Du Lac, WI | $65,859 | $21,937 | $17,449 | 75.0% |
| Marian University ranks 7th on this list, with median earnings of $65,859 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Lakeland University · Plymouth, WI | $66,716 | $24,212 | $22,453 | 86.3% |
| Lakeland University admits 86% of applicants and reports median earnings of $66,716 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Carroll University · Waukesha, WI | $66,639 | $15,193 | $15,718 | 66.8% |
| Carroll University posts an average net price of $15,193 and a six-year completion rate of 71%. | |||||
| 10 | Viterbo University · La Crosse, WI | $69,675 | $21,260 | $13,657 | 72.4% |
| Viterbo University ranks 953rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $69,675 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Alverno College · Milwaukee, WI | $67,760 | $22,540 | $22,032 | 85.7% |
| Alverno College shows an admission rate of 86% and an average net price of $22,540. | |||||
| 12 | University of Wisconsin-Stout · Menomonie, WI | $64,234 | $17,490 | $10,966 | 87.7% |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout reports median earnings of $64,234 for its graduates four years after completing and a six-year completion rate of 55%. | |||||
| 13 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI | $62,480 | $15,014 | $10,329 | 90.7% |
| At University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, median earnings of $62,480 for its graduates four years after completing coincide with an admission rate of 91%. | |||||
| 14 | Concordia University-Wisconsin · Mequon, WI | $63,361 | $36,201 | $34,991 | 78.2% |
| A private nonprofit university in Mequon, Concordia University-Wisconsin posts a six-year completion rate of 68% and an average net price of $36,201. | |||||
| 15 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire · Eau Claire, WI | $60,838 | $16,550 | $10,270 | 82.3% |
| University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire ranks 15th on this list, with graduates across all fields earning a median of $60,838 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Carthage College · Kenosha, WI | $59,751 | $26,565 | $23,293 | 87.1% |
| Carthage College has an average net price of $26,565 and a six-year completion rate of 64%. | |||||
| 17 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh · Oshkosh, WI | $59,730 | $14,305 | $9,236 | 86.5% |
| Graduates of University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh earn a median of $59,730 four years after completing, and the school admits 86% of applicants. | |||||
| 18 | University of Wisconsin-La Crosse · La Crosse, WI | $60,184 | $16,210 | $8,224 | 75.5% |
| University of Wisconsin-La Crosse reports an average net price of $8,224 for families earning under $30,000, alongside a six-year completion rate of 71%. | |||||
| 19 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater · Whitewater, WI | $58,704 | $14,158 | $8,440 | 85.7% |
| With its graduates earning a median of $58,704 four years after completing, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater ranks 385th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and graduates 59% within six years. | |||||
| 20 | Mount Mary University · Milwaukee, WI | $54,418 | $20,144 | $18,155 | 62.3% |
| A private nonprofit university in Milwaukee, Mount Mary University admits 62% of applicants and reports median earnings of $54,418 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Wisconsin Lutheran College · Milwaukee, WI | $57,728 | $23,245 | $18,190 | 78.2% |
| Wisconsin Lutheran College has an average net price of $23,245 and reports median earnings of $57,728 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | Saint Norbert College · De Pere, WI | $58,944 | $26,172 | $19,721 | 85.7% |
| Saint Norbert College ranks 22nd on this list, with a six-year completion rate of 71% and an average net price of $26,172. | |||||
| 23 | Ripon College · Ripon, WI | $50,210 | $20,216 | $15,712 | 79.8% |
| Ripon College reports an average net price of $15,712 for families earning under $30,000, and its graduates earn a median of $50,210 four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | University of Wisconsin-Parkside · Kenosha, WI | $55,184 | $11,772 | $7,425 | 75.4% |
| University of Wisconsin-Parkside admits 75% of applicants and posts a six-year completion rate of 40%, with graduates earning a median of $55,184 four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | University of Wisconsin-River Falls · River Falls, WI | $54,923 | $14,054 | $8,472 | 81.7% |
| Ranked 25th on this list, University of Wisconsin-River Falls reports median earnings of $54,923 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 26 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay · Green Bay, WI | $54,344 | $13,369 | $9,144 | 88.6% |
| With an admission rate of 89%, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay shows a six-year completion rate of 48%. | |||||
| 27 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point · Stevens Point, WI | $51,548 | $14,559 | $8,833 | 91.8% |
| Graduates of University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point earn a median of $51,548 four years after completing, and the university ranks 519th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 28 | University of Wisconsin-Superior · Superior, WI | $50,018 | $12,220 | $9,679 | 93.0% |
| University of Wisconsin-Superior has an average net price of $12,220, and its graduates earn a median of $50,018 four years after completing. | |||||
| 29 | Maranatha Baptist University · Watertown, WI | $49,529 | $26,005 | $24,786 | 71.9% |
| Maranatha Baptist University, a private nonprofit university in Watertown, reports a six-year completion rate of 64% and median earnings of $49,529 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 30 | Beloit College · Beloit, WI | $48,801 | $21,526 | $15,176 | 63.0% |
| Beloit College ranks 30th on this list, with an admission rate of 63% and median earnings of $48,801 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 31 | Lawrence University · Appleton, WI | $51,503 | $23,401 | $10,419 | 63.9% |
| Lawrence University posts a six-year completion rate of 77% and an average net price of $10,419 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 32 | Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design · Milwaukee, WI | $42,304 | $26,541 | $21,419 | 60.5% |
| Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design ranks 1409th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its graduates earn a median of $42,304 four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by Azimuth's return pillar for Wisconsin, highest first. The pillar measures four-year earnings, modeled value added and program earnings relative to national benchmarks, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The figures are median earnings of federally aided completers at each institution, across all fields, who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. The list does not measure earnings in any one major or teaching quality. Milwaukee School of Engineering posts $90,607 in median earnings for its graduates four years after completing, while Marquette University reports $80,228. The list includes 13 public and 19 private nonprofit institutions.