New Forbes Ranking of Wisconsin Undergraduate Schools

Colleges and Universities University of Wisconsin
#1

<p>Here's how Forbes ranks Wisconsin colleges in its latest list of America's 650 best undergraduate colleges:</p>

<p>63<br>
Lawrence University</p>

<p>84<br>
Saint Norbert College </p>

<p>163<br>
Beloit College </p>

<p>232<br>
Marquette University </p>

<p>238<br>
Ripon College </p>

<p>316<br>
University of Wisconsin-Madison </p>

<p>368<br>
Carthage College</p>

<p>393<br>
Edgewood College</p>

<p>396<br>
Carroll University</p>

<p>398<br>
Wisconsin Lutheran College</p>

<p>578<br>
Milwaukee School of Engineering</p>

<p>637<br>
Cardinal Stritch University </p>

<p>642<br>
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee</p>

#2

<p>#212</a> University of Wisconsin, Madison - Forbes.com Let me put on my glasses, ok 212. If the freshman could get into their classes it would be in the top 10!!!!!</p>

#3

<p>Actually, UW was #212 last year. This year it dropped to #316. </p>

<p>University</a> of Wisconsin, Madison - Forbes</p>

#4

<h1>98 in Research Universities... Lol @ Forbes.</h1>

#5

<p>Forbes isn't the one to pay attention to for academic opinions- it's a business publication. They have a different idea of education...</p>

#6

<p>The Forbes list is simply horrible, both in its methodology (using ratemyprofessor.com as part of its criteria) and results. There is always going to be variation in rankings, but look at UW's ranks in the following:</p>

<p>USNWR: #45
ARWU: #17
Times: #25</p>

<p>There's a pretty clear trend that UW is at a minimum top 50 nationally and in the world. The clear outlier is Forbes.</p>

#7

<p>I can't imagine these are taken too seriously. John Hopkins didn't even make the top 100.</p>

#8

<p>The Forbes ranking is sheer idiocy. I'll post a blurb that has been related on this forum before:</p>

<p>"The study of the educational backgrounds of 2010's Fortune 500 chief executive officers showed that UW-Madison ranked fourth, behind three Ivy League schools. According to the study, Harvard, Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania together awarded 99 degrees to the chief executives.</p>

<p>The magazine said UW-Madison "stood out among its state school peers," awarding 17 degrees to the CEOs and ranking ahead of Dartmouth College, Stanford University and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. The University of Notre Dame, the University of Texas-Austin and Cornell University rounded out the top 10."</p>

<p>'Nuff said...</p>

#9

<p>Remember that the other rankings that you're referring to are based heavily -- and, in the case of the Times survey, exclusively -- on reputation, which in turn is influenced heavily by the caliber of a school's graduate research programs. UW is primarily known for its graduate programs, not its undergraduates programs, which accounts for the low ranking. Note that many of the schools ranked at or near the very top are small, private liberal arts colleges that don't offer degrees beyond the bachelors, for example, and that the only state schools in the top 50 -- U-Va and William and Mary -- are also best known for undergraduate education. For this reason, the list makes some sense to me.</p>

#10

<p>Graduate programs influence undergrad programs. Many students benefit from this- especially those who take grad level courses in their major as undergrads. </p>

<p>nova... I doubt you have researched the caliber of the other Wisconsin schools listedor otherwise know anything about them or their students- none of them are in the same league as UW-Madison. Some are downright mediocre despite Forbes rankings. Research the internet and one can find all sorts of information that may or not be valid. There is so much more to life than what one business publication values.</p>

#11

<p>This ranking is confusing....</p>

#12

<p>One of the important factors was 4 year graduation rate. </p>

<p>Interesting article in today's Boston Globe about how Northeastern is ****ed. They got pummeled in this ranking. However, they are the most prominent 5-yr coop school! Of course there students don't graduate in 4 years, they are not supposed to! I know many majors at Wisconsin have a similar coop arrangement, so of course these rankings must be taken in context. </p>

<p>Northeastern</a> takes offense at Forbes ranking - The Boston Globe</p>

<p>To the extent that Wisconsin's low 4 year graduation rate is due to people intentionally taking longer vs. not being able to get into classes, the ranking is a little misleading. Still it ought to be looked at more deeply.</p>

#13

<p>Speaking of not being able to get into certain classes, UW does have a problem having some popular and required classes closed too early for freshman. It sucks in a way if your only goal in life is to graduate in time.</p>

#14

<p>kxc, the problem has been noted & dissected ad nauseum in previous threads. It takes AP credits, creative scheduling, maybe a summer session or two & generally being on the ball to graduate in 4 years with a double major. One degree, especially a B.A., should be no problem in that timeframe. My D is attempting to do double B.S. degrees in 4 years plus 1 summer session. May the force be with her!</p>

#15

<p>My S's school did not offer many AP's, so he got only two AP's under his belt, unlike others who have 10-12 AP's. It is what it is. It is no use to cry over the spilled milk. He can only try to catch up from here. I am sure he can, as he did many times in the past.</p>

#16

<p>Given that Forbes ranked Columbia something like #41, I would say that their rankings cannot be taken seriously.</p>

#17

<p>There are a lot of colleges out there, and 41st is a strong ranking.</p>

#18

<p>@jnm123: Your point is well taken, but you'd still expect the graduation rate to be higher since UW gives AP credit for a "3." Top colleges will want a "4."</p>

#19

<p>novaparent: don't try to mislead anyone. UW does give credits for an AP score of "3"; BUT most of them are just for ELECTIVES.</p>

<p>Say, you get a 3 in AP Microeconomics, this does not mean you get credits for Intro Microeconomics class. (you get credit to satisfy the breadth requirements)</p>

#20

<p>It's not misleading. AP credit at UW starts across the board, and in virtually all subjects, at a "3." It is what it is. Most top colleges don't accept a 3 for anything, electives or otherwise. And electives ARE real classes, btw.</p>