University of Wisconsin–Madison

Let’s get this straight: University of Wisconsin–Madison is a heavyweight. World-class research, powerhouse academics, and a campus culture that balances hard work with real support. Whether it’s business, engineering, political science, or the sciences — UW–Madison produces leaders, not lost souls. It has history, prestige, and most importantly — substance. At Madison, you get real rigor. You get respected. The alumni network is nationwide and powerful, and the outcomes speak for themselves. You leave not just with a degree, but with an edge. And then there’s UC Davis. Let’s stop pretending it’s in the same class. UC Davis is all name, no punch. It sells you a dream and delivers a bureaucratic meat grinder. You step in thinking you’re going to be challenged — and you are, just not in the way you expect. You’ll be challenged by incompetence, by overcrowded classes, by students who are more concerned with staying safe in the herd than thinking for themselves. If you speak up, you get flagged. If you stand out, you get isolated. And academically? Prepare to be surrounded by people who look alive but think dead. Mediocrity is the culture. Originality gets you nowhere. You either conform, or you're crushed. Let’s talk outcomes: UC Davis’s 10-year ROI? Just $58K pre tax in california--this like 30k in wisconsin. You can flip burgers and make more in that time than what this “top-tier” school returns on your investment. Prestige? A sticker. A logo. No power. At UW–Madison, you earn respect. At UC Davis, you earn regret. So if you’re choosing between the two: Go where excellence lives. Not where it’s faked. UW–Madison wins. UC Davis isn’t even on the field…

Beautiful, friendly campus. Lots of green spaces and gorgeous old buildings. Great views along the water. State Street had lots of spots to eat and shop!

Great school. The safest school. Beautiful lakeshore. Academic quality is very high. Very strong for sociology, psychology, education, biochem, chem, chem eng., etc. Good place for raising kids on campus for grad students. Strong sports, football, basketball, hockey, etc. Very very gentle people on and off campus. Nice city full of highly educated people. Best campus for bike riding. Top hospitals. One of the best places to live too.

One of the teaching assistants, Pascal Baley, made inappropriate advances toward a friend of mine, a student at the institution. My friend was deeply uncomfortable with the situation and shared the details with me. He described it as one of the most unsettling experiences he’s ever had, as he never expected a teacher to behave so aggressively in this way.

This is the most amazing school. Top notch academics. Great City. Incredible location. Nice people. Winning athletic program. Tons of great restaurants in town. The beautiful capital is just a quick walk up State Street. The weekly Farmer's Market is truly the best in the country. You have to to the fried cheese booth, and Stella's Spicy Cheese Bread. OMG!!! THE BEST EVER. Plus the school is located on the beautiful Lake Mendota. You can't beat this place.

I know nothing of the educational , but from a pure campus standpoint, it has some attractive buildings (and also some very ugly ones, as most campuses do that did any construction in the 70s), it has a nice lakefront, and proximity to a large number of good restaurants in a great mid-sized city.

I do not go to this school, nor do I even live in WI. I am visiting and thinking about transferring. My point is that all I am rating on right now is what I saw and explored - mixed with how we were treated by other students and staff. Had a great experience. The buildings are absolutely gorgeous and they have a really cool little alley with food carts. Everyone we encountered was very friendly and helpful. We were approached twice by people who could tell we were clearly lost!! HA. I appreciated that very much. Only 4 because I don't know how the actual classes or professors are there (yet?).

Great school. Big graduations in the stadium. Broad and rich educational specialties. Extensive industry cooperation. Fantastic work in data sciences.

This is to review the University of Wisconsin - Madison. I chose to work at U.W. - Madison because my undergrad and graduate degrees from U.C. Berkeley concerned vitamin research. As an undergrad, I did lab research on vitamin B6, and for my Ph.D., I did lab research on folic acid and vitamin B12. And so, it was a no-brainer that I should do my post-doctoral work at U.W. - Madison. U.W. - Madison is renowned for many of the early discoveries in the field of vitamin research, for example, for its introduction of the rat as the animal of choice for performing research on vitamins, amino acid metabolism, protein requirements, and so on. It was at U.W. - Madison, that the vitamins were first classified as being, "fat-soluble A" and "water-soluble B." At Madison, all of my work concerned vitamin K. Prof. H. DeLuca, and his laboratory staff at U.W. -- Madison are renowned for their work on vitamin D and vitamin A. SCIENTIFIC AND ARTISTIC ENVIRONMENT. U.W.--Madison is home to 20 Nobel Prize winners and 33 winners of the Pulitzer Prize. The Nobel Prize winners include, Joshua Lederberg (1958, Medicine), Har Gobind Khorana (1968, Medicine), Howard Temin (1975, Medicine), and John Van Vleck (1977, Physics), William C. Campbell, (2015 Medicine), Oliver Smithies (2007 Medicine). During my 4 years of residence and employment in Madison, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art was my connection to the world of art and, in particular to the group of Chicago-based artists known as The Chicago Imagists. An exhibit of Richard Lostutter's paintings at this museum inspired me to drive to Chicago, and view paintings by the Chicago Imagists, including paintings by Ed Paschke, Roger Brown, and Sarah Canright. SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT. The social environment at U.W. -- Madison is provided by the many Mini-Courses that are taught at the two student unions (Union South and Memorial Union). Four of the people in my laboratory were members of a clogging group, The Kickapoo Cloggers, and they suggested that I learn. And so, I took courses in clogging, tap dancing, jazz exercise, and ballroom dancing, all of these being taught in Union South. When I arrived in Madison, I was a total nerd and had no skill in dancing. But after two years of training, I was good enough to perform, and I performed with my group in front of audiences numbering from about 100 to about 500, and these included performances at State Capitol building (see, attached photo of me performing, YOU NEED TO CLICK ON THIS PHOTO TO SEE ALL OF IT), and at bluegrass festivals in Edgerton, WI, Amherst, WI, Edgerton, WI, Ashland, WI, Mount Horeb, WI, Verona, WI, Kahoka, MO, Delevan, WI, and Rockford, IL. Football games are a big deal at Univ. Wisconsin -- Madison. Please see my photograph of the marching band carrying sousaphones. The marching band plays at every football game. CULTURAL AND AGRICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT. Wisconsin was settled by immigrants arriving from German and Norway. The Memorial Union has a Stiftskeller where the walls bear murals having a German theme (see, the photo of me in the Stiftskeller, and a close-up photo of one of the murals). Regarding Norwegians, Sytende Mai (independence day) is a holiday that is celebrated in some towns in Wisconsin, for example, by an annual parade in Stoughton, WI. The nearby town of Mount Horeb is a center for Norwegian culture. Madison, Roxbury, Milwaukee, and other towns are distinguished by their German restaurants. In addition, every year a few farms in the Madison area feature, DAY ON THE FARM, where any person can visit a farm and see displays relating to crop harvesting, veterinary science, or cheese-making.

Go Bucky! Are you kidding me? Be True to Your School. It's got to get 5-Stars! After trying two other schools (Sarah Palin still has me beat!) I met my mentor, bassist Richard Davis, and the rest is history. Yes, a true mentor/apprentice relationship based on daily contact. Not the "mentor" relationship some American Idol kids call listening to someone's CDs and mimicking them. My mentor woke daily at 4a.m. Sometimes he would call me at 6:30a.m., wake me up, and ask what I was doing. "Practicing" was always my sleepy answer and he never called B.S. He gave me the keys to his office as a Grad student and I never took advantage of it...save for the few times I spent hours listening to his extensive jazz LP collection. A Love Supreme never sounded so good! Political Correctness (PC) was de rigeur when I transfered there, and UW was the hotbed center of it all, for better and for worse. Chancellor Donna Shalala (later Clinton's Secretary of Health and Human Services) presided over my Undergraduate graduation ceremonies. A Top-notch research school, we didn't have to rely on our sports teams to be the sole attention of our University. But Barry Alvarez brought the Football Badgers to the Rose Bowl in 1994, '99, and 2000. Ron Dayne won the Heisman Award in '99. Cha! And when we owned a team's ass, like the UCLA Bruins, we were confident enough to not have to root against them, in games that didn't matter to us. Our Marching Band high steps. Yours does not. Our Marching Band kicks your marching band's ass. During Fifth Quarter, too. Does your school even know how to Polka??? Sections O-P. And although having a 35,000 student body doesn't hurt, Madison's reputation as a state Capitol and a great place to live just added to our quality of life while at UW. Lake Mendota and Lake Monona- beautiful places for water sports during the summer, and XX skiiing and ice fishing in the winter. Bike lanes- bikes rule in Madison. Cars do not. The UW Rathskellar and Terrace. The German style Rathskellar provided ample space for eating, studying, debating, wasting time, drinking beer, watching bands for free. And the Terrace, overlooking Lake Mendota, provided all of the same in a beautiful outdoor setting. Be True to Your School! Go Big Red!

This is a review of the Laboratory of Hygiene (465 Henry Mall, Madison, WI). This lab performs water testing and likely other services to property owners and maybe other businesses. Their business practices are highly suspect and do not suggest working with these folks. I submitted water samples with my contact information and find out after the fact that they performed a list of several tests I did not authorize/request. This action on their part resulted in a charge that was about four times greater than I expected. A simple confirmation before the work was to be performed would have made this right. They state on their menu of services/prices: Please do not send payment with samples. We will bill you. Well they did bill me. I did pay them for the services I would have authorized, had they contacted me. Totally not acceptable of there approach to working with customers. Possibly the school of business should provide some remedial instruction to these folks.

I want to give UW a higher review because I truly love the location and opportunities it provides as a large public university, but I cannot honestly leave a glowing review. UW-Madison prides itself on being a flagship research university, but as a current undergraduate student, I do not feel that the university is fulfilling its mission to fully and responsibly serve students and the state. One issue I feel strongly about is sustainability. I did not choose to attend UW based on its environmental policies and progress, but I was highly involved with environmental activism in high school and knew I wanted to continue being involved in college. UW speaks highly of its sustainability practices and mission. However, the rosy picture they paint does not reflect the reality students see (if they are paying attention). For one thing, UW currently invests millions in the fossil fuel industry through its endowment funds and trusts. Fossil fuels do not promote a sustainable future for Wisconsin alumni and current students. (2) In addition to fossil fuel investments, although the university has taken steps towards reducing carbon emissions, like making a climate resilience commitment, they do not have concrete plans to reach carbon neutrality by the 2050 (or sooner) trajectory advised by the IPCC, they do not have robust building efficiency standards, they still rely on fossil fuels for 90% of campus energy use, and more. Most frustrating is that when we meet with administrators, speak at listening sessions, pass student government resolutions, and engage in other activities to raise awareness of the need for more proactive climate action, administrators largely ignore our demands, deflect our questions, or minimize our concerns. I cannot recommend UW-Madison until they divest from fossil fuels and commit to a speedy, 100% clean energy transition to better align their actions with their proudly stated values.

I am a proud Badger alum (with one of those pesky liberal arts degrees), and I wholeheartedly adore this school. It really has the whole package as far as a university goes: beauty, brains, athletics and antics. First, the campus is incredible, sandwiched between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. It's pedestrian and bike-friendly, and most students don't have cars. I usually biked to class, most of which were held in Van Hise, a fairly unattractive piece of architecture. The more historic buildings are much nicer (they are always doing construction to build or upgrade something or another). I used to study at Helen C. White library and play frisbee on Bascom Hill between classes. And spending an evening at the student union or The Rathskeller... or better yet, on the Terrace itself, listening to music, playing cards, drinking beer and watching the sailboats (or that one boat that looks like a vintage car)... it's heaven. I lived in the Sellery dorms, which are these outdated high-rise buildings, but I loved it. They had everything a college kid needed, including cute boys. The campus food was nothing special, except that Ed's would make these delicious mint-Oreo blizzards, and they delivered pizza, nachos, sandwiches and even Raisinets right to your dorm door if it was too cold to go outside. Pop's was the standard cafeteria, and I don't know how many of us ended up accidentally stealing those huge pink water glasses... I may still have one. After the dorms, there are lots of slumlords in Madison who will be happy to have you from sophomore until senior year. :) Obviously, I'm aware of UW's reputation as a party school, but I kind of embrace it. The student body at Madison is generally bright, fun and has it together, so much so that they can party from Thursday 'til Sunday and still make it to class on time. As far as academics, I think the language programs are some of the best in the country. They offer more languages here than at most (if not all) American universities. I majored in Spanish Literature, and I liked my program a lot, though there were one or two tenured teachers that were a little unorthodox. I also took a lot of science classes for my pre-med requirements (there's no actual pre-med major here though). I absolutely my physiology and anatomy classes (the lab was with real cadavers, which is pretty cool for undergrads) and didn't love physics... the rest of the science classes fell somewhere in between. I didn't take advantage of having a major adviser as much as I should have, but I'm sure that there are some great mentors in all of the UWs departments. Last, I have to talk about Badger football, because there is really nothing like being in the stands of Camp Randall on a fall afternoon (or even being outside the stands, playing flip-cup with your friends' alumni parents under the falling leaves). Everybody is wearing red and everybody knows the cheers and everybody sings the songs... and everybody knows when to jump around. It's a crazy feeling to be part of something so big. I'm getting chills just thinking about it. On Wisconsin!

This review is purely from a visitor / tourist perspective. Visited Madison over the 4th of July weekend. I can see why people choose such campuses. While I wouldn't have appreciated its beauty back then, I do now!! Really beautiful campus!!! Has a serene vibe as well as access to a city vibe / nightlife!! Reminds me of Oak Park, IL. Has that "small town downtown" vibe. We really enjoyed our trip!!!

Caution if you are a white female trying to get admitted into the school of nursing.... Because of the "diversity policy" at UW-Madison, it is very difficult for a white female to be admitted into the school of nursing. My daughter has a 3.71 GPA, is a CNA, is a treasurer of a nursing org on campus, volunteers at a hospital, and works with a woman with paraplegia. She was denied admittance twice. After meeting with the assistant dean, she was told she still only had a 50% chance of being admitted next year, even though her interview went very well and her resume was excellent. She decided to transfer to another school. While she enjoyed her time as a Badger, this is simply too much money to pay for such a low chance of fulfilling her dream of being a nurse. However, if you are in a minority class, your chances are quite high for admittance. Bottom line, if I am in need of medical care, I want the best qualified person to take care of me. I don't care if you are diverse or not. I wish I would have read a review similar to this one before my daughter chose this school. We definitely would have reconsidered.

I have to echo the sentiments of my fellow Badgers as I am certainly a very proud Badger alum. I spent four glorious years here and while I could write a book...I'll keep this review to a few crucial points. 1) The campus is gorgeous. It is. If you can fall in love with this campus in the dead of winter (like I did) it gets even better when the weather warms up. You'll see a varied mix of old and new buildings and facilities which really add to the character of the school. 2) Academics are no joke here. Seriously. Yes, Badgers can drink but we also studied very hard too. I attended the business school (you have to apply for admission during your sophomore year) and it was a really great program. 3) Hungry? Thirsty? Seeking shopping? Want to go boating on the lake? Madison has you covered. So many bars, restaurants, cool boutiques and lovely lakes surround you here. I'll always have a soft spot for Wisconsin and proudly sport my Bucky sweatshirt, now and forever.

Never realized how fortunate I was to go to school here. Chose it over local colleges from California like USC, UCLA, UCSB and put up w/ the weather. Any downside ends there. This is the best sports/academic/social combo school in the United States. You can accomplish anything here. Everyone who goes here is brilliant. Students are well rounded, very social but just plain smarter than the general population. When you meet a smart, cool person in the real world that is into sports, they probably went here. Even in my professional career as a lawyer, the most brilliant minds I have ever come across I met at this school. Best way to describe it is as the classic college experience of your dreams. Incredible experience. Miss it everyday 15 years later. On Wisconsin!

Too big. Too spread out. Lousy climate. Over rated for under grads That being said, the part of campus along Lake Mendota great in the summer. fun to visit but I could only take one year. And now very expensive. Better for grad school.

It's on Wisconsin. The campus is beautiful. Let me tell you all about it. There are lots of class buildings including the school of education and the school of law. You can study at the Union Terrace. And there's Camp Randall and the Kohl Center. You can apply it here if you're a student.

Me give this place 4 years of me life and $50,000 and all me get is piece of paper that say "Numen Lumen" at top. It supposed to be proof of wealth of knowledge that me absorb but guess what? Everybody else on planet take one look and know me no learn jack. They all like, "Liberal arts degree? Thank you, but that position has already been filled," or "Isn't a poli sci major just a philosophy major who doesn't live in his parents basement?" Not me fault! Advisor tell me that it really not matter which major me choose! Engineering students they all get six figures and Ferrari 599's and seven girlfriends even though they nerds. But no one else want to go to Engineering Building because they hear rumor it house of sin. So I spend all me time in upside-down Humanities building wondering why it upside-down, and trying to find hidden eleven in Big Ten logo, and now me poor. By the way, when I went there the biggest celebrity in town was Scanner Bob. Is he still around?

The best college in America, period. Of course all of us Alumni are a bit biased. But having visited several other colleges in the big ten in the past couple of months with a soon to be freshman, I have an even greater appreciation for the things that Madison and Wisconsin unique including the location on the lake, mix of historic buildings as well as state of the art buildings, not one but two fabulous student unions and everything within walking distance.

There is no other school in Wisconsin that can compare; the joke about UW-Madison only needing two people to screw in a light--one to do it and the other to say they did it just as well as an Ivy League? Truth, because we are just as good as an Ivy League--if not better. We've got everything anyone can ask for: a crapton of bars, a huge legacy, great sports, safe environment (note: crime other than petty thefts usually happen at the beginning of the year each year--and they're usually caught within a week or two of occurring), and a huge variety of things to study. Did Harvard produce the discovery of stem cells? No. Did Yale manage to come up with Warfarin, a very commonly used blood thinner? No. Did Princeton come up with the Onion? Hell no! The only thing I regret about this school is that I spent the first year of college at St. Norbert College upstate--what a waste. I've received so much more out of this school and I'm going to be spending my last year soaking up all the sweet Badger-ing that I can. On, Wisconsin!

I'm a proud Badger alum of both Bachelor's and Master's programs in the Dept. of Kinesiology. I could write on and on about how great the University was to me, but I'll keep it short and simple. Academics: some of the best, if not the best professors in the world, and world class research being conducted on a daily basis. Sports: there is nothing like experiencing a game day atmosphere at Camp Randall. I've been to other college football stadiums and nothing compares to The Camp, period! Bar none the best college football atmosphere in the world! College Life: well, you just have to experience it for yourself, there is nothing like Madison in the world.

Here is my rating for the various schools I attended at the UW. Ag Journalism 5 stars Botany 5 stars Horticulture 5 stars Mathematics 5 stars Physics 5 stars Environmental Conservation 5 stars Agriculture 4 stars Comp Sci 4 stars Education 4 stars Arts, acting, drawing, painting 3 stars Zoology 3 stars Economics 3 stars These are just my ratings from my experiences and obviously do not represent other people's experiences with these schools. Obviously I had some bad experiences with art, zoo and econ.

UW-Madison is the perfect college experience. Amazing city, amazing campus, the school is a research school filled with very bright students and professors, there is always something to do, work hard play harder, great athletic program. I can't say enough amazing things about my Alma Matter. You get it all at UW. You have 4 years to make it the best experience for you - and there is no reason why you can't! On Wisconsin!

Best town, campus and school in the world! Perfect blend of lakes, green open space and a great restaurant/bar scene along State Street to the Capital. I now live on the west coast and continue to bump into Badgers across the US in my travels...top notch institution...proud to be a Badger!

I paid these guys $75,000 for a piece of paper with a stamp on it. They told me it was supposed to get me a job but it isn't working and they won't let me return it.

Nice campus to visit. It's pretty big and I found it a little easy to get lost (it's very spread out) but not bad.

You wanna get wasted every night AND get educated? This is where alcohol and scholars come together. Seriously with-it professors who don't skimp on the rigor. Amazing campus that keeps getting better every year. I'll always have love for you, alma mater.

As a current student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I can say that I cannot imagine my life without experiencing the UW. This school was just recently ranked the 41st best university in the world. The academics, wide range of courses and talented professors encourage students to succeed. There is "something for everyone" at this school. Here is a list of unique opportunities that students at this school are offered... 1. Camp Randall and Badger Football 2. Bascom Hill 3. State Street 4. Greek Life 5. Huge, lively campus 6. Wide variety of students 7. Thousands of student organizations (go to the Student Org Fair!) 8. Kohl Center 9. Free workout facilities 10. University Health Services 11. The gorgeous lake 12. Memorial Union Terrace 13. Union South (bowling, rock climbing, who could ask for more?!) 14. Hundreds of internships offered in the Madison area 15. Constant political activity Students attending this University are offered so many opportunities that the average college student does not. If wondering where to attend college, strongly consider Madison. It is an unbelievable college town.

I'm commenting on the basic tour, not the college experience as a whole. (I was happy when I got to Yelp and saw the great reviews of U of W as a school. Sounds like a great place. Might change our mind and take a second look.) The tour was OK. It was hot. There was a lot of construction. There is a lot of wear-and-tear on the buildings, minus the state-of-the art business campus! The bathrooms at south Union were clean. The food at the south Union was good. Parking was a breeze but a little tight. It was $6 to park, which I was annoyed with. Other colleges have a pass for free parking or they can validate. I liked the filtered water fountains to reduce plastic water bottles. Our tour guide was nice and informative, BUT I wish we could've seen the inside of the library or the inside of the other great places he described from the outside. I also wish we could've discussed what the various groups were doing around campus. Looked like team-building exercises. Guess I could've asked more questions but was too overheated. Maybe we were on the wrong tour. We'll be back, having since read their yelp reviews, but will make sure we select the right tour package.

I went to Mad-town back when it was cheap-about 3k a year (90-2). Policy generated from schools such as this... I loved the campus. I should have stayed for summer classes and enjoyed the lake, which was buried under ice most of the year. I got sick of seeing people (or groups) I knew from high school and even grade school (I'm from Minneapolis). Although it is a large state school, sometimes it felt like a small school. I ran track and enjoyed meeting the guys from all around the country.

Great school with a nice environment. But something irks me that is kept in the dark and that is the area of exploitation of a minority family or minority student. My son, Joey who is a freshman, had a conditional acceptance to this state gov funded university that he join a program called CEA under the close eye of a Academic Advisor, L&S Center for Academic Excellence while he had a 3.6 GPA. The stipulations was he attend summer school there for a few months to go there for Fall in 2018. There was nothing else stated verbally or in writing any other conditions, Fast forward through the year, there has been multiple requests that are labeled as "checking in" that told him he must attend meetings once a week, take certain classes under the FIGS, and get his professors to sign for him he is getting good grades for him to even attend. Of course this was rebuted with me closely monitoring them right back. Go on their website of the program The Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) don't be fooled by the word of "student choice" while terming this assist in students being less represented in education. I have a college degree as his mother and there was NO criteria for them to do this to him and my family for exploitive purposes. The exact example of what exploiting a minority student for one side gain to promote a program where he got nothing but but humiliation. May he have a much better and equal life ahead of him.

Came here for the prestigious school and it was the best decision I've ever made. Met lots of great people and fell in love with Madison. Badger football games and summer nights at memorial union were highlights of my undergrad. On Wisconsin!

Campus review only. I was disappointed as it was not nearly as nice as I was lead to believe. It just seemed like any other Midwestern mega-state university campus. Madison seemed like a pretty good place though.

UW - MADISON is one of the two universities I attended as an undergrad & three, if you include my graduate work. It is the best. I transferred here between semesters of sophomore year, never looking back. I changed majors twice, graduated in Economics. Don't attend "the UW" if you don't want to be challenged, broadened and well-rounded in your analytical thinking. The school motto, includes the words "fearlessly sifting and winnowing," and the UW lives up to it. There are a multitude of great majors here but I encourage perpective students to take advantage of a variety of disciplines. It's an exceptional education opportunity. For those whining about the weather.. you're in Wisconsin for Pete's sake. Yeah, winter is cold and snowy..join Hoofers and enjoy winter sports. The summers are relatively hot & humid. Enjoy lake Mendota, the school sits on. it. Yes, the seasons are pronounced. It's why the flora and fauna are beautiful and diverse. Enjoy many great restaurants, bars and sports activities Madison and the U W campus offer. The UW isn't for everyone. It doesn't try to be. It isn't easy to get accepted into or to graduate from, which is why a degree here carries weight, worldwide.