8 Best Colleges and Universities Near Madison, WI

If you're looking for a college near Madison, WI, you can't go wrong. This state capital is a university town, and its beautiful location on the banks of two lakes creates an idyllic location for study and learning.

Below, we highlight the universities and colleges near Madison, WI, to help you make a well-informed decision about where to enroll.

Featured Colleges in Madison, WI

The following schools are in Madison or within 50 miles of Madison, WI.

1. Beloit College

Located 41 miles from Madison in the town of Beloit, Wisconsin, the private, nonprofit liberal arts college has a green campus and residential life.

It serves just under 1000 undergraduate students, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1.

Student demographics are 48% white, 16% Latino, 15% African American, and 15% international students. Student satisfaction is high, with an 82% first-year retention rate and a 71% graduation rate.

The college has five varsity athletic teams.

Academic major subjects are spread throughout the liberal arts, including social sciences, visual/performing arts, foreign languages, psychology, physical and biological sciences, math, history, English, education, and business.

The seemingly high tuition rate of $56,312 is misleading since 100% of students receive an average financial aid discount of $46,725.

2. Blackhawk Technical College

Located in Janesville, 32 miles south of Madison, Blackhawk Technical College is a two-year, non-residential public technical school offering certificates and associate degrees.

With a student population of 2,391, Blackhawk can boast a low student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1.

Students also receive generous support from an academic/career counseling service and a student career and employment placement service.

Half of its students are of nontraditional age (over 25). Of all students, 72% are white, 13% Latino, and 7% African American.

The leading degrees granted are business, education, nursing, and criminal justice. Blackhawk has a 53% retention rate and 42% graduation rate.

The yearly tuition is $4,642, but with 97% of students receiving financial aid averaging $4,063, the student cost is reduced.

3. Edgewood College

A private nonprofit, Edgewood College is a residential Roman Catholic school in Madison that serves 1,220 undergraduate students, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 1.

With an annual tuition charge of $33,550, the average financial aid award of $19,418 that 99% of students receive helps to offset costs.

76% of students are white, while 11% are Latino. Edgewood has a respectable 76% first-year retention rate and a 62% graduation rate.

The top degree fields are nursing, psychology, elementary education, and business. The college also has 20 varsity athletic teams.

4. Herzing University-Madison

The Madison campus of this private, nonprofit university is part of a multi-state system with primarily online courses and degree programs.

As such, this urban, nonresidential school has no sports teams or campus life. Herzing has a 51% retention rate and a low 22% graduation rate.

Serving 1800 undergraduate students, with an 18:1 student-faculty ratio, Herzing students graduate overwhelmingly with nursing degrees, with a few in business and criminal justice.

Yearly tuition is $12,750, although 89% of Herzing's students receive financial aid awards that average $5,423 per year.

Demographics indicate that 40% of students are white, 32% African American, and 14% Latino. Three-quarters are age 25 or older.

5. Madison Area Technical College (MATC)

MATC is a public, four-year technical school that offers primarily associate degrees but also various certifications, both pre and post-baccalaureate.

The college, which serves a whopping 12,936 undergrads, enrolls one out of four students in distance learning degree programs.

An urban, non-residential campus, MATC possesses a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio and five varsity sports teams.

Two-thirds of MATC students are age 24 or younger, and 95% are Wisconsin residents. 62% of students are white, 15% Latino, and 8% African American.

Tuition is $4,607 for state residents and $6812 for those from outside Wisconsin. However, 50% of students receive aid averaging $5,289 annually.

The most numerous degrees earned are in liberal studies, registered nursing, business, human resources, accounting, veterinarian technology, multimedia design, early childhood education, and dental hygiene.

However, MATC has a very low (23%) graduation rate.

6. Maranatha Baptist University

Maranatha Baptist University is a four-year, residential, private, and not-for-profit university located in Watertown, which is 34 miles from Madison.

The Baptist University's predominantly traditional-age undergraduate student population is 736, with an 11:1 student-faculty ratio.

With demographics of 85% white and 6% Latino students, 37% are exclusively enrolled in online degree programs.

This university has a 76% retention rate from first to second year and a 56% graduation rate within six years.

Most recent graduates have majored in education or multidisciplinary studies. Maranatha has ten varsity sports teams.

The annual tuition rate of $18,810 is offset by the average financial award of $7,988 that 96% of students receive.

7. University of Wisconsin-Madison

The University of Wisconsin at Madison is the flagship public research university in the state, serving 36,306 undergraduates with more than 5,000 full-time faculty members.

The student-to-faculty ratio is 18 to 1.

This popular university can boast an overwhelmingly high 94% first-year retention rate and 89% graduation rate, a testament to student satisfaction and a strong student support system on this residential urban campus.

With many student-athletes, the school has 21 varsity sports teams.

Awarding about 7500 bachelor's degrees each year, the array of major academic programs is very broad.

The most popular majors include business, biological and biomedical sciences, engineering, social sciences, and health professions. UW offers some online degree programs.

Annual in-state tuition and fees come to $10,796, while out-of-state students pay $39,427. However, 58% of students receive aid that averages $11,171 per student each year.

Enrollment demographics for undergraduates are 62% white, 10% Asian, 7% Latino, 2% African American, and 11% international students.

8. University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

UW-Whitewater is a small-town, residential campus of the public state university that's located 37 miles from the state capital of Madison.

The student population of 11,079 (of which 9,367 are undergraduates) is almost as large as the town's population of 14,000.

In Whitewater, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 19 to 1, the university offers both on-campus and online degree programs.

The dominant academic areas in which recent students have received degrees include marketing, finance, accounting, business administration, education, communication, and journalism.

Annual tuition for Wisconsin residents is $7864 and for non-residents is $17,039.

However, 85% of students receive financial assistance averaging $4,187 per year. UW-Whitewater has a 74% first-year retention rate and a solid 62% six-year graduation rate.

Student demographic data shows that the student body is 81% white, 9% Latino, and 4% African American. The university has 19 varsity athletic teams.

What Is the Biggest School Near Madison, WI?

By far, the dominant school in Madison is the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the main campus of the state's public university system, with a student population of 48,956, which includes 36,306 undergraduates.

How To Choose the Right College Near Madison, WI

While Madison itself only has a handful of colleges and universities, within a 50-mile range you can find a greater variety, giving you a rich choice of school types. To choose the right college to fit your needs, you should consider:

• The size of the school as it compares to your preferences
• Whether it is located on an urban or a traditional green campus
• Whether it is residential
• The availability of varsity teams, if you are an athlete
• Whether it has the academic program you seek
• The school's retention and graduation rates, which can give you an indication of student satisfaction as well as the quality of advising and mentoring

Paying for Your Degree Near Madison, WI

As you can see from the figures we provided above, each university's 'sticker price' is offset by the average amount of financial aid that students receive and the percentage of students who receive it.

This should provide an idea of how much you can expect to pay.

Every prospective student should be sure to work closely with a financial aid officer at their chosen school and submit their FAFSA application by the deadline to ensure that they receive all the aid for which they might be eligible.

Start Your Degree Near Madison, WI, Today

If you've been considering applying to a college near Madison, WI, now is the best time to reach out to admissions offices and find answers to all your questions before you apply.