Wisconsin

Wisconsin is number 37 on the overall ranking of US business schools. The Madison-based school is known for well-regarded programs in real estate and finance and its strong ties to the business community in the Midwest. Many describe as a “values-driven” environment. As one graduate has said,"The UW-Madison MBA offers a perspective on business that emphasizes awareness of a wider range of stakeholders and a more developed sense of ethical responsibility than appears to be prevalent in the private sector.”

Of the five indexes this ranking is based on — Compensation, Learning, Networking, Entrepreneurship and Inclusion — Wisconsin ranked 20th in Learning, 24th in Networking, 37th in Entrepreneurship, 45th in Inclusion and 46th in Compensation. Index scores are based on student and alumni survey responses as well as salary data the school reports to MBA CSEA.

Index Ranks

Index Scores

Student Population

The breakdown below is compared with other US schools. Collected gender and non-binary data is for all students in the newest class, which for most schools is the Class of 2026. Wisconsin reported 68% male and 32% female/non-binary.

Bloomberg also collects data on race and ethnicity from US schools — they provide us with percentages of the first-year class of American students for the following groups: White, Black, Asian, American Indian, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic (of any race). These groups are categorized as such by the schools when submitting data to the federal government.

Hires by Industry

Wisconsin sent the majority of its recent MBA graduates, those with jobs, into Financial Services, Technology Industry and Real Estate Industry.

Compensation by Industry

The median base salary across all industries reported by Wisconsin graduates is $120,000; the median signing/starting bonus is $20,000.

Demographics

Survey respondents weigh in on their school’s population, answering broad questions about what campus life is like for female, LGBTQ, and minority students.