UW-Whitewater ranks No. 1 in Wisconsin for student experience, Wall Street Journal finds
October 02, 2024
Written by Chris Lindeke | Photos by Craig Schreiner
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is the state’s top college or university for student experience, a Wall Street Journal study has found.
The study was part of the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. ranking, developed and executed in collaboration with its research partners College Pulse and Statista. In a survey, more than 50,000 students and recent graduates were asked about campus facilities, including food, housing options, and extracurricular activities, the WSJ said. Questions also focused on students’ satisfaction with the sense of community on campus, mental health support, safety, and social scene.
“We are excited that UW-Whitewater is being recognized for the amazing work our faculty, staff, students, and alumni do to enhance our student experience. Together, our university leans into the relationship-rich educational setting that moves our students toward success,” said Chancellor Corey A. King. “I am so proud of our Warhawk family in this acknowledgment of what we do every-day to make the student experience the best in Wisconsin.”
Clockwise from lower left, Grace Quade and Zach Wilm, both communication majors, Ethan Bergman, an information technology major, and Nazier Jones, an entrepreneurship major, construct a bridge between two desktops in a team-building classroom exercise in Assistant Professor Courtney Powers' Communication 328 class on Sept. 17, 2024.
Unique campus experiences
Students on campus benefit from a uniquely satisfying Warhawk life, including an affordable college education, a robust set of student activities, and an environment where hands-on learning and small class sizes are put into practice to support student success.
UW-Whitewater welcomes first-year students each year with traditions of painting Warhawk Drive purple and running out through a student tunnel onto Perkins Stadium, home of the university’s football team.
From left, Delany Silva, rear, a legal studies major from Monroe, and Anna Pineda, a journalism major from Juneau, who are members of Omega Pi Lambda Sorority, Inc., are volunteering in the Campus Garden with prospective members Rebecca Mendoza, an elementary education major from Whitewater, and Michelle Jimenez, a management major, on Sept. 17, 2024.
UW-Whitewater invests more than $5 million annually in student employment and more than $2.5 million in scholarships. Students save money through free textbook rentals and complimentary tutoring services. The value of a UW-Whitewater education is the best among the Universities of Wisconsin.
More than 4,000 students live in the university’s residence halls, where they participate in engaging programs like Learning Communities that boost academic success. UW-Whitewater is home to 26 Greek organizations and more than 180 clubs and organizations. The University Center hosts hundreds of free events each year and oversees a vast array of dining options, including 24 concepts through Warhawk Dining.
Families, alumni and current students enjoy the atmosphere in the parking lot of Perkins Stadium as they tailgate before the home opener on Sept. 7, 2024, where the Warhawks football team defeated John Carroll University.
Game days at Perkins Stadium, home of the six-time national champion UW-Whitewater football team, are among the best in the region — the award-winning Warhawk Marching Band, the tailgating experience, and the “Cannon Guy” all contribute to the excitement. The team has led NCAA Division III in home attendance in three of the last four years and holds the on-campus Division III record for single-game attendance (20,113).
Students are supported through services like the new One Stop, where they can get answers to their questions about any topic, and the nationally recognized Center for Students with Disabilities, a place that’s accessed by more than 1,300 Warhawks annually.
Leading the way in opportunity
UW-Whitewater also led Wisconsin schools in the WSJ/College Pulse Social Mobility ranking, a measure of how much the university enhances its students’ social mobility. The ranking is a testament to the university’s support of students coming from lower-income families, graduation rates, high value, and positive impact on graduate salaries.
Brayden Jones of Cudahy, a finance major, wears a first-generation student sash as part of commencement regalia as UW-Whitewater held ceremonies on May 11, 2024, for more than 1,400 graduates.
In 2023-24, more than one-third of Warhawks at the Whitewater campus and almost 55 percent at the Rock County campus were first-generation college students, meaning neither of their parents earned a four-year degree. During the same year, a total of 378 students were veterans or active service members.
Many UW-Whitewater students secure high-profile, coveted internships during their time on campus and are hired before graduation. More than 99 percent of the university’s graduates are employed or in graduate school within one year of receiving their degree.
Students flocked to the Hawk Career Fair at Kachel Fieldhouse on Oct. 4, 2023, to connect with employers offering internships and full-time jobs.
