Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire has been ranked ninth among 57 public regional universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report. The region includes states such as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

U.S. News highlighted UW-Eau Claire’s consistent performance: “The university has been recognized for its strong performance, being ranked among the top public regional institutions and in the top third of all regional institutions in the Midwest every year since 1995.” This marks a 31-year streak for UW-Eau Claire as one of the leading public regional institutions.

Overall, UW-Eau Claire placed 25th out of 164 public and private regional schools in the Midwest.

Interim Chancellor Michael Carney attributed this recognition to campus efforts: “UW-Eau Claire’s continued ranking as a premier comprehensive regional university is due to the hard work and dedication of our outstanding faculty and staff who provide extraordinary educational experiences every day to our students,” Carney said. “The accomplishments of our students continue to enhance that well-earned reputation.”

U.S. News evaluated nearly 1,500 national colleges and universities for its rankings using data collected during spring and summer 2025. Thirteen key measures of academic quality were used with graduation and retention rates carrying significant weight.

UW-Eau Claire also leads University of Wisconsin system schools on U.S. News’ Best Colleges for Veterans-Midwest Region list at number 13; UW-Whitewater follows at number 15.

In program-specific categories, UW-Eau Claire is noted for undergraduate teaching as well as business, computer science, engineering, nursing and psychology programs.

Interim Provost Mary Hoffman commented on the teaching program’s standing: "UW-Eau Claire's strong ranking for teaching undergraduate programs reflects the commitment of faculty and staff to student learning and success. Intentionally designed programs and innovative learning activities create a combination of high expectations and strong teaching and support to help students meet those expectations," Hoffman said.

The university appears on U.S. News’ lists recognizing social mobility—measuring graduation rates among economically disadvantaged students—and remains listed among “2026 Best Value Colleges,” which considers both academic quality and cost after financial aid.

Recent rankings from other organizations include recognition by Princeton Review’s 2026 Best Colleges: Region by Region edition as well as Forbes’ Top Colleges list for 2025-26.