Business Schools in Wisconsin

    The number of public and non-profit schools that grant undergraduate and graduate business degrees in Wisconsin is not large; there are 44, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) statistics. Of these, 18 offer undergraduate business programs accredited, and 12 have graduate-level accredited degree programs. Accreditation assures you that the business degree you start has clear objectives and that the school has proven that it produces quality outcomes while adhering to national and international standards.

    All of the business schools in this article are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), and/or International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). They are also all public or non-profit and regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

    The three sections that follow describe undergraduate programs, graduate schools, and the job prospects for business school graduates in Wisconsin.

    Best Business Schools in Wisconsin

    Best business schools in Wisconsin according to US News data.

    • University of Wisconsin-Madison – #37 in Best Business Schools, #49 in National Universities, #106 in Best Value Schools, #15 in Top Public Schools, #18 in Undergraduate Business School Programs
    • Marquette University – #13 in Best Executive MBA Programs, #70 in Part-time MBA, #49 in Best Value Schools, #89 in National Universities
    • University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire – #5 in Top Public Schools, #14 in Best Online MBA Programs, #23 in Best Colleges for Veterans, #235 in Undergraduate Business School Programs
    • University of Wisconsin-La Crosse – #58 in Best Value Schools, #4 in Top Public Schools, #32 in Top Regional Universities Midwest

    Undergraduate Business Schools in Wisconsin

    The average tuition for undergraduate degrees in Wisconsin is $13,743, while the average maximum financial aid is $7,494. The most affordable school is Gateway Technical College, with the average tuition at around $4,152 and the average financial aid offered at $3,975.

    We were able to collect acceptance rate data for 15 of our 18 schools. Wisconsin undergraduate business schools tend to have very high acceptance rates; the average of the 15 was 73%, and 10 of the 15 were 70% or higher. The highest acceptance rate was 88% at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, while the lowest was 53% at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

    Graduation rates for undergraduate business degrees in Wisconsin have a wide range: as high as 87% at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, but as low as 24% at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

    The table below displays information about undergraduate business schools in Wisconsin for you to compare, including annual in-state tuition costs, average financial aid per student, acceptance rates, ACT score ranges of accepted students, and graduation rates. You can click any column header to sort the table based on its contents.

    SchoolCityTuitionAidMedian ACTAccept. RateGrad. Rate
    Cardinal Stritch UniversityMilwaukee$28,212$12,81718-2282%53%
    Chippewa Valley Technical CollegeEau Claire$4,238$4,043
    Edgewood CollegeMadison$27,530$12,00821-2576%63%
    Gateway Technical CollegeKenosha$4,152$3,975
    Marian University-WisconsinFond du Lac$28,280$13,21817-2377%45%
    Marquette UniversityMilwaukee$38,470$16,08024-2984%81%
    Northeast Wisconsin Technical CollegeGreen Bay$4,355$4,022
    University of Wisconsin – Stevens PointStevens Point$8,159$5,39120-2581%63%
    University of Wisconsin OshkoshOshkosh$7,544$5,11120-2465%53%
    University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireEau Claire$8,812$4,96522-2678%68%
    University of Wisconsin-La CrosseLa Crosse$9,091$4,44923-2774%68%
    University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison$10,488$9,09427-3153%85%
    University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeMilwaukee$9,493$6,36320-2573%40%
    University of Wisconsin-ParksideKenosha$7,367$5,59418-2362%24%
    University of Wisconsin-River FallsRiver Falls$7,981$4,56920-2572%54%
    University of Wisconsin-StoutMenomonie$9,395$4,90319-2588%54%
    University of Wisconsin-WhitewaterWhitewater$7,650$5,14520-2569%57%
    Viterbo UniversityLaCrosse$26,150$13,14020-2663%46%

    Graduate Business Schools in Wisconsin

    If you’re looking to supplement real-world experience with a graduate business program or augment your freshly minted bachelor’s degree, Wisconsin offers 12 accredited options for obtaining an MBA or equivalent. Like their undergraduate counterparts, these are among the more affordable options in the country. The overall average cost of tuition and fees is a very reasonable $24,963. The most affordable degrees are from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, at $12,488 and $13,856.

    We have average admission GMAT scores for 8 of the 12 accredited graduate business schools in Wisconsin, which have an extensive range: from 277 (the University of Wisconsin-River Falls) to 657 (the University of Wisconsin-Madison). Over half of our graduate schools provided information on full-time faculty with doctorate degrees, with average rates of about 84%.

    If you want to get a business degree while continuing to work full time, there are several online MBA programs in Wisconsin that will let you keep your day job while studying at your own pace. Most online MBA programs offer the same basic curriculum and courses as their campus equivalents.

    Popular graduate programs in Wisconsin: Online MBA in Accounting | Online MBA in Finance | Online MBA in Human Resources

    The table below allows you to compare graduate business school tuition costs, average accepted applicant GMAT scores, the percentage of faculty with a doctorate, and student-to-faculty ratios.

    SchoolCityTuitionAvg. GMATFaculty
    with Doct.
    Degree
    Student/
    Faculty
    Cardinal Stritch UniversityMilwaukee$24,840
    Edgewood CollegeMadison$35,631
    Marquette UniversityMilwaukee$40,68058182%2.45
    University of Wisconsin OshkoshOshkosh$25,20056085%0.69
    University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireEau Claire$15,77774%
    University of Wisconsin-La CrosseLa Crosse$12,48854777%0.19
    University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison$28,64165784%2.52
    University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeMilwaukee$27,53354389%0.69
    University of Wisconsin-ParksideKenosha$13,85639586%0.71
    University of Wisconsin-River FallsRiver Falls$33,63527796%0.53
    University of Wisconsin-WhitewaterWhitewater$18,23650679%1.62
    Viterbo UniversityLaCrosse$23,040

    Job Outlook for Business School Graduates in Wisconsin

    In Wisconsin, operations managers comprise the business and management segment sector, with 32,590 employed in 2017.6 Accountants and auditors come in second at 22,090 statewide, with market analysts and human resource specialists well behind in third at 12,720.6

    Based on BLS data, the average annual wage in 2017 across all Wisconsin occupations was $46,270.6 For the business-related occupations shown below, however, the weighted average annual salary was $84,631.6 Not surprisingly, the highest-paid businesspeople were chief executives, who averaged $145,280 per year in Wisconsin, while the lowest-paying subcategory was credit counselors at $40,100.6

    Popular Articles: Accounting Schools in Wisconsin | Online MBA in Wisconsin

    Occupation TitleBLS.gov
    Code
    2016
    Total
    Employment
    Wisconsin
    Mean
    Hourly
    Wage
    Wisconsin
    Mean
    Annual
    Wage
    Wisconsin
    National
    Growth
    2016-26
    Accountants and Auditors13-201122,090$32$67,24010.0%
    Administrative Services Managers11-30116,610$49$101,09010.1%
    Advertising and Promotions Managers11-2011110$48$99,4005.8%
    Agents andManagers of Artists and Athletes13-101160$49$102,3304.9%
    Architectural and Engineering Managers11-90413,700$57$119,5705.5%
    Budget Analysts13-20311,060$36$73,8506.5%
    Business Operations Specialists13-119910,470$31$63,6508.8%
    Chief Executives11-10115,160$70$145,2808.0%
    Compensation and Benefits Managers11-3111290$54$111,5505.0%
    Compensation, and Benefits Specialists13-11411,430$27$56,3708.5%
    Compliance Officers13-10413,480$30$61,9008.2%
    Construction Managers11-90212,860$53$110,10011.4%
    Cost Estimators13-10514,640$28$59,07010.6%
    Credit Analysts13-20411,860$34$71,7408.4%
    Credit Counselors13-2071450$19$40,10013.9%
    Financial Analysts13-20514,280$38$79,58010.8%
    Financial Examiners13-20611,500$37$76,4109.8%
    Financial Managers11-30318,080$63$130,8000.187
    General and Operations Managers11-102132,590$59$122,8809.1%
    Human Resources Managers11-31212,600$54$113,3308.9%
    Human Resources Specialists13-107112,720$28$59,2107.1%
    Information Systems Managers11-30216,280$58$121,04011.9%
    Insurance Underwriters13-20532,050$33$68,290-5.2%
    Labor Relations Specialists13-10753,470$19$40,150-7.8%
    Loan Officers13-20727,350$35$72,99011.5%
    Logisticians13-10813,340$30$62,6306.9%
    Management Analysts13-111111,120$38$78,61012.0%
    Market Analysts and Marketing Specialists13-116111,880$27$56,84022.8%
    Marketing Managers11-20212,800$58$121,47010.0%
    Meeting and Event Planners13-11211,580$22$45,31010.2%
    Public Relations and Fundraising Managers11-2031940$50$103,91010.4%
    Purchasing Managers11-30611,270$50$104,2105.6%
    Sales Managers11-20224,940$64$132,2907.4%
    Tax Examiners and Revenue Agents13-2081520$30$62,310-0.6%
    Tax Preparers13-2082700$19$40,28010.8%
    Training and Development Managers11-3131560$48$100,54010.3%
    Training and Development Specialists13-11516,150$26$55,01011.5%

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    References:
    1. National Center for Education Statistics: https://nces.ed.gov/
    2. AACSB, Best Business Schools: https://bestbizschools.aacsb.edu/aacsb-accredited
    3. ACBSP, Business Schools: https://acbsp.org/page/accreditation-overview
    4. IACBE, Business Schools: https://iacbe.org/accreditation/
    5. US Bureau of Labor Statistics – Occupational Outlook Handbook, Business and Financial Occupations: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/home.htm
    6. US Bureau of Labor Statistics – Employment and Wage Estimates Wisconsin: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_wi.htm
    7. US News & World Report, 2018 Best Business Schools: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools