2021 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in Wisconsin
Trying to decide what college is best for you is no easy matter. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Wisconsin Schools For The Money For Those With No Aid ranking is part of that endeavor.
We analyzed 34 colleges and universities to determine which were the best for overall value for the money with no aid in Wisconsin. This ranking isn't just a listing of 'cheap' schools. Instead, it is noting which schools offer a high quality education for a reasonable price. So it is possible that College A may rank better than College B, while College B is less expensive to attend.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
When determining average cost, we look at total expenses, such as tuition, fees, books and supplies, room and board, and other living expenses. This gives a rough estimation of how much money you can expect to pay out-of-pocket or through loans each year.
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Top Colleges for the Money (Without Aid) in Wisconsin
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse tops this year’s ranking as the best school for overall value for the money with no aid in Wisconsin. UW - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,211 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At UW - La Crosse, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $17,684 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from UW - La Crosse be around $78,694. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Out of the 34 schools in Wisconsin that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #2 spot on the list. Wisconsin is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8,915 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at Wisconsin to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $26,553 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Wisconsin is $114,974. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Wisconsin did well in our quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Colleges in Wisconsin list.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for the money in Wisconsin. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the fairly large public school handed out 2,231 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at UW - Eau Claire about 4.5 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $20,822 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from UW - Eau Claire be around $93,907. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for the money in Wisconsin. UW - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and has a medium-sized student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 1,927 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
At UW - Stevens Point, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $19,282 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UW - Stevens Point is $87,155. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The low student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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Out of the 34 schools in Wisconsin that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #5 spot on the list. UW - Stout is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin and has a medium-sized student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 1,625 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
At UW - Stout, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.6 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $20,031 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from UW - Stout is $92,744. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Wisconsin ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the fairly large public school handed out 2,151 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at UW Oshkosh graduates in less than 4.8 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $19,616 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from UW Oshkosh be around $93,372. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #7 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Wisconsin ranking. This medium-sized public school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 1,267 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at UW - River Falls graduates in less than 4.4 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $18,333. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UW - River Falls is $81,032. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Wisconsin list. This fairly large public school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 2,426 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At UW - Whitewater, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $19,115. This means that the average student pays around $86,591 to get a bachelor’s degree from UW - Whitewater. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #9 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Wisconsin ranking. UW - Platteville is located in Platteville, Wisconsin and has a medium-sized student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 1,613 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at UW - Platteville is 4.7 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $19,547 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UW - Platteville is $91,089. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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University of Wisconsin - Superior landed the #10 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Wisconsin ranking. Superior, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 452 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at University of Wisconsin - Superior graduates in less than 4.6 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $19,810 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from University of Wisconsin - Superior is about $91,126. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Wisconsin ranking. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,315 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.5 years for the average student at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $19,459 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $86,593 to get a bachelor’s degree from University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Saint Norbert College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Wisconsin ranking, coming in at #12. SNC is located in De Pere, Wisconsin and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 604 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at SNC to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $52,014 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from SNC be around $211,697. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. SNC not only placed well in our value rankings, but it is also #5 on our Best Colleges in Wisconsin list.
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University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Wisconsin ranking, coming in at #13. This large public school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 3,641 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is 4.8 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $24,586. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is about $117,029. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #14 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Wisconsin ranking. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 786 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes the average student at University of Wisconsin - Parkside about 4.7 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $19,725 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from University of Wisconsin - Parkside is about $92,510. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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With a ranking of #15, Edgewood College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Wisconsin list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 418 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Edgewood, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.4 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $45,662 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Edgewood is $199,086. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
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Maranatha Baptist University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Wisconsin ranking, coming in at #16. MBU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Watertown, Wisconsin. It awarded 130 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at MBU about 4.3 years to graduate, and it costs students who receive no aid about $28,110 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from MBU is $120,030. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Ripon College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Wisconsin ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Ripon, Wisconsin, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 197 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average student at Ripon graduates in less than 4.1 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $56,116 per year to attend the school. This means that the average student pays around $230,637 to get a bachelor’s degree from Ripon. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Ripon also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in Wisconsin list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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Viterbo University landed the #17 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Wisconsin ranking. Viterbo is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 386 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
At Viterbo, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.4 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $41,445 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Viterbo is $181,529. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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With a ranking of #19, Marquette University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Wisconsin list. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,204 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at Marquette graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $60,494. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Marquette be around $255,890. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Marquette is ranked #3 for overall quality in Wisconsin.
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Lawrence University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Wisconsin list. Appleton, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 460 students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at Lawrence U to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $62,166 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Lawrence U is $261,097. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Lawrence U also made our Best Colleges in Wisconsin list, coming in at #2.
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With a ranking of #21, Carroll University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Wisconsin list. Carroll U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 707 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Carroll U about 4.2 years to graduate, and it costs students who receive no aid about $46,538 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Carroll U is $195,925. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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With a ranking of #22, Milwaukee School of Engineering did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Wisconsin list. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 549 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at MSOE to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $55,130 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from MSOE is about $240,918. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The low student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. MSOE not only placed well in our value rankings, but it is also #4 on our Best Colleges in Wisconsin list.
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Wisconsin Lutheran College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Wisconsin list. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 260 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
At WLC, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.3 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $44,462 per year to attend the school. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from WLC be around $192,520. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Beloit College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Wisconsin ranking. Beloit is located in Beloit, Wisconsin and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 417 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at Beloit to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $63,514 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Beloit is $260,407. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Beloit also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in Wisconsin list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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With a ranking of #25, Concordia University - Wisconsin did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Wisconsin list. Mequon, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 686 students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at CUW is 4.3 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $46,422. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from CUW is $198,686. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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