2026 Best Value Value Schools in Wisconsin
[Value](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/ethnic-studies/ethnic-cultural-other/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.
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2026 Best Value Value Schools in Wisconsin
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Value Schools
University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh tops our 2026 list of the best value value schools in Wisconsin. Set in the city of Oshkosh, University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,532 in tuition and fees, compared with $16,446 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,619 to complete the value program here. Value graduates of University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh earn a median of $50,590 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,619 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee earned it the #2 place for value. Located in the city of Milwaukee, University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,398, with out-of-state students paying around $22,398. Students borrow a median of $25,730 to complete the value program here. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee generally make around $29,887. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee admits about 91% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Wisconsin Madison one of the best values for value. University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public school located in the city of Madison. In-state tuition and fees average $11,603, with out-of-state students paying around $42,103. Value graduates carry a median of $19,750 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $59,877. Set against $19,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 45% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
