The University of Wisconsin-Madison regularly ranks among the top 150 universities globally, making it a top choice for international students seeking high-quality education. According to QS, it ranks #116 globally in 2025, while U.S. News places it 74th worldwide. Additionally, it holds a solid position in the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings at #56. This shows that UW-Madison remains highly competitive across various global rankings, making it a reliable choice for quality education.

For students interested in specific fields, UW-Madison also shines in various subjects. It's ranked among the top 35 worldwide for Chemical Engineering by QS, and its Computer Science program stands at #110 globally. Whether you're looking to study in engineering, natural sciences, or business, UW-Madison offers strong academic programs that are recognized internationally by agencies like QS, THE, and U.S. News.

This guide showcases all the major global and subject-wise rankings for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Also Check: University of Wisconsin Madison Admissions


UW Madison World Ranking Trends

Here is the Ranking trend of the University of Wisconsin-Madison by the different ranking bodies:

Ranking Body 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021
QS World University Rankings #116 #102 #83 #75 #65
US News and World Report Best Global Universities #74 #63 #52 #41
CWUR #28 #27 #25 #26
THE World University Rankings #56 #63 #81 #58 #49

The University of Wisconsin-Madison consistently ranks among the top 150 universities globally, according to major ranking bodies. For 2025, QS places it at #116, while U.S. News ranks it 74th globally. The university's performance has fluctuated in recent years, with QS dropping from #65 in 2021 to #116 in 2025. The Times Higher Education (THE) ranking stands at #56 for 2025. This shows that while UW-Madison remains highly competitive, its position varies slightly across different ranking agencies, making it a strong option for international students.


UW Madison University Ranking: Engineering

QS World Subject Rankings have recently featured the University of Wisconsin Madison among the top 35 global universities in Chemical Engineering. Meanwhile, THE Rankings place it at #74 across the world for Engineering and Technology. Check out the below University of Wisconsin Madison engineering rankings of the last few years:

Ranking Body Program Ranking 2025 Ranking 2024 Ranking 2023 Ranking 2022 Ranking 2021
QS World Subject Rankings Mechanical Engineering #116 #102 #110 #95 #107
Chemical Engineering #34 #28 #20 #20 #17
Civil and Structural Engineering #101-150 #101-150 #101-150 #101-150 #151-200
Electrical and Electronic Engineering #114 #101 #83 #76 #86
Engineering and Technology #120 #90 #90 #92 #91
THE Rankings Engineering and Technology #74 #73 #83 #50 #44

UW Madison University Ranking: Computer Science

Here’s how some of the globally esteemed ranking agencies place the University of Wisconsin Madison based on its computer science programs:

Ranking Body Program Ranking 2025 Ranking 2024 Ranking 2023 Ranking 2022 Ranking 2021
QS World Subject Rankings Computer Science and Information Systems #110 #110 #91 #82 #89
THE Rankings Computer Science #63 #68 #63 #45 #44

University of Wisconsin Madison Natural Science Rankings

The University of Wisconsin Madison occupies the 49th position in QS World Subject Rankings for Geography. It resides among the top 50 global institutions for Psychology and Physical Science in THE Rankings. The table and chart below demonstrate the University of Wisconsin Madison’s natural science ranking trends:

Ranking Body Program Ranking 2025 Ranking 2024 Ranking 2023 Ranking 2022 Ranking 2021
QS World Subject Rankings Biological Sciences #70 #59 #56 #56 #54
Chemistry #72 #60 #44 #34 #34
Mathematics #75 #74 #69 #44 #39
Psychology #64 #70 #53 #46 #46
Earth and Marine Sciences #51-100 #51-100 #51-100 #51-100 #51-100
Geology #51-100 #51-100 #51-100 #51-100 #51-100
Geography #49 #44 #35 #28 #17
Natural Science #64 #54 #46 #50 #47
Physics and Astronomy #85 #85 #78 #70 #61
THE Rankings Psychology #39 #43 #39 #22 #27
Physical Sciences #45 #50 #62 #49 #30
Life Sciences #44 #44 #49 #43 #43

University of Wisconsin Madison Medical Science Rankings

The University of Wisconsin Madison has maintained its position at #101-150 in QS World Subject Rankings for the last 2 years. Ranked #92 as per THE Ranking Clinical, pre-clinical, and health Rankings

Ranking Body Program Ranking 2025 Ranking 2024 Ranking 2023 Ranking 2022 Ranking 2021
QS World Subject Rankings Nursing #101-150 #101-150 #51-100 #51-100 #51-100
Pharmacy and Pharmacology #46 #84 #87 #88 #71
Medicine #119 #122 #123 #114 #105
Anatomy and Physiology #101-170 #51-100 #51-100 #51-100 #45
THE Rankings Clinical, pre-clinical, and health #92 #101-125 #176-200 #101-125 #80

University of Wisconsin Madison Business Rankings

QS World Subject Rankings have featured the University of Wisconsin Madison at #62 for Economics and Econometrics. Check the more similar University of Wisconsin Madison business rankings, below:

Ranking Body Program Ranking 2025 Ranking 2024 Ranking 2023 Ranking 2022 Ranking 2021
QS World Subject Rankings Accounting and Finance #101-150 #101-150 #101-150 #101-150 #88
Economics and Econometrics #62 #61 #56 #55 #52
Business and Management Studies #201-250 #151-200 #151-200 #151-200 #151-200
THE World University Rankings Business and Economics #54 #67 #77 #50 #47

University of Wisconsin Madison Humanities Rankings

University of Wisconsin Madison retains its position in the QS World Subject Rankings at #8 from last year. Its Education program even occupies the 20 and 14th rank in both THE Rankings and QS World Subject Rankings. Here’s how the University of Wisconsin Madison’s humanities rankings have evolved over the past couple of years:

Ranking Body Program Ranking 2025 Ranking 2024 Ranking 2023 Ranking 2022 Ranking 2021
QS World Subject Rankings Law and Legal Studies #151-200 #151-200 #151-200 #151-200 #151-200
Modern Languages #101-150 #101-150 #101-150 #91 #95
Arts and Humanities #151-200 #101-150 #81 #86 #81
Politics #101-150 #101-150 #101-150 #101-150 #101-150
Communication and Media Studies #17 #11 #8 #8 #9
Linguistics #101-150 #101-150 #101-150 #101-150 #101-150
Social Sciences and Management #111 #82 #73 #81 #67
Philosophy #64 #70 #101-150 #101-150 #101-150
Education and Training #20 #15 #17 #17 #13
English Language and Literature #74 #63 #54 #54 #56
Sociology #11 #10 #10 #14 #10
History #47 #47 #40 #45 #24
THE Rankings Social Sciences #20 #25 #30 #16 #15
Law #151-175 #151-175 #201-250 #151-175 #126-150
Arts and Humanities #79 #85 #92 #71 #60
Education #14 #17 #15 #14 #14

US News Subject Rankings

The following rankings explore how the US News has evaluated various academic courses offered at the University of Wisconsin Madison:

Subject Rankings 2024-25
Ecology #82
Clinical Medicine #98
Engineering #195
Computer Science #103
Chemistry #71
Social Sciences and Public Health #51
Biology and Biochemistry #65
Geosciences #46
Physics #60
Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology #105
Chemical Engineering #199
Civil Engineering #167
Materials Science #147
Economics and Business #113
Space Science #57
Electrical and Electronic Engineering #289
Plant and Animal Science #29
Public, Environmental, and Occupational Health #263

University of Wisconsin Madison Miscellaneous Rankings

The table demonstrates the global and national reputation of the University of Wisconsin Madison, not only in academics but also in other aspects of studies:

Ranking Body Parameter Ranking 2024-25
QS WUR Sustainability Ranking #283
THE World University Rankings World University Rankings #63
World Reputation Rankings #39
CWUR National Rank #20
Faculty Rank #31
Employability Rank #110
Research Rank #40
Education Rank #40