University Of Wisconsin-La Crosse La Crosse USA 2025

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse continues to position itself among the country's elite public universities. UWL is the top-ranked public university in Wisconsin with fewer than 25,000 students, according to U.S. News & World Report. It has been ranked among the top public universities in the Midwest for more than two decades. 

UWL's student body comes from all corners of the United States and from many countries around the world, bringing an array of social, cultural and academic perspectives. UWL's retention rate is an outstanding 87%, and its six-year graduation rate is 73% — both well above national averages.

UWL offers more than 100 undergraduate academic programs in 30 disciplines, 30 graduate programs, and two doctoral programs. A 19:1 student-faculty ratio means small class sizes, with an average of 29 students. 78% of full-time faculty hold doctoral or terminal degrees. Students learn directly from professors, including the recipient of the 2021 Board of Regents Teaching Excellence Award — a distinction given to just two instructors across the Universities of Wisconsin.  

The university is organized into three academic colleges and two schools: the College of Business Administration, College of Science and Health, College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities, the School of Visual and Performing Arts (housed within the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities), and the School of Education. Teacher education is a campus-wide commitment. Descriptions of the departments and programs within the colleges as well as general information, college curriculum requirements, and any requirements that apply to specific colleges can be found in the undergraduate and graduate catalogs or through UWL's Academics page. Descriptions of pre-professional programs can be found in the College of Science and Health section. Wisconsin teacher licensure information can be found in the School of Education section.

UWL's intercollegiate athletic teams, the Eagles, compete in 21 sports, predominately in the NCAA Division III. As of June 2024, they have combined to win 76 national championships. The university is proud of the Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex, a $16.6 million athletic complex completed in 2009 and funded entirely by private donations. The site is home to the annual WIAA State High School Track & Field Championships and has hosted the NCAA III National Track & Field Championships numerous times.

The campus lies in a residential section of the city of La Crosse (population 51,380, metro 139,211). La Crosse is a major point of interest on the Great River Road that winds north and south through 10 states along the Mississippi River. The city is nestled on the east bank of the river below towering 500-foot bluffs separated by steep-walled ravines known as coulees. See more about the city and area at Explore La Crosse.

UWL offers much to western Wisconsin by hosting cultural events, regional and national conferences, and prominent speakers. UWL works cooperatively with other area education and medical institutions to provider cutting-edge health care in the region, as well as a state-of-the-art health research and education facility.

The university's history dates back to 1909, when the La Crosse Normal School opened its doors as a teacher training school. It became a state teachers college in 1927, a state college in 1951, and a state university in 1964. The university became part of the University of Wisconsin System, now called the Universities of Wisconsin, in 1971. Discover more at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.