UW-Eau Claire climbs closer to top of U.S. News & World Report’s regional, state rankings

Thanks to its best overall score, UW-Eau Claire ranks 23rd out of 171 public and private regional schools in the Midwest, continuing its trend of being ranked in the top third of the category every year since 1995.

“This ranking is a testament to the remarkable efforts of all faculty, staff and students who are part of the Blugold family,” UW-Eau Claire Chancellor Edwin Martini says. “Every day I have the pleasure of working with people whose commitment to excellence is crystal clear, and I am proud to be part of a team that creates life-changing educational opportunities for students.”

UW-Eau Claire is ranked third in the inaugural rankings of the top 20 best value schools for in-state students attending regional public universities in the Midwest. U.S. News & World Report says the new category reflects institutions that are both strong academically and affordable for students who reside in their states based on their expenses and financial aid awarded for students with need.

Among all schools in the Midwest region, UW-Eau Claire is 40th on the list of best value schools, an improvement of two places from last year. It is the highest-ranking Universities of Wisconsin school.

“UW-Eau Claire is an excellent college at an affordable cost that offers unique opportunities not seen elsewhere,” says Billy Felz, vice chancellor for enrollment management. “Blugolds have access to an array of priceless opportunities including undergraduate research, international immersions and other enriching experiences, and they graduate with outstanding earning potential.”

UW-Eau Claire is once again the top-rated UW school in the Best Colleges for Veterans-Midwest Region rankings, moving up three spots to No. 10. The university is also ranked among the top performing schools in several undergraduate programs, including business, computer science, engineering and psychology.

UW-Eau Claire is also recognized for its bachelor of science in nursing program and as a “Top Performer on Social Mobility,” which measures how well schools graduate economically disadvantaged students.

U.S. News rankings provide a data-driven comparison of more than 1,700 colleges and universities. Regional universities are ranked using 13 measures of academic quality and graduate success. Data for the 2027 edition of Best Colleges was gathered in the spring and summer of 2026.

In recent weeks, UW-Eau Claire has also been named a top college by Forbes 2026-27 Top Colleges and The Princeton Review’s 2027 Best Colleges: Region by Region.