University of Wisconsin System facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
Universities of Wisconsin

Other names	UW System University of Wisconsin System (legal name)
Former name	University of Wisconsin System (1974–2023)
Type	Public university system
Established	1848; 177 years ago (1848)
Endowment	$738.5 million (2021)
Budget	$7.53 billion (2023–24)
President	Jay Rothman
Students	160,782
Undergraduates	135,263
Postgraduates	25,519
Location	Madison , Wisconsin , United States
Campus	13 comprehensive universities 12 branch campuses
Colors	Teal and black

The Universities of Wisconsin (also known as the UW System) is a group of public universities in the state of Wisconsin, U.S.. It is one of the biggest public college systems in the country. More than 160,000 students attend these universities each year. About 41,000 teachers and staff work across the state. The main office for the UW System is in Madison, the state capital.

The UW System includes two large research universities that offer advanced degrees. It also has eleven other universities and twelve smaller, two-year campuses.

How the UW System Started
UW System Campuses
- Main University Campuses
- Branch Campuses
  - Current Branch Campuses
  - Former Branch Campuses
University Names and Branding
See also

How the UW System Started

The University of Wisconsin System we know today was created on October 11, 1971. This happened when two separate university groups joined together. These were the old University of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin State Universities systems. The full change officially took place on July 9, 1974.

The First University of Wisconsin

The original University of Wisconsin was created by Wisconsin's state constitution in 1848. Its first classes were held in Madison in 1849.

In 1956, there was a big need for a large public university in Milwaukee. This university would offer advanced programs. So, lawmakers combined two schools there. These were the Wisconsin State College of Milwaukee (WSCM) and the Milwaukee part of the University of Wisconsin–Extension. They formed the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Starting in the 1940s, smaller centers opened around the state. These centers offered classes for first and second-year students. In 1968, the Green Bay center became a full four-year university. It was named the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. Also, centers in Kenosha and Racine joined to become the University of Wisconsin–Parkside.

By 1971, the University of Wisconsin system had campuses in Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Kenosha/Somers. It also had 10 two-year centers and the statewide University of Wisconsin–Extension. About 69,554 students were enrolled at that time.

The Wisconsin State Universities

In 1866, the state started a normal school in Platteville. This was the first of eight schools across the state that trained teachers. In 1911, these normal schools were allowed to offer other subjects. These included art, science, and pre-law courses. Many students liked these new options.

Over time, there was a lot of public demand for more choices at these schools. In 1926, the normal schools became "State Teachers Colleges." They offered a four-year program to earn a Bachelor of Education degree. This degree included many general subjects.

After World War II, many veterans needed more college options. So, the State Teachers Colleges were allowed to offer bachelor's degrees in other subjects. In 1951, these schools were renamed "Wisconsin State Colleges." They offered a full four-year program in many different areas. In 1955, the Stout Institute in Menomonie joined this system. It had been a private engineering school.

In 1964, the state colleges were all given "university" status. They became "Wisconsin State Universities." The only exception was the Milwaukee college, which had already joined the University of Wisconsin in 1956.

By 1971, there were nine Wisconsin State Universities. They also had four two-year branch campuses. About 64,148 students were enrolled in these schools.

Joining Forces: The Merger

The University of Wisconsin system and the Wisconsin State University system joined together in 1971. This created the University of Wisconsin System we have today. The new system had 13 universities and 14 two-year centers. It also had a statewide extension program.

Each university was named "University of Wisconsin–" followed by its location. For example, "University of Wisconsin–Madison." The two-year colleges were named "University of Wisconsin–" followed by their city or county. Some people worried that having so many schools share the "University of Wisconsin" name might make the main Madison campus seem less special.

The Board that runs the University of Wisconsin System has 18 members. The Governor appoints 16 of these members. Two of them are current UW System students. The other two members are the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and a leader from the Wisconsin Technical College System.

Changes in 2018

In 2017, the UW System president, Ray Cross, suggested a big change. He proposed that the two-year UW Colleges should join the nearest larger universities. This would create regional two-year campuses. He also suggested splitting the UW-Extension. Some parts would go to UW-Madison, and others to the UW System office.

This idea was approved in November 2017. The changes started on July 1, 2018. The goal was to save money.

UW System Campuses

The UW System has many campuses across Wisconsin. They include main universities and smaller branch campuses.

Main University Campuses

Campus	Founded	Enrollment (Fall 2022)	Athletic affiliation	Athletic nickname (Conference)	U.S. News Rank (Midwest 2024)
Madison	1848	49,587	NCAA D-I (FBS)	Badgers (Big Ten)	35 (national)
Milwaukee	1956	21,744	NCAA D-I (non-football)	Panthers (Horizon)	332 (national)
Oshkosh	1871	12,851	NCAA D-III	Titans (WIAC)	332 (national)
Whitewater	1868	10,494	NCAA D-III	Warhawks (WIAC)	43
La Crosse	1909	10,257	NCAA D-III	Eagles (WIAC)	249 (national)
Eau Claire	1916	10,064	NCAA D-III	Blugolds (WIAC)	21
Green Bay	1965	8,553	NCAA D-I (non-football)	Phoenix (Horizon)	60
Stevens Point	1894	7,263	NCAA D-III	Pointers (WIAC)	47
Stout	1891	7,226	NCAA D-III	Blue Devils (WIAC)	67
Platteville	1866	6,246	NCAA D-III	Pioneers (WIAC)	67
River Falls	1874	5,212	NCAA D-III	Falcons (WIAC)	60
Parkside (Kenosha)	1968	3,966	NCAA D-II	Rangers (GLIAC)	103
Superior	1893	2,703	NCAA D-III	Yellowjackets (UMAC)	124

Branch Campuses

These are smaller campuses that are part of the larger universities.

Current Branch Campuses

Set to close

Campus	Parent university	Founded	Enrollment (Fall 2022)	Athletic nickname (Conference)
Barron County (Rice Lake)	Eau Claire	1966	455	Blugolds
Fox Cities (Menasha)	Oshkosh	1933	605	Cyclones (WCC)
Manitowoc	Green Bay	1933	373	Blue Devils
Marinette	Green Bay	1935	242	Buccaneers
Sheboygan	Green Bay	1933	440	Wombats
Washington County (West Bend)	Milwaukee	1968	332	Wildcats
Waukesha	Milwaukee	1966	790	Panthers
Baraboo Sauk County	Platteville	1968	179	Fighting Spirits (WCC)
Wausau	Stevens Point	1933	404	Huskies (WCC)
Marshfield	Stevens Point	1963	344	Marauders (WCC)
Rock County (Janesville)	Whitewater	1966	593	Rattlers

Former Branch Campuses

Campus	Parent university	Founded	Closed	Final enrollment	Nickname
Richland (Richland Center)	Platteville	1967	2023	60	Roadrunners
Fond du Lac	Oshkosh	1968	2024	258	Falcons (WCC)

University Names and Branding

Since the universities and colleges joined in 1971, there has been some discussion about the name. The name "University of Wisconsin" is often used to mean just the Madison campus. This has made it harder for other schools to become well-known. On the other hand, some people connected to UW–Madison felt that sharing the name with so many schools made their own name less special. This is sometimes called "brand dilution."

Students at UW–Milwaukee (UWM) voted in 2006 and 2009 about changing their school's name. They considered names like "University of Milwaukee." Most students voted to keep "University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee." However, more than half of them liked the idea of a different name. Since 2004, UWM's sports teams have been called the Milwaukee Panthers. UW–Green Bay also did this and are now the Green Bay Phoenix.

Many other UW system sports teams are often called just by their city name. This is because they play in the same sports conference, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). So, saying "UW" is not always needed. Exceptions are UW–Parkside and UW-Superior, who play in different conferences.

In October 2023, the system president, Jay Rothman, announced a new look for the system. It would be called "Universities of Wisconsin" and get a new logo and colors. The official legal name of the system would stay the same.