Milwaukee City Wire

Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC) has been ranked 16th among Regional Colleges in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for 2025. The Best Regional Colleges category focuses on institutions that primarily offer undergraduate programs in liberal arts, business, nursing, and education. WLC is the only Wisconsin institution to be included in the Top 20 Regional Colleges in the Midwest.

In addition to this ranking, WLC is rated 12th among Regional Colleges in the Midwest for Best Value Schools. The college also ranks #32 among Regional Colleges in the Midwest for Social Mobility, a category that measures how well schools graduate students who received Pell Grants.

"Wisconsin Lutheran College's consistently high ranking by U.S. News reflects the college's commitment to academic excellence delivered by a highly credentialed and experienced faculty," said WLC's Provost, Dr. John D. Kolander. "Our alumni lead productive and impactful lives as Christian leaders in their communities and throughout the world, reflecting the value of their WLC degree."

For 2025, Niche has rated Wisconsin Lutheran College among the Top 50 Christian colleges in the country and named it the best small college in Wisconsin. WLC’s residence halls are ranked 12th nationally and 1st within Wisconsin. Other notable statewide rankings include being named the 2nd best private university in Wisconsin, 2nd best college for studying education, and 4th best for studying business and biology.

For 2024, Money has ranked Wisconsin Lutheran College as one of America’s Best Colleges based on graduation rates, cost of attendance, financial aid availability, alumni salaries, and other factors. Additionally, Washington Monthly has placed WLC at 115th nationally among Bachelor’s Colleges for its performance in social mobility, research contributions, and public service promotion. Washington Monthly also included WLC on its list of America’s Best Bang for the Buck Colleges.

Wisconsin Lutheran College is an independent Christian college located in Milwaukee serving nearly 1,100 undergraduate and graduate students through both on-campus and online programs. The institution prepares students for lives of Christian leadership while being recognized for its academic excellence and superior student experience.