Wisconsin Lutheran College prepares students for lives of Christian leadership. WLC is known for academic excellence and a Christ-centered student experience, with courses taught by Christian faculty. The college is annually ranked as one of America's best colleges by multiple organizations.
National Rankings
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For 2026, U.S. News & World Report rates Wisconsin Lutheran College 19th among Regional Colleges in the Midwest. Schools in this category focus almost entirely on the undergraduate experience and offer a broad range of programs in the liberal arts and in fields such as business, nursing, and education.
WLC is included in the U.S. News rankings for Best Value Schools, ranked 12th among Regional Colleges in the Midwest.
The college is also included in the Top Performers on Social Mobility rankings at #30 among Regional Colleges in the Midwest. This category rates how well schools graduated students who received Pell Grants.
Wisconsin Lutheran College has been named a College of Distinction and a Christian College of Distinction for 2025-2026. Colleges of Distinction is a college guide with a unique approach. Instead of looking for the richest or the most famous schools, they ask: Which colleges are the best places to learn, to grow, and to succeed?
For 2025-2026, WLC also was named a College of Distinction - Business, College of Distinction - Education, and College of Distinction - Nursing.
Niche offers college rankings based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of student and alumni reviews.
For 2026, Wisconsin Lutheran College has received the following state and national rankings from Niche:
- #1 of 30 Best College Dorms in Wisconsin
- #2 of 20 Best Small Colleges in Wisconsin
- #2 of 12 Best Colleges in Milwaukee Area
- #3 of 30 Best College Campuses in Wisconsin
- #3 of 28 Best Colleges for Business in Wisconsin
- #3 of 28 Best Colleges for Education in Wisconsin
- #3 of 19 Top Private Universities in Wisconsin
- #4 of 33 Best Colleges in Wisconsin
- #4 of 32 Best Value Colleges in Wisconsin
- #12 of 1,369 Best College Dorms in America
- #4 of 27 Best Colleges for Biology in Wisconsin
- #5 of 33 Colleges with the Best Student Life in Wisconsin
- #36 of 314 Best Christian Colleges in America
Wisconsin Lutheran College is nationally ranked by Washington Monthly in the category of Bachelor's Colleges. The 2025 list ranks four-year institutions that award almost exclusively bachelor's degrees based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility, research, and promoting public service.
Washington Monthly also included Wisconsin Lutheran College in its 2025 list of America's Best Bang for the Buck Colleges in the Midwest. For this category, Washington Monthly ranks schools according to how well they help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.