National Rankings

Forbes.com includes Wisconsin Lutheran College on its 2019 list of America's Top Colleges, compiled by Forbes and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity (CCAP). The CCAP ranks 650 undergraduate institutions, focusing on student satisfaction, graduation rates, career success, and student debt. 

Wisconsin Lutheran College is included in the 2020 list of "Best Colleges in America, Ranked by Value," published by MONEY Magazine. More than 700 schools were included in the rankings, which combine educational quality, affordability, and alumni success.

For 2021, U.S. News & World Report rates Wisconsin Lutheran College as one of the Top 20 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 also is included in the U.S. News rankings for Top Performers on Social Mobility (how well schools graduated students who received Pell Grants), tied for 25th among Regional Colleges in the Midwest.

Wisconsin Lutheran College is included in the 2021 Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings. The WSJ/THE College Rankings is a pioneering ranking of U.S. colleges and universities that focuses on student success and learning.

The ranking values schools that focus their spending on classroom instruction, and rewards both teaching and research excellence. It also places an emphasis on student outcomes.

In 2020, Wisconsin Lutheran College is ranked 33rd in the nation by Washington Monthly in the category of Bachelor's Colleges. The list rates schools based on three categories: social mobility, research, and promoting public service.

Washington Monthly also included Wisconsin Lutheran College in its 2020 list of America's Best Bang for the Buck Colleges. WLC is 21st in a list of 372 ranked schools 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.

In 2020, Wisconsin Lutheran College was named a Best Value School in the state of Wisconsin. The ranking was created using National Center for Education Statistics' College Navigator and PayScale data to identify the schools based on graduation rate, net price, acceptance rate and a 20-year net return on investment.

Wisconsin Lutheran College ranked tenth in the state and fourth among private colleges. Best Value Schools helps students find schools and degree programs that can provide the most available financial aid and assistance, the greatest support and service, the highest return on investment, and the best overall value.

In 2018, Wisconsin Lutheran College's master's degree program is ranked 22nd in the country on College Choice's list of Best Master's Degrees in Secondary Education. 

College Factual included Wisconsin Lutheran College on its 2021 list of Best Colleges for the Money.

College Factual also recognized WLC's programs in Anthropology, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Business Administration, and Communication for 2021.

Wisconsin Lutheran College has been named a "College of Distinction" and a "Christian College of Distinction" for 2020-2021.

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 2020-2021, WLC 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 2021, Wisconsin Lutheran College is rated as one of the 100 best Christian colleges in the country, and WLC's residence halls are ranked 24th in the nation and 1st in the state. Niche named WLC the Best Christian College in Wisconsin for 2021.

View the complete list of WLC's Niche rankings.

Wisconsin Lutheran College is ranked among the best colleges for homeschool graduates by TheBestSchools.org. The site identified three key features that meet the needs of a homeschool graduate: Christian education, socio-political conservatism, and science and faith integration.

According to TheBestSchools.org: "Prioritizing leadership, ministry, and one-on-one mentoring by professors, Wisconsin Lutheran College is more than a school, it's a leadership garden."

Wisconsin Lutheran College also ranks tenth in TheBestSchools.org's list of the 30 Best Online Master's in Secondary Education Programs.

Young America's Foundation lists institutions that offer a conservative experience for students. Wisconsin Lutheran College is included on the foundation's list of Top Conservative Colleges. The list features institutions that proclaim, through their mission and programs, a dedication to discovering, maintaining, and strengthening the conservative values of their students.