Rankings

UW–Madison ranked #6 among U.S. universities for total study abroad participation in 2023–2024, with 3,091 students taking part in programs around the world—a 14% increase from 2,662 students and a rise in the rankings from eighth in the nation the year before.

In the 2026 edition of Best Colleges, University of Wisconsin—Madison is ranked No. #32 for study abroad programming.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs recognized the University of Wisconsin–Madison for being one of the colleges and universities with the highest number of students, faculty, and administrators selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student and Fulbright U.S. Scholar Programs. Seven students and 11 faculty and administrators from UW–Madison accepted Fulbright awards for the 2024-2025 academic year.

The report ranks UW–Madison #8 among U.S. universities for total study abroad participation during the 2022–2023 academic year. A total of 2,662 students participated in study abroad programs, marking a significant increase from the previous academic year. UW–Madison is particularly strong in semester-long programs, earning the #2 spot in the U.S. in this category.

UW–Madison continues to be a top U.S. university for study abroad and international students, according to the 2023 Open Doors Report, which is published annually by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The report listed the UW as #12 among all U.S. universities for total study abroad participation.

UW-Madison appears on this ranking list, delineating schools with high levels of participation in a variety of study abroad programs.

UW-Madison ranked sixth on this list of colleges with the best study abroad programs based on the Open Doors Report rankings from 2019-2020 data.

As International Education Week begins, the University of Wisconsin–Madison has additional cause for celebration with the release of the 2021 Open Doors Report. The report lists UW–Madison as #4 among all U.S. universities for study abroad participation and #19 for number of international students.

UW–Madison moved up three spots, from #18 to #15, on the 2020 Open Doors Report’s ranking of U.S. universities and colleges for total students studying abroad.

UW–Madison is ranked No. 18 among all U.S. universities for the number of students studying abroad, according to report. The number of UW–Madison students studying abroad increased to 2,410 for the 2017–2018 academic year. Open Doors listed 2,276 UW–Madison students studying abroad in the 2016–2017 academic year.