UW-Stout Polytechnic has once again been honored for providing affordable education that sets students on a path for professional success. This time, the university was ranked among the top 50 on a list of America’s Best Value Public Universities in a study conducted by SmartAsset, which provides consumer-focused financial information.
More than 500 public universities and colleges around the United States were evaluated on average cost of attendance, median earnings for graduates and graduation rates. UW-Stout Polytechnic rose to the top based on these criteria, setting it apart from regional and national peers.
“Outcomes can vary widely by school,” SmartAsset wrote, “meaning some public universities may offer stronger returns for students seeking manageable costs and solid career prospects.”
UW-Stout Polytechnic shines in these and other areas. Blue Devils who received their undergraduate degrees in 2024-25 reported an annual starting salary of $59,000, a 4% increase from the prior year, UW-Stout’s annual First Destination Report found.
The average starting salary for undergraduate degree holders from UW-Stout Polytechnic has been the highest among universities in western Wisconsin for the past seven years, representing the ongoing return on investment in an education at Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University.
The most recent survey also found that the average starting salary for graduate degree recipients was $62,000. And fully 99% of recent graduates were either employed or furthering their education within six months of graduation.
The top 50 ranking among America’s Best Value Public Universities is just one of numerous honors UW-Stout Polytechnic has achieved in recent years. For two years in a row, the university ranked among America’s Best Colleges as determined by Money Magazine.
Earlier this year, U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of Best Online Programs named three UW-Stout Polytechnic programs among the best in the Midwest and nation, including Best Online Bachelor’s in Business, Best Online Master’s in Education and Best Online Master’s in Engineering.
UW-Stout Polytechnic is also ranked highly for serving veterans and the military community, earning the coveted gold designation as a Military Friendly® School for 2026-27 as well as being honored on the Best for Vets Colleges list by Military Times.
And many of the university’s programs have been cited among the best in the nation and even the world:
- CEOWorld ranked the hotel, restaurant and tourism management program as No. 9 among the Best Hospitality and Hotel Management Programs in the World.
- The game design programs were ranked No. 6 in the Midwest and No. 17 among all U.S. public universities by Animation Career Review.
- The cybersecurity program ranked No. 14 among the Top 25 programs in the United States, according to Programs.com.
- College Factual placed numerous UW-Stout Polytechnic programs – including graphic communications, video production, packaging and manufacturing engineering – among the best in the Great Lakes region. And that’s just for starters.
UW-Stout Polytechnic’s status as the only polytechnic university in Wisconsin or Minnesota means the institution is dedicated to applied learning and research, business and industry collaboration, and career-focused experiences. The campus has three times as many labs as traditional classrooms. Each year, students take part in approximately 1,000 co-op and internship experiences, more than one-third of which lead to job offers. In fact, this spring 77% of UW-Stout Polytechnic students were hired before graduation.
In recent years, Blue Devil graduates have gone to work for hundreds of firms with household names or Fortune 500 rankings, including Amazon, Cigna, General Motors, Citigroup, Ashley Furniture, Andersen Windows, Boeing, Milwaukee Tool, Boston Scientific, Harley-Davidson, FedEx, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, Nike, Oshkosh Corp., Rockwell Automation, Target and 3M.
