About UW–Madison
UW–Madison is guided by the Wisconsin Idea, a century-old principle and public-service charge that the university should improve people’s lives beyond the classroom.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is one of the premier public universities and research institutions in the United States. Created at the same time Wisconsin achieved statehood in 1848, the university became the state’s land grant university. It continues to be Wisconsin’s flagship teaching and research university with a statewide, national, and international mission, offering programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels in a wide range of fields, while engaging in extensive scholarly research, continuing adult education, and public service.
With a $4.95 billion budget, UW–Madison educates more than 51,800 students and employs some 27,300 faculty and staff. Composed of 14 schools and colleges, the university offers nearly 300 undergraduate majors and certificates, as well as more than 250 master’s, doctoral, and professional programs.
Madison, WI: A vibrant capital city
With a population of more than 260,000, Madison is Wisconsin’s state capital and the hub of a large metropolitan area. Built on an isthmus and surrounded by lakes, UW–Madison and the city of Madison seamlessly blend together, creating opportunities and an atmosphere unlike any other campus.
As both a midsize city and college town, Madison has all the action and amenities of a major metro area. Milwaukee and Chicago are short drives away, and the Dane County Regional Airport connects Madison to major cities around the country. With a robust arts and dining scene, thousands of acres of natural areas, top-rated health care and school systems, and a thriving economy and technology sector, Madison has been recognized a “Best Place to Live” by numerous publications.
Strategic Framework
Forward, Together the Badger Way
The university launched a new strategic framework in 2026, developed in close consultation with many members of the university community. A living document, this five-year framework describes our shared expectations for how members of the UW–Madison community interact and work with each other, promoting civility, providing opportunities for growth and success, embracing complexity, and fostering connection and community.
Statement on community commitments
UW–Madison has adopted four interconnected commitments to sustain a community where everyone can participate, grow, and contribute to advancing the Wisconsin Idea.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison community will:
- Practice civility. We engage one another with respect, humility, and care for the dignity of every person.
- Provide opportunities for growth and success. We support all Badgers — students, faculty, and staff — as they learn, grow, and pursue excellence.
- Embrace complexity. We approach difficult ideas with curiosity and critical thinking and invite the perspectives and experiences of others, welcoming opportunities to refine our views or challenge even our most deeply held convictions.
- Foster connection and community. We cultivate belonging, mutual support, and meaningful relationships across our campus, recognizing that a thriving community allows people and ideas to grow and connect.
Indigenous Significance and History of Teejop (DeJope) — Madison (Four Lakes)
The Ho-Chunk, along with the Menominee, are Indigenous nations whose Creation Stories are rooted in what is now known as Wisconsin. Since time immemorial, the Ho-Chunk have called Teejop (pronounced Day-JOPE) — meaning “Four Lakes” and identifying the shores of Waaksikhomikra (Where the Man Lies) — home.
Located on the shores of Lake Mendota, the campus of UW–Madison is considered to be among the most archaeologically rich campuses in the United States today, in part due to Teejop being located in a cultural center of the mound-building peoples who created massive, monumental art burial sites that circumscribed each of the area’s Four Lakes.
In Dane County, conical mound (hemispherical) and linear mound (wall-like) burial sites were first created some 2,500 years ago, with effigy mound burial sites (representation figures) first created some 1,500 years ago. There were more than 1,200 burial sites known as conical, linear, and effigy mounds in Teejop, and there were more than 20,000 conical, linear, and effigy mounds located in what now comprises 41 of the 72 counties in Wisconsin. Today, there are 34 extant mound sites on the UW–Madison campus.
UW–Madison acknowledges the First Nations People of Wisconsin, who are the original inhabitants of the state, and respect their inherent sovereignty. The land that UW–Madison lies upon is ancestral Ho-Chunk homelands, and UW–Madison acknowledges the Ho-Chunk as the stewards of the land for thousands of years. UW–Madison respects the sacredness of these lands and is thankful to be able to provide educational opportunities in such prominent, historic, and meaningful landscapes.
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