UW-Eau Claire has been awarded by Scholarship360 for being one of the most affordable schools in the nation. 

This achievement puts UW-Eau Claire in the top 6% of colleges in the United States. This recognition underlines the investments made both in affordability and financial aid packages by the university. 

Scholarship360’s rankings differ from other college rankings that emphasize prestige and selectivity. Scholarship360’s award focuses on the affordability of schools and outcomes for students. 

All data regarding these rankings has been sourced from the Department of Education College Scorecard Data set. 

“The top colleges selected stand out due to their focus on affordability and providing strong ROI and outcomes for graduates. As college has become more expensive and student loan debt has soared, it’s become even more imperative for students to think about college as an investment”  Will Geiger, co-founder and CEO of Scholarships360, said. 

UW-Eau Claire was ranked fourth among public regional universities in the 12-state Midwest region and 21st overall among all Midwest regional schools by U.S News. 

This is the 29th straight year that UW-Eau Claire has achieved this goal, and this year, Scholarship360’s awards are added to the list of achievements as well.

Max Megale, a second-year computer science student, plans on traveling abroad and said UW-Eau Claire has a comparatively affordable Study Abroad program.

“The way UWEC offers study abroad scholarships is super important. UWEC has one of the best programs for studying in other countries. The way they are helping students pay for that is fantastic,” Megale said.

UW-Eau Claire has been recognized as a national leader in study abroad by the 2021 Open Doors Report of the Institute of International Education. UW-Eau Claire offers over 30 countries for students to study abroad in. 

UW-Eau Claire offers 29 scholarships for students in the Study Abroad program. These scholarships are given to a wide range of students and vary from amounts of $400 up to $2,000. 

Alex Andros, a second-year student biomedical engineering students, said he is looking forward to conducting research and UW-Eau Claire’s affordability allows him to do that.

“I noticed affordability within UWEC through their programs, specifically the biomedical engineering program. For the price I’m paying, I feel as if I am receiving an excellent education and am being offered many opportunities within the field.” 

The university recently signed a  10-year contract with the Mayo Clinic, and the close relationship puts UW-Eau Claire above other universities’ health and medical programs.

UW-Eau Claire has also begun their plans to build a new state-of-the-art Science and Health Sciences Building. The building is designed to suit research needs and high-demand STEM programs at the university. 

The university’s excellence and focus on study abroad programs and STEM and medical students are just some benefits it offers to their students.

UW-Eau Claire is no stranger to ranking highly as they have been ranked highly within midwestern schools for close to three decades now. 

Voelker can be reached at [email protected].