2026 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in Wisconsin

[Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 20 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students.
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2026 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in Wisconsin
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools
Leading the list is University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh, our #1 best value for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies in Wisconsin. Set in the city of Oshkosh, University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,532 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $16,446. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $24,619 in student loans. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh earn a median of $50,590 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies will find it at University Of Wisconsin Whitewater, which ranked #2. Located in the town of Whitewater, University Of Wisconsin Whitewater is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $8,616, with out-of-state students paying around $18,716. Students borrow a median of $25,306 to complete the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program here. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Whitewater generally make around $45,767. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.
University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee is a great value for students pursuing a degree in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Milwaukee, University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,398, while out-of-state students pay about $22,398. Students borrow a median of $25,782 to complete the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program here. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $29,887. That is a strong return on a $25,782 median debt. The acceptance rate is 91%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Wisconsin Madison earned it the #4 place for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies. Located in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,603, while out-of-state students pay about $42,103. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $20,745 in student loans. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $28,841. Set against $20,745 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 45%.
Students looking for strong value in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies will find it at University Of Wisconsin Eau Claire, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Eau Claire, University Of Wisconsin Eau Claire is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,642, with out-of-state students paying around $19,228. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $22,574 in student loans. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $49,911. That is a strong return on a $22,574 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 20 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.