Higher Ed

6.4.26 UW–Madison is a top research university charging a resident price that ranks 12th-lowest of the 38 public AAU universities, because for a decade that price was frozen by political decision rather than set by the economics of the enterprise.

4.17.26 Wisconsin football posted back-to-back losing seasons (5-7, 4-8) for the first time since 1991-92. We trace the collapse to the NIL era’s structural transformation — and the economic effects are already emerging in Dane County.

3.19.26 Exact Sciences’ relocation to Madison has driven a total economic impact of ~20,650 jobs and $6-7 billion in added GDP for Wisconsin — roughly 1.7-2% of the entire state economy. Released just ahead of the Abbott acquisition.

3.12.26 College functions as both investment and consumption good. The report evaluates why 90-credit pathways deliver strong returns while respecting families who prioritize earnings over full residential experience.

2.6.26 A recent report shows that UW-Madison graduates have the fourth highest median earnings among all postsecondary institutions in Wisconsin, behind Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), Marquette University and Bellin College.

10.24.25. Badger Football has historically been a cornerstone of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Athletics Department, yielding about $60 million in annual profits. The 2025 season is on track to be the program’s worst this century, marked by shutout losses and failures against ranked opponents, signaling a deepening crisis.

9.17.25. Junjie Guo and Ananth Seshadri and Christopher Taber. Economic research finds that $10 million in NIH grant generates around 2.7 private sector patents with a market value of $20-$30 million.