About UW-Madison & the City of Madison

Land Acknowledgement

The University of Wisconsin–Madison occupies ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial. In an 1832 treaty, the Ho-Chunk were forced to cede this territory.

Decades of ethnic cleansing followed when both the federal and state government repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, sought to forcibly remove the Ho-Chunk from Wisconsin. This history of colonization informs our shared future of collaboration and innovation.

Today, UW–Madison respects the inherent sovereignty of the Ho-Chunk Nation, along with the eleven other First Nations of Wisconsin.

Our Shared Future

The University of Wisconsin-Madison

Founded in 1848, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has consistently been ranked among the 10 top universities in the country and one of the leading universities in the world. The University has one of the best and largest research facilities worldwide. Most areas of biological research are represented by internationally renowned scientists. National science polls rank the biomedical and biological sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as one of the best in the nation. The biological science community at the University is noted for its dynamic spirit of inquiry and its collegial atmosphere of collaboration, which crosses departmental boundaries.

The Madison campus comprises 125 departments, which engage more than 2,500 faculty members representing nearly all academic disciplines. More than 41,000 students are enrolled, including about 10,000 who study for advanced degrees.

The University entertains excellent sports facilities, including several indoor pools, the famous Nielsen Tennis Stadium for year-round indoor tennis, and several sport centers with gyms and numerous courts for basketball, volleyball, racquetball, squash, badminton, fencing, martial arts, gymnastics, and many more. In summer, outdoor facilities for softball and baseball, football, soccer, ultimate frisbee, tennis, beach ball and volleyball, field and track, etc. are provided. In winter, indoor ice arenas are maintained by the University for ice skating and ice hockey.

Campus Life

City of Madison

Madison is a university city with a metro area population of about 501,000 in a magnificent physical setting surrounded by five lakes. Its landscape is unique. Built on an isthmus between two glacial lakes, Wisconsin’s Capital City offers lake views from nearly every Downtown location and all along the beautiful University of Wisconsin Campus. Madison consistently ranks nationally as a top community in which to live, work, and play. Such ranking is based on a low crime rate, low unemployment rate, excellent public transportation, the location and infrastructure of the city, and many more criteria, including the intellectually exciting environment throughout the city.

Madison is a city of over 270 parks and recreational areas. The 1,200 acre Arboretum and the Olbrich Botanical Gardens are two remarkable examples. Camp Randall Stadium is home to the nationally-acclaimed Badger Football team.

Outdoor activities in the Madison area are endless. In summer, popular activities include: hiking, biking, running, swimming, water skiing, boating, sailing, wind surfing, Frisbee, and more. In winter: ice skating, ice fishing, cross country skiing, downhill skiing, snow boarding, and many others are highly popular.

Madison has a vibrant arts culture. The city features numerous concert, dance, opera, and theater performances at the Union Theater on campus, the Kohl Center, the Overture Center, the Sylvee, the Majestic Theatre, and more. The city is home to many fine musicians, and world-renowned guest artists who perform on a regular basis. The city possesses numerous art galleries including The Chazen Museum of Art on campus, and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.

Additionally, many students enjoy traveling to the nearby entertainment meccas of Milwaukee and Chicago, which are easily accessible by car or bus.