Best Electrical Engineering Degree Programs in Wisconsin in 2026
Wisconsin–Madison offers several ways to complete electrical capstone design, including embedded microprocessor design, mobile computing and digital engineering laboratory work. Those choices sit inside a degree with a substantial advanced-elective block and specific mathematics and laboratory conditions. A named option can add direction, but the approved course plan determines the experience.
Our 2026 selection of electrical engineering degree programs in Wisconsin reviews Madison's electrical BS through its current catalog and bursar guidance. The catalog totals 120–121 credits, reflecting the science-course choice. Semiconductor Engineering and Machine Learning and Data Science are available as named options within the degree. Applicants should also distinguish first-year direct admission from the progression requirements that follow it.
Electrical Engineering bachelor’s rankings by state+
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How we ranked electrical engineering bachelor’s programs in Wisconsin
This Wisconsin ranking currently examines the University of Wisconsin–Madison BS in Electrical Engineering. The reviewed curriculum, admission rules and cost basis are specific to that award and campus. It is an editorial program selection, not a claim to have ranked every electrical-related degree in the University of Wisconsin system.
Madison is selected for its documented advanced-elective structure, multiple approved capstone formats and transcripted options in semiconductor engineering and machine learning. The review also considers first-year progression and the program-specific billing lookup. The selected position does not imply a comparison with unreviewed Wisconsin institutions.
Undergraduate engineering rate by residency and credit load
Cost basis & conditions +
The bursar calculates tuition by academic program, credits and residency. Its tuition workbook provides a program-and-degree-level lookup and includes segregated fees in the rates. Select Electrical Engineering BS for the current undergraduate engineering charge, then add living expenses and other applicable costs.
Wisconsin–Madison combines a specified electrical core with a substantial advanced-elective block and several approved capstone formats. The current catalog's 120–121-credit requirement includes 24 electrical advanced-elective credits, with separate rules for upper-level work, laboratory experience and advanced mathematics. You can also pursue a transcripted named option in Semiconductor Engineering or Machine Learning and Data Science within the electrical degree. The choice of advanced courses matters more than the option label alone: students should map the mathematics condition and selected capstone against the rest of their technical plan.
Where it stands out
Madison is worth considering if you want to connect a broad electrical foundation with semiconductor devices or mathematical approaches to machine learning. Capstone choices include embedded microprocessor design, mobile computing, digital engineering and a general electrical/computer engineering design course, giving you several documented ways to organize the final project experience.
What to weigh
First-year direct admission is followed by engineering progression requirements, and later cross-campus entry has its own limits and competitive review. Named options use elective space within the degree. Tuition also depends on the exact undergraduate program and residency, so select the electrical engineering row in the bursar's current workbook before comparing costs.
The current catalog totals 120–121 credits, including 32 electrical core credits,24 electrical advanced-elective credits and nine professional-elective credits.
Advanced choices must meet the catalog’s upper-level electrical, laboratory, capstone and advanced-mathematics conditions.
Semiconductor Engineering and Machine Learning and Data Science are named options within the electrical BS.
Admission & progression
First-year applicants must list an engineering major as their first choice to be considered for direct admission to the college.
Directly admitted students must satisfy first-year progression requirements to guarantee advancement in their program.
Cross-campus admission requires a separate application and has limits on application attempts and earned UW–Madison credits. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
Design & practical experience
Approved capstones include Embedded Microprocessor System Design, Mobile Computing Laboratory, Capstone Design in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Digital Engineering Laboratory.
The curriculum requires electrical laboratory work in addition to the selected capstone.
Approved independent study or research can contribute to the advanced-elective block within the catalog limits.
What matters in electrical engineering bachelor’s programs in Wisconsin
Advanced course structure
Electives must meet defined electrical, laboratory and mathematics requirements instead of functioning as unrestricted credits.
Capstone format
The catalog names several project and laboratory courses that can satisfy the final design requirement.
Admission and billing route
Direct admission, later progression and the exact undergraduate tuition category need separate attention.
Electrical engineering capstone choices at Madison
The current electrical catalog lists Embedded Microprocessor System Design, Mobile Computing Laboratory, Capstone Design in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Digital Engineering Laboratory as approved capstone choices. That menu lets you ask how a particular technical direction would be expressed in the final design experience. It also makes prerequisites important: a preferred project course must fit the preceding advanced-elective plan.
The degree includes twenty-four electrical advanced-elective credits and nine professional-elective credits. Advanced courses must satisfy the catalog's upper-level electrical, laboratory and advanced-mathematics conditions. Some mathematics choices count as professional electives, while designated electrical courses can satisfy the mathematics condition within the advanced-elective block. Map those conditions explicitly with an advisor so that an elective plan covers every requirement without assuming the categories are interchangeable.
Semiconductor and machine-learning options in Wisconsin
Madison's Semiconductor Engineering named option uses elective space within the electrical BS to focus on semiconductor devices and systems. The Machine Learning and Data Science option provides a different direction through mathematics, tools and engineering applications. These are named options associated with the electrical degree, rather than separate bachelor’s programs that should be combined into a larger apparent program count.
The required electrical foundation still matters when you choose an option. The curriculum covers signals, circuits, electronics, digital systems, fields and devices before the advanced phase. If you want to connect electronic control with physical machines, compare those electrical requirements with mechanical engineering curricula and the degree routes explained at Mechatronics Programs. The useful distinction is which required courses and laboratories prepare you for the work you want, not simply which option has the newest-sounding title.
Madison electrical admission, progression and tuition
First-year applicants must indicate an engineering major as their first choice to be considered for direct admission to the college. Direct admission starts a student in the selected engineering program, but progression requirements still apply at the end of the first year. Cross-campus entry follows a separate application process, with limits on attempts and earned Madison credits. Meeting the published minimums does not guarantee an offer through that route.
The bursar's tuition workbook lets students search by program and degree level. Rates depend on academic program, credits and residency, and the displayed tuition rates include segregated fees. Select the electrical BS category for the correct undergraduate engineering charge, then add living costs and other applicable expenses. The cost guide, national electrical rankings and methodology can help you put that offer alongside the academic features of another program.
Questions, answered
What else should you know?
Which electrical engineering degree programs in Wisconsin are reviewed here?+
This selection reviews the Madison electrical BS, including its current course requirements, named options and admission pathways. Other Wisconsin campuses and related awards require their own program-level review.
Does the current Madison electrical catalog require exactly 120 credits?+
The catalog’s course table totals 120–121 credits because the approved science choice can change the total. Use the current requirement table and your own degree audit when planning completion.
Are the semiconductor and machine-learning options separate degrees?+
They are named options within the electrical engineering BS. Their required courses use elective space in that degree. Review the complete option plan to understand how it changes advanced course choices.
Does direct admission remove Madison’s first-year progression requirements?+
No. The catalog states that directly admitted students must meet progression requirements at the end of the first year to guarantee advancement in their selected engineering program.
Keep researching
Choosing a electrical engineering degree
Learn what an electrical engineering degree covers, including circuits, signals, lab work and design, plus admissions, transfer and online study.
