The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is one of the 13 four-year campuses in the reputable University of Wisconsin System with an enrollment around 8,700. With roots in physical education and teaching, the university's notoriety has grown to include nearly 80 undergraduate programs in four colleges—Business Administration; Liberal Studies; Science and Allied Health; and Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Microbiology and physical education are designated by the UW System Centers of Excellence, the College of Business Administration holds national accreditation, and the 119 acre campus offers Wisconsin's only nationally-accredited degrees in recreation management and therapeutic recreation, the UW System's only nuclear medicine technology program (affiliated with Gundersen Lutheran), and the Midwest's only undergraduate archaeology major. Master's degrees are offered in 18 disciplines. UW-L has joined the city's other two institutions of higher education and the region's medical facilities to form a consortium to bring cutting-edge health care to the region, along with a state-of-the-art health research and education facility for professionals and students.
Viterbo University, a private, four-year liberal arts college, is growing. Full-time enrollment is up nearly fifty percent in just five years and now stands near 1,600. It has been steadily expanding both its programs and campus facilities. Viterbo offers 35 different major programs including pre-professional studies in dentistry, engineering, law, medicine and pharmacy, plus a master's degree graduate program in education. Viterbo is best known for its magnificent Fine Arts Center, which hosts some of the world's most acclaimed artists and performers, and for its superb nursing and business programs.
Western Technical College is a public two-year college with a focus on technical education. Its mission is to provide affordable, quality educational opportunities that are designed to create a balance between the individual needs of students and the needs of business and industry. The college has an annual enrollment of approximately 8,000 credit students and 12,000 non-credit students. The average age of WTC's credit and non-credit student is 36. WTC offers more than 60 state-of-the-art associate degrees and technical diploma programs. Each semester, the college also offers numerous classes and programs for the working adult who wants or needs certification, updated job skills, or exploration into a new career. The WTC distance education telecommunications system links the La Crosse campus with its six extended education campuses at Black River Falls, Independence, Mauston, Sparta, Tomah and Viroqua, as well as five state universities. The college's Economic Development Division provides specialized training and technical assistance to business and industry. WTC is also a center for apprenticeship training. Many students in western Wisconsin are now able to explore career options before they graduate from high school through youth apprenticeship opportunities facilitated by the Western School-to-Work Consortium.