UW–Madison again named a ‘new Ivy’ by Forbes

The university was selected as one of the best in the country at "preparing and graduating the talent" that meets today's workforce needs.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has again been named a "new Ivy" by Forbes magazine, honored as one of 10 public and 10 private universities across the United States that are best "preparing and graduating the talent that employers will see in this new era."

UW-Madison was also included on the Forbes list of "new Ivies" producing top job prospects in 2024. This year, however, the rise of artificial intelligence and its impact on future talent and hiring needs of business played a key role in the determination of the top 20. The honorees were chosen with the help of a survey of more than 100 C-suite and hiring executives, who were asked to rate schools while also explaining how AI was changing their outlook on the hiring of new grads.

Forbes reported a shift in the business world's perceptions. "The most promising talents today are beginning to emerge from institutions that prioritize intellectual rigor over inherited prestige," one of the survey's C-suite respondents noted. The ideal graduate entering the workforce in the age of AI will be grounded in an education that emphasizes the very human traits of "complex emotional intelligence, radical adaptability and visionary creativity to orchestrate AI tools rather than compete with them," the respondent told Forbes.

The 20 "new Ivies" on Forbes' list are in the forefront of preparing their graduates for these shifts. UW-Madison, for example, has made AI a priority with its RISE-AI Initiative. On July 1, the university will open the doors of its new College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, building on decades of investment in scholarship, research and teaching and the university's strengths in computer, data, library and information sciences and statistics. Meanwhile, AI expertise spans the university : Faculty and researchers across schools and colleges are approaching AI from different angles, from business and engineering to health care and public systems. And UW-Madison's AI Hub for Business is also forging strong partnerships with Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller enterprises.

"We are looking to build a future that belongs to all of us: preparing our students, strengthening our research, serving our state and fulfilling the Wisconsin Idea in the digital age," says Provost John Zumbrunnen. "With its strong tradition of cross-campus collaboration, its broad and interdisciplinary experience for students, and its robust partnerships with people and industries across the state, nation and world, the university continues to explore the intersection of the computing and data sciences with the arts, sciences, humanities and the social sciences, all of which are key to a strong future."

UW-Madison was one of four Big Ten schools named to the list, joining Northwestern University, the University of Michigan and Purdue University as one of the 20 public and private "new Ivies."

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