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Old Waukesha County Courthouse - corner view 2012Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Waukesha

Waukesha is home to Carroll University

Carroll University (3,128 students on campus) is inside the city, and Waukesha County Technical College (7,324) is 4.3 miles from the center, in Pewaukee. About 8% of Waukesha’s residents are enrolled in college, above Wisconsin (6%).

Carroll UniversityWaukesha County Technical College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Waukesha. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
10
16,955 students on campus
Nearest college
0.9 mi
Carroll University
Residents in college
8%
Above WI (6%)
Nearest community college
4.3 mi
Waukesha County Technical College · $4,872 tuition
Nearest public university
19 mi
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee · $10,398 in-state
Median household income
$84K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in Waukesha

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

Two colleges within 4.3 milesCarroll University admits 67% of applicants. Together they have 10,452 students on campus.A community college 4.3 miles awayWaukesha County Technical College in Pewaukee: tuition and fees $4,872 a year for Wisconsin residents.In-state price at University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeLiving in Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee charges $10,398 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $22,398. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 8% of residentsAbove Wisconsin (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Waukesha

Nine private colleges within 14.3 miles, and Waukesha County Technical College 4.3 miles away. The nearest public four-year college, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is 19 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miWaukesha County Technical CollegeCarroll UniversityMedical College of WisconsinWaukesha
University or collegeCommunity college
Carroll UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,128 on campus · In Waukesha67%admitted$15knet price71%graduate$58kearningsWaukesha County Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · 7,324 on campus · 4.3 mi · Pewaukee$11knet price44%graduate$47kearningsTuition and fees: $4,872 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Herzing University-BrookfieldUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 216 on campus · 7 mi · Brookfield93%admitted$21knet price42%graduate$37kearningsEarnings are reported for all 11 campuses that file with it.Bryant & Stratton College-WauwatosaUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 952 on campus · 10.1 mi · Wauwatosa$15knet price20%graduate$33kearningsEarnings are reported for all 8 campuses that file with it.Nashotah HouseUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 108 on campus · 10.3 mi · NashotahGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Wisconsin Lutheran CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,042 on campus · 11.4 mi · Milwaukee78%admitted$23knet price64%graduate$55kearningsMedical College of WisconsinUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,590 on campus · 11.5 mi · MilwaukeeGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Mount Mary UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,112 on campus · 11.7 mi · Milwaukee62%admitted$20knet price43%graduate$49kearningsSacred Heart Seminary and School of TheologyUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 147 on campus · 12.2 mi · FranklinGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Alverno CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,336 on campus · 14.3 mi · Milwaukee86%admitted$23knet price49%graduate$53kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Waukesha’s median household income ($83,837) falls.

Waukesha County Technical College4.3 mi · Pewaukee · sticker $15,531 · tuition $4,872$12,391a year
Carroll UniversityIn Waukesha · sticker $52,639$15,730a year
Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa10.1 mi · Wauwatosa · sticker $26,292$18,334a year
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee19 mi · Milwaukee · sticker $22,756$19,315a year
Wisconsin Lutheran College11.4 mi · Milwaukee · sticker $48,785$20,475a year
Mount Mary University11.7 mi · Milwaukee · sticker $49,270$20,584a year
Alverno College14.3 mi · Milwaukee · sticker $51,362$24,788a year
Herzing University-Brookfield7 mi · Brookfield · sticker $27,844—a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Carroll UniversityWaukesha County Technical CollegeMount Mary UniversityAlverno CollegeUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee49% graduate$55k earnings*$23k typical debt
Waukesha County Technical College44% graduate$47k earnings$12k typical debt
Carroll University71% graduate$58k earnings$27k typical debt
Alverno College49% graduate$53k earnings$27k typical debt
Mount Mary University43% graduate$49k earnings$25k typical debt
Wisconsin Lutheran College64% graduate$55k earnings$26k typical debt
Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa20% graduate$33k earnings*$22k typical debt
Herzing University-Brookfield42% graduate$37k earnings*$22k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Herzing University-Brookfield (11); Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa (8); University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2).

Majors

What students study in Waukesha

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Carroll University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Health professions 25%Parks & recreation 19%Business 12%Biology 10%Education 10%Psychology 6%Everything else 19%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing128 graduates a year
$79k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness118 graduates a year
$77k4 yrs out
Psychology, General64 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations42 graduates a year
$65k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods40 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Zoology/Animal Biology34 graduates a year
$40k4 yrs out
Health and Medical Administrative Services29 graduates a year
$67k4 yrs out
Biology, General26 graduates a year
$67k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Waukesha

Is Waukesha a college town?

No. About 8 of every 100 Waukesha residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), above Wisconsin (6). The largest campus in the city, Carroll University, has 3,128 students on campus.

What colleges are in Waukesha?

Carroll University is inside the city. Waukesha County Technical College is 4.3 miles from the center, in Pewaukee.

What is the closest community college to Waukesha, and what does it cost?

Waukesha County Technical College in Pewaukee, 4.3 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,872 a year for Wisconsin residents; the federal net price, $11,101, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee cost if we live in Wisconsin?

Tuition and fees are $10,398 a year in-state and $22,398 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $10,329 (under $30,000 income) to $21,477 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Waukesha. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →