Your Assignment: Choosing a School

It's School Time! 

It's August which means the end of summer is coming up quickly. Before you know it you'll be sending your children off to school for yet another great year of learning. If you're new to the area or thinking about relocating here, we thought now would be the perfect time to give you a brief rundown of the Milwaukee-area schools, colleges, and universities. If there's one thing Wisconsin residents take pride in, it's their schools!

Public Schools

Milwaukee has endless options when it comes to public schools, and Wisconsin schools have consistently been ranked among the best in the country. In Milwaukee County, school districts are "unified," which means they include elementary, middle and high schools. In suburban counties, however, it is not uncommon to have separate school districts for elementary and high schools. In these situations, several elementary school districts will feed into a single high school district.  There's something that fits everyone's needs. While this might seem like a lot to choose from the charts in our publication lays it all out for you so you can be confident in your final decision. 

Parochial Schools

It's also important not to overlook an interesting feature of ours here in Wisconsin. As a state, we strive to provide for everyone in our community and that is why we have a plethora of private parochial schools for those that want to offer their family a faith-centered, values-based education. Three main religions that these schools divide into are Roman Catholic, Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, and Lutheran Church - Wisconsin Synod. Marquette University High School is an example of a high school that fits underneath this type of school. If you'd like for more information on these schools flip to page 58 of our publication where we tell you exactly where to find all of the information you need on parochial schools.

Private, Independent Schools 

Milwaukee also has high quality, private non-sectarian, college-preparatory schools, including three that offer classes from kindergarten through 12th grade. Today, we'll look at four of them and what they have to offer. First up, the University School of Milwaukee. This school has got some pretty impressive statistics, with 100% of their enrollment attending college and an average of 29.5 on the ACT. Another unique school is Brookfield Academy, a preprimary through high school. With the average student to teacher ratio being 9:1, it's a great way to get hands-on teaching. With their college attendance also falling at 100% and the ACT score average being 28.1, they're a great choice of school for your child(ren) to attend. University Lake School is no different with 100% college attendance and an amazing average of 28 for their ACT. Located in Hartland, Wisconsin it's a perfect school for all of your children whether they need the preprimary or 12th grade. Lastly, there is The Prairie School who has the lowest student to teacher ratio being 7:1 a great plus for your children's education. 

Homeschooling

If you've made the decision to home-school your child, you will need to complete a form and submit it to the state Department of Public Instruction.  In addition, there are two home-based schooling associations that can provide assistance: Wisconsin Parents Association and the Wisconsin Christian Home Educators Association. If you'd like to know more, click here.

Colleges & Universities

When it comes to colleges and universities, Milwaukee also has several, with the largest being the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and Marquette University. These universities have a plethora of education to offer from majors like urban planning all the way to freshwater sciences. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, specifically, has more than 30,000 students in 150 different undergraduate and graduate degree programs and Marquette University offers more than 10,000 students a wide array of academic choices and more than 60 majors through its nationally-recognized colleges and schools. In addition, more than 2,600 students attend the Milwaukee School of Engineering, a private college with strong ties to the business community.

Wisconsin’s vocational education program was the first of its kind when it was established in 1908; today, there are more than 30,000 students in degree and certificate programs combined between Milwaukee Area Technical College in Milwaukee and Ozaukee counties, Waukesha County Technical College in Waukesha County, the Moraine Park Technical College in Washington County and Gateway Technical College in Racine County. These schools have developed apprenticeship programs and customized training for businesses.

Do Your Homework!

The Milwaukee area is home to a wide array of education options and it's important to do your homework before choosing the best option for you and your family. We strive to make the decision as stress-free as we can and have charts laid out to compare the schools and their districts so that you can easily see where your family is the best fit. Click here to order your free copy. If you'd like to view the digital copy instead, we've got you covered, just click here.