UW Ranks High for Research News | November 30, 2024 | 0 | by Morgan McCarthy UW-Madison ranks sixth in research among U.S. colleges and universities. The National Science Foundation announced its rankings of 920 public and private universities. The rankings are based on total research and development expenditures. UW-Madison, which previously ranked eighth, spent one-point-seven-million-dollars on R-and-D during the last fiscal year.