UW-La Crosse has appeared prominently on the U.S. News & World Report list of “America’s Best Colleges” for more than a decade and is ranked consistently as one of the top institutions in the Midwest. With a student population of roughly 10,000, the university offers 85 undergraduate programs in 29 disciplines and a variety of graduate programs in three colleges: Liberal Studies, Science and Health, and Business Administration, including the School of Arts & Communication and the School of Education. There are nearly 419 full-time faculty and instructional academic staff, 76 percent of whom hold terminal degrees. UW-La Crosse boasts a retention rate (freshmen returning as sophomores) of 85 percent, graduation rate (degree within six years) of 69 percent, and is among only 12 institutions cited nationally by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities for its success in linking campus culture and university leadership to outstanding graduation rates.