Founded in 1848, the University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public US research university. It was the first public university established in Wisconsin and remains the oldest and largest public university in the state. It is a big university, with more than 45000 students enrolled. The university is one of the twelve founding members of the Association of American Universities, a selective group of major research universities in North America. It is classified as a R1 research university, and its research and development expenditures amount to more than $1 billion per year, making it the eighth-highest one among US universities. University of Wisconsin–Madison is ranked among the top 50-100 universities in the world by every major international ranking, even in every subject area provided by QS World Universities Ranking, making it a top-notch encompassing institution.
