Baraboo, Wis. – In May 2026, the University of Wisconsin‑Platteville Baraboo Sauk County campus, affectionately known as “Boo U,” closed its doors after nearly six decades of service. The shutdown forced students to scramble for transfers and left faculty and staff seeking new positions within the UW system.
Trend of branch‑campus closures
Since 2023, the UW system has permanently closed eight of its 13 branch campuses. The remaining five two‑year colleges, which traditionally provide an affordable, liberal‑arts on‑ramp for rural and first‑generation students, now face an uncertain future.
Impact on students and community
At the time of its closure, Boo U enrolled just 100 students, down from more than 500 a decade earlier. Declining enrollment reduced tuition revenue, making it impossible to cover facility, staff and infrastructure costs.
Former state legislator Karen DeSanto, who represents Baraboo, described the campus’s loss as a “memorial” to a place that shaped lives in the community. Former faculty member Dan Kallgren, who taught the final class at UW‑Marinette, warned that rural students now lack a supportive, low‑cost stepping stone to four‑year universities.
Underlying causes
UW officials cite a statewide enrollment decline of more than 10 % since 2010, with the steepest drops at two‑year schools. Budget cuts that began under former Republican Governor Scott Walker in 2015, combined with tuition freezes, left the system among the nation’s worst‑funded public universities.
In 2017 the UW system merged its two‑year colleges into regional branches of four‑year universities. This merger intensified competition for students, as larger campuses relaxed admissions standards to attract enrollments that previously went to the two‑year colleges.
Official response and community concerns
UW administrators argue that students still have ample options, citing 13 four‑year universities and 16 technical colleges across Wisconsin. Critics, however, contend that the loss of local liberal‑arts campuses eliminates a vital “try‑out” environment for rural youth.
Education researcher Nicholas Hillman notes that most students attend a college within 20 miles of home, and that distance dramatically reduces enrollment odds. He warns that the closures are creating “education deserts” in parts of the state.
Broader implications
Professors such as Douglas Haynes of UW‑Oshkosh argue that the shrinking of low‑cost rural campuses widens the gap between affluent students at flagship institutions like UW‑Madison and those from poorer, rural backgrounds. The trend may also exacerbate Wisconsin’s high “brain drain,” as fewer local options push young residents to leave the state for education and employment.
Community members like Alex Stevens, who grew up in nearby Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, credit the nearby two‑year campus for providing an affordable, accessible path to higher education. With those doors closing, families face higher costs and longer commutes to pursue a degree.
As the UW system reevaluates its footprint, local leaders and families are urging policymakers to consider the long‑term effects on rural economies, family stability, and the state’s future workforce.
Original reporting: Wisconsin Watch — read the source article.
