"I think the teachers are the number one. The teachers actually care about you and they help you in class," said Brad Roessler, SNC Freshman from Chicago.

"The education program here is really, they start you off with student teaching really early," said Victoria Wienser, SNC Freshman from Mequon.

Lawrence University in Appleton ranked 56th among the nation's 150 top colleges in the national survey. Among regional colleges, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh ranked in the top 70. Current students say it's for a good reason.

"I've done group work with outside companies. It's neat to get thrown into the real world," said Kate Dreweck, UWGB sophomore from New Franken.

"It's not too big and the tuition is not too high," said Xin Zhang, UWGB freshman from China.

And one local high school counselor says such rankings can benefit students looking for opportunities close to home.

"When a student can do an internship or network in the community...they have those networks and connections," said Holly Magness, a counselor at Green Bay West High School.

 And that gives employers well qualified candidates that know the area.