Plymouth, Wis. | Winter 2022-23
Use the links below to learn about all of the exciting things happening at Lakeland!
For the fourth consecutive year, Lakeland University is among the top schools in Wisconsin and the Midwest in advancing social mobility for its students, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 list of Best Colleges.
The ranking continues to reflect the popularity of LU’s award-winning Cooperative Education program for current and incoming students. Lakeland’s Co-Op program allows undergraduate students to earn academic credit for reflection on their professional work experience in full- and part-time positions with Co-Op partner companies. For many students, these jobs allow them to earn wages that can be used to pay their tuition, which helps position them for financial independence after graduation.
Founded in 1991, Lakeland is the only private, American liberal arts university in Japan and one of just two American universities in Japan.
A two-year institution for its first 30 years, LUJ will start immediately offering its students the B.A. in Business Administration, focusing on communication, hospitality management and international business.
This creates a new study abroad opportunity for students attending Lakeland – allowing students to immerse themselves in another culture by living and learning in Japan.
Elkhart Lake celebrated its inaugural Elktoberfest earlier this year, which was a culmination of the efforts of a successful partnership between the Elkhart Lake Chamber, Elkhart Lake Tourism and a talented group of Lakeland University marketing students.
Lakeland students researched Octoberfest celebrations held all over the world, and generated ideas to match Elkhart Lake’s goal of hosting a family friendly event. Event organizers came to class three times to share ideas for a final plan presentation from students.
Lakeland’s bachelor of fine arts in creative writing has been selected for creativewritingedu.org’s national list of the most affordable creative writing bachelor’s and master’s programs for 2022.
The ranking says this about Lakeland’s program, which is the only one of its kind in Wisconsin: “Lakeland University’s BFA in Creative Writing is priced right and designed as a comprehensive course of study that prepares students for exciting careers in fields like creative writing, editing, and publishing. Students in this program complete three tiers of creative writing workshops that are taught by an experienced faculty of published writers and poets.”
Lakeland University provides several pathways for students to complete a bachelor’s degree. Riley Jahnke has traveled most of them during her LU experience.
Before graduating from Howards Grove High School, Jahnke completed 32 college credits by taking Concurrent Academic Progress Program (CAPP) courses, which allow high students to simultaneously earn high school and college credits.
She enrolled at Lakeland as a sophomore, and immediately took advantage of LU’s Cooperative Education program, which allows students to work full- and part-time jobs with partner companies, earn academic credit for their work and put their wages toward paying for school.
Jahnke, who attends Lakeland as a commuter, takes full advantage of Lakeland’s flexible course platforms as she’s taken face-to-face courses, online live classes and fully online classes, which allows her to work during the day.
She’s also a key member of the Lakeland women’s soccer team, having started each game for the Muskies since her freshman season and earning Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Scholar-Athlete honors in her first two seasons.
Lakeland University’s accounting program continues to put its students on track to successful careers while helping them manage post-graduation debt.
In a survey of 28 recent Lakeland accounting program graduates who attended the main campus as full-time students, 12 of 27 (44%, one did not respond) reported graduating with zero student loan debt. The remaining students had a median post-graduation student loan debt of $11,000, well below Wisconsin’s average of $31,894.
Additionally, 13 of the 28 graduates (46%) completed their bachelor’s degree in less than four years.
This fall, Lakeland opened two brand new, state-of-the-art residence halls for freshmen and sophomores.
