Milwaukee Public High School Elite College Placement Index

Primary Data Sources

• Publicly Available School Profiles & Matriculation Lists: The most detailed data comes from high-achieving high schools and districts that voluntarily compile and publish multi-year lists of their graduates' college destinations. These are the gold standard for specific placements but are not universally available.
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Data Portals: Provides foundational data on school demographics, graduation rates, and postsecondary readiness indicators.
• University System Data: Public data from the University of Wisconsin System on applications, admissions, and enrollments from Wisconsin high schools.

Secondary & Supporting Sources

• Third-Party Data Aggregators: Platforms like Niche.com and U.S. News compile data from various sources, including user surveys and public records. This data is used for cross-referencing and modeling, particularly for out-of-state and private university placements.

Important Disclaimer

All data presented on this website is illustrative and for modeling purposes only, reflecting the 2020-2025 period. The list of schools is representative, not exhaustive. The matriculation numbers, percentages, and top destinations are synthesized estimates designed to reflect likely outcomes based on a school's demographic profile and available data. They are not official, verified counts from the schools themselves unless otherwise noted. Families should always consult a school's official profile and speak with school counselors for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

ECPI Score Components & Weighting

The total ECPI score is a weighted average of five components, each scaled to a 0-100 score to ensure comparability.

• T25 National University Matriculation (35%): Based on the percentage of graduates attending a Top 25 National University.
• T15 Liberal Arts College Matriculation (15%): Based on the percentage of graduates attending a Top 15 Liberal Arts College.
• Top In-State University Matriculation (20%): Based on the percentage of graduates attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• Other 4-Year University Matriculation (10%): Based on the percentage of graduates attending other four-year universities.
• College Readiness Score (20%): Based on an internal score reflecting ACT/SAT scores and AP course participation and success.

Psychometric & Mean Scaling

A simple weighted average can be misleading. To solve this, we use a two-step scaling process:

1. Normalization (0-100 Scale): For each of the five components, we analyze the range of scores across all schools in our database. Each school's raw score is then scaled to a value between 0 and 100. A school with the lowest raw score in a category receives a 0, the highest receives a 100, and all others are scaled proportionally. This converts raw data into a standardized measure of performance relative to peers.
2. Mean Adjustment (Target Mean of 70): After calculating an initial ECPI score based on the weighted average of the scaled components, we calculate the mean of all these scores across all schools. We then apply a linear adjustment to every school's score to shift the overall average to a target of 70. This final step standardizes the index, making 70 the benchmark for a "strong" performance within the Milwaukee context and making scores more intuitive to interpret year-over-year.