Founded in 1866, UW-Platteville has been excelling in education for almost 150 years. In 1959 two early institutions of mining and education merged to become the Wisconsin State College and Institute of Technology at Platteville. During the 1960s, the college experienced a period of rapid growth resulting in the construction of several new halls. In 1966, the name was changed again to the Wisconsin State University-Platteville. The university and all other public institutions of higher education in Wisconsin merged in 1971 to form the UW System, governed by a single Board of Regents. As a result of the merger, the university experienced its most recent name change to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

UW-Platteville offers associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees from the following schools and colleges:

• College of Business, Industry, Life Science, and Agriculture
• College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Science
• College of Liberal Arts and Education

Recognized as a leader in distance education for more than 35 years, UW-Platteville offers five master's degrees 100% online in engineering, project management, criminal justice, integrated supply chain management, and organizational change leadership, along with bachelor's degrees in business administration and criminal justice at a distance.