US News & World Report recently released its annual rankings of national doctoral universities, and one finding of the survey is particularly disturbing: not a single public university cracked the top 20.

University of Wisconsin-Madison, sharing the No. 32 ranking with Brandeis University and New York University, comes in as the No. 7 public school overall. These are both familiar spots for the university, which has hovered around this ranking for the past several years. When viewed without a larger context, these numbers indicate little more than a continuation of the status quo. But the numbers tell a different story.

US News & World Report bases their survey on 18 factors, from graduation rates to admissions selectivity. In most of these areas, UW and the six public universities placing in front of it, rank competitively with the numerous private universities that top the overall list. But those wondering how not a single public institution of higher education — long sources of state pride — could crack the top 20 overall schools can look at one critical ranking: financial resources.

Being the No. 32 college in America certainly shows some room for improvement, but being the No. 49 school when it comes to financial resources shows a lot more room for improvement. In fact, in this category, once again, not a single public university managed to place in the top 20.

Gov. Jim Doyle saw little problem in reneging on his campaign promises and slashing state funding for higher education last year. While convicted felons in the prison system saw new streams of cash, sifting and winnowing students in Madison saw a thinner timetable.

The steady ranking of UW is truly a testament to how Bascom has persevered in the face of an assault from those at the other end of State Street. But the question must be asked: just how prestigious could UW become if state legislators gave it the funding that a tier-one university deserves?

With such a tight correlation between funding rankings and overall rankings amongst the premiere public universities, one must wonder why lawmakers across the country don’t want the young adults of their state receiving an education just as good as that offered at a private university.