University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, Wisconsin · Public, a large city · 36,902 undergraduates
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Is it hard to get into Wisconsin?
The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.
Acceptance rate
45.2%
63,505 applied
SAT, middle half
1380 to 1520
Reading plus math, out of 1600
ACT, middle half
29 to 33
Composite, out of 36
Test scores this year
Optional: considered if sent
29% of admitted students enrolled
- What they look at
- High school GPARequired
- Class rankConsidered
- Courses takenRequired
- College-prep programRequired
- RecommendationsRequired
- EssayRequired
How much does Wisconsin cost?
Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.
Tuition and fees, Wisconsin residents
$12,166
Tuition and fees, out of state
$44,191
A full year, sticker price
$29,943
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$16,600
Students who got federal aid
What a year cost, by family income
| Family income | Average paid after grants |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $3,424 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $3,837 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $6,026 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $15,839 |
| Over $110,000 | $28,208 |
- Room and board on campus
- $14,520 a year
- Books and supplies
- $1,800 a year
- The school's own grants
- 32% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $12,811
Tuition over the years
Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.
How much do Wisconsin students borrow?
Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.
Typical debt at graduation
$18,375
About $209 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
20.4%
Get a Pell Grant
18.8%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
3.4%
What do Wisconsin graduates earn?
Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.
Six years after starting
$67,591
Ten years after starting
$80,330
Middle half: $56,960 to $116,626
Best-paid program, five years out
$163,185
Computer Engineering
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$47,904
Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management
Do Wisconsin students finish?
Of the students who started full time, first time.
Back for second year
96.2%
Graduate in six years
89.8%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
90% graduated
6% transferred, 0% still enrolled
Who goes to Wisconsin?
Women
53.4%
First in their family at college
16.8%
Part-time
4.6%
Students per teacher
18
- Background
- White 59%, Hispanic 9%, Black 3%, Asian 11%, Two or more 5%, International 10%
- Housing
- Campus housing, 8,949 beds
What do Wisconsin graduates earn, by program?
Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.
Computer science
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 1,739 | $86,643 | $131,024 | $15,000 |
| Information Science/Studies | 40 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Engineering
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Engineering | 78 | $71,101 | $87,132 | $14,885 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 252 | $79,909 | $111,478 | $21,500 |
| Chemical Engineering | 222 | $88,450 | $104,090 | $19,500 |
| Civil Engineering | 176 | $71,989 | $96,329 | $18,500 |
| Computer Engineering | 240 | $90,524 | $163,185 | $15,000 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 197 | $85,353 | $108,835 | $20,500 |
| Engineering Mechanics | 73 | $76,121 | $97,254 | $25,498 |
| Engineering Physics | 9 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Engineering, Other | 4 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 10 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Geological/Geophysical Engineering | 19 | Hidden | $84,274 | Hidden |
| Industrial Engineering | 204 | $83,954 | $124,488 | $19,750 |
| Materials Engineering | 64 | $77,204 | $91,112 | $27,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 472 | $79,801 | $98,620 | $18,000 |
| Nuclear Engineering | 20 | Hidden | $103,739 | Hidden |
Business and commerce
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | 232 | $69,389 | $106,256 | $19,500 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 445 | $69,386 | $94,656 | $17,510 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 1,101 | $71,913 | $119,644 | $17,750 |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | 505 | $58,551 | $83,565 | $14,567 |
| Insurance | 210 | $80,508 | $114,304 | $15,000 |
| International Business | 98 | $72,575 | $110,708 | $16,724 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | 105 | $87,860 | Hidden | $14,000 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 122 | $84,089 | $119,469 | $15,949 |
| Marketing | 495 | $67,255 | $101,062 | $15,750 |
| Real Estate | 342 | $75,375 | $139,874 | $15,000 |
Nursing
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 424 | $81,305 | $89,143 | $19,500 |
Health sciences and kinesiology
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 170 | $30,951 | $64,304 | $18,423 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | 75 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 67 | $41,683 | $66,742 | $19,500 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 400 | $38,494 | $80,188 | $17,800 |
Life sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Business and Management | 67 | $56,426 | $85,205 | Hidden |
| Agricultural Public Services | 115 | $46,367 | $67,037 | $14,186 |
| Animal Sciences | 73 | $41,283 | $65,273 | $18,869 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 391 | $44,425 | $72,665 | $20,740 |
| Biology, General | 833 | $41,194 | $76,839 | $17,097 |
| Botany/Plant Biology | 36 | Hidden | $57,192 | Hidden |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 162 | $40,370 | $51,094 | $14,990 |
| Food Science and Technology | 33 | $57,824 | $85,464 | Hidden |
| Forestry | 9 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Genetics | 192 | $43,621 | $69,334 | $19,070 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 112 | $47,629 | $68,105 | $20,500 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 347 | $45,219 | $56,592 | $17,653 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 560 | $39,505 | $69,529 | $20,500 |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology | 42 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Plant Sciences | 38 | $34,612 | $65,073 | Hidden |
| Soil Sciences | 4 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | 48 | $34,869 | $47,904 | $13,500 |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | 111 | $33,404 | $59,228 | $20,500 |
Math and physical sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Mathematics | 21 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 61 | $42,730 | Hidden | $19,882 |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | 31 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Chemistry | 152 | $51,795 | $69,159 | $21,000 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 43 | Hidden | $69,785 | Hidden |
| Mathematics | 435 | $64,314 | $93,581 | $15,000 |
| Physics | 100 | $53,377 | $78,654 | $20,375 |
| Statistics | 167 | $66,485 | Hidden | $17,165 |
Arts and humanities
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 5 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 27 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 45 | Hidden | $61,157 | Hidden |
| English Language and Literature, General | 220 | $37,625 | $59,483 | $16,700 |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 20 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| History | 284 | $42,880 | $63,022 | $17,437 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 48 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Philosophy | 138 | $41,092 | $63,718 | $19,500 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 17 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 304 | $39,594 | $65,968 | $16,899 |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 23 | Hidden | $81,198 | Hidden |
Education (teaching)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education, Other | 0 | $52,647 | Hidden | Hidden |
| Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education | 85 | $41,922 | Hidden | Hidden |
| Special Education and Teaching | 61 | $49,692 | $51,754 | $15,654 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 209 | $48,054 | $52,523 | $12,010 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 56 | $47,360 | Hidden | $18,500 |
Fine and performing arts
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dance | 24 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Design and Applied Arts | 60 | $53,850 | $68,708 | Hidden |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 26 | Hidden | $60,298 | Hidden |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 147 | $38,177 | $50,454 | $16,750 |
| Music | 59 | $26,871 | Hidden | Hidden |
Architecture and design
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape Architecture | 45 | Hidden | $70,859 | $20,501 |
General arts and science (major chosen later)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Science | 731 | $87,360 | Hidden | $18,686 |
| Geography and Environmental Studies | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| International/Globalization Studies | 214 | $45,018 | $72,020 | $14,750 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 2 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Nutrition Sciences | 121 | $44,129 | $65,147 | $20,500 |
| Sustainability Studies | 229 | Hidden | Hidden | $19,000 |
Compare Wisconsin with other universities
Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.
Where these numbers come from
College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.
How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.
Careerhelp is not affiliated with University of Wisconsin-Madison. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.
Social sciences