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Madison , WI
The University of Wisconsin-Madison, located in Madison, Wisconsin, is often considered one of the top public research universities in the United States. Established in 1848, it is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System and offers a wide range of academic programs across various fields. With its sprawling campus spread over 936 acres, UW-Madison provides a vibrant and lively atmosphere for its diverse student population of over 45,000.
Academically, UW-Madison boasts a strong reputation for its research programs, particularly in the fields of agriculture, business, engineering, health sciences, and humanities. The university offers more than 130 undergraduate majors, giving students the opportunity to explore and specialize in their areas of interest. Additionally, UW-Madison is known for its strong graduate programs, offering over 150 master's and doctoral degree programs.
Beyond its academic offerings, UW-Madison provides its students with a rich and vibrant campus life. The university hosts more than 900 student organizations covering various interests, hobbies, and areas of study. Students can immerse themselves in cultural, athletic, social, and academic activities to enhance their overall college experience. The university's athletic teams, known as the Wisconsin Badgers, compete in the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference, and sporting events can be a major source of school spirit and camaraderie among students. With its top-notch academics and lively campus, the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers a well-rounded college experience for students seeking a prestigious education in a vibrant community.
Located in Madison, WI, University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public university. This school follows a semester-based calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 45%. The freshman retention rate at University of Wisconsin-Madison is 96.1% and the six-year graduation rate is 90%.
For freshmen, the application deadline for this school is January 15. The transfer application deadline is February 1.
Explore this school's profile to find out the most essential things about University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Quick Facts
39,083
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
18:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
90%
Graduation Rate
Admissions
Discovering as much as possible about the school's criteria for admission maximizes your chances of getting admitted. Learn some relevant info about admission at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
According to the most recent information reported, this institution uses standardized test scores for admission and it admitted 29,784 in 2025. University of Wisconsin-Madison has an official test-optional admission policy but considers standardized test scores for the candidates who choose to submit them. As far as admission difficulty is considered, based on data self-reported by the institution this school is very difficult to get into. This prominent school with a rich history offers an unparalleled learning experience to its students.
Test Scores
14.7% of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students submitted their SAT scores for admission, and 35.1% submitted ACT scores, out of the overall number of those who submitted test scores. 67.3% of the new students submitted SAT composite scores between 1,400 and 1,600, 31.1% between 1,200 and 1,399, 1.4% between 1,000 and 1,199, and 0.2% between 800 and 999. The percent of incoming freshmen who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 66.1, 32.2 between 24-29 and 1.7 in the range between 18-23.
The latest reported average GPA of the enrolled students was 3.9. Therefore, the chances are that you'll need a GPA higher than the average for acceptance,.
Deadlines
The cutoff date for submitting applications to University of Wisconsin-Madison is January 15. If you are applying for a transfer, note that the application deadline is February 1.
Retention Rate
The student retention rate is the percentage of students who re-enroll from one year to the next. Why is that information important? Because it tells you if the majority of freshmen enjoyed their first year at a school enough to come back.
As reported in 2025, the freshman retention rate for University of Wisconsin-Madison was 96.1%, which is an excellent retention rate only the most prestigious institutions achieve.
Another important metric to consider is the graduation rate. This rate indicates how many students finish their degrees within a certain timeframe. At this academic institution, the proportion of students graduating in six years is 90%, which is considered an above-average graduation rate.
Student Body
It is never easy to figure out which school is the perfect match for you. You can better understand the culture and life of the school by getting to know more about the student body.
Main Student Body
In 2025, the institution had an enrollment of 52,097 students.
That year, the school had 46% of students coming from another state. There was a total of 39,083 undergrad students, including 3,782 international students. The school reported to have a total of 1,373 transfer students.
Student Population Gender Ratio
The student body is coeducational, with 21,517 male and 24,798 female full-time students in 2025.
Student Population Diversity
When it comes to improving a sense of inclusion and belonging among students, there is no denying the importance of student diversity. Diversity promotes critical thinking, challenges preconceived notions, and encourages intellectual growth, so it helps students develop empathy and a broader understanding of the world. Learn more about all the ethnic communities you might encounter at this institution.
This school had 4,042 Asian students and 913 Afro-American students in 2025. 3,143 undergraduate students at this school declared as Hispanic/Latino and 1,815 identified with more than one race. The school also had 18 students who identified as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 82 American Indian or Alaska Native students. There were also 1,295 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
The financial aspect is one of the most important things to consider before applying to any college or university. Here are some details you should know about the expenses at University of Wisconsin-Madison that the majority of students face.
Tuition and Fees
Here are some facts that can be useful if you were curious about University of Wisconsin-Madison estimated tuition fees.
For the students who live in the area, the tuition cost was $10,006.08, as reported by public county or municipal institutions. For students who don't live in the state in which the university is located, the tuition was $40,505.52 in 2025. For international students, tuition fees at this school stood at $41,505.6. Full-time students in 2025 were obliged to pay additional fees in the amount of $1,596.62.
| Category | Tuition | Fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out-of-State | $40,506 | $1,597 | $42,102 |
| In-State | $10,006 | $1,597 | $11,602 |
Books and Supplies
When you try to estimate the cost of attendance for a college or university, you need to think about the cost of books and supplies you're going to need. The cost of books and supplies for full-time students of this school is estimated at about $1,100.
Boarding
The cost of dorm rooms and meals in the school's cafeteria is for sure something to take into consideration. What do colleges and universities typically charge for room and board?
In 2025, the price of room and board at University of Wisconsin-Madison was $14,124 per academic year. If you only needed a dorm room, it cost $8,400 for the 2025 academic year.
| Expense Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $ 10,006 |
| Room and Board | $ 14,124 |
| Book and Supplies | $ 1,100 |
| Total Expense | $ 25,230 |
Financial Aid
There are different types of financial help: grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study programs. If you are interested in finding out more about need-based and non-need-based aid at University of Wisconsin-Madison, here are some recent data you should take into consideration.
The most recent figures show that financial help was given to 2,814 freshmen. Students of this school received an average of $25,909 in financial help.
Need-based
Need-based aid is financial aid that a student can receive if they are determened to have financial need and meet other eligibility criteria.
There were 8,954 students who received need-based financial aid of any kind. Need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid at University of Wisconsin-Madison isn't available to international students. The overall number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need was found to be 10,876. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution stood at $44,183,661, and state $15,907,355. The students of University of Wisconsin-Madison received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $146,719,693, and external in the amount of $7,379,772.
$7,247
Average Amount of Aid Received
Non-Need Based
Non-need-based financial aid is any type of financial aid provided to a student who does not meet the criteria for need-based aid. Most students get non-need-based financial aid as Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the TEACH Grant.
751 students, including freshmen, obtained institutional non-need-based financial aid at this institution in 2025. 198 full-time freshmen were awarded institutional non-need-based scholarship or grant aid. Federal non-need-based scholarships and grants totaled $44,183,661 for students at this institution, while state aid came to $128,962. The total amount of non-need-based institutional scholarships/grants was $24,317,541. This includes endowment, alumni, other institutional awards, and also external funds awarded by the institution, but doesn't include athletic aid and tuition waivers. $15,950,097 was the amount that the students at this institution got from external sources (like Kiwanis and National Merit).
Open Applications
Find open programs by choosing your preferred academic interest from the list below, and select your desired term start. Get started with your application process and find more information using the Apply button.
The Common Application for Transfer (Common App for transfer)
Majors
Faculty
18:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
Getting information about the faculty at a school can help you estimate the quality of education you will receive there.
In 2025, this ratio at University of Wisconsin-Madison was 18:1. That means that there were 18 times more students than teachers at this school. According to the most recent information, there are 3,271 faculty members at this school. Out of that number, there were 1,757 male and 1,514 female faculty members.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
Knowing what to expect out of campus life at a college or university can set you up for success. Check out some information about students' life at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Student Organizations
Participating in different student organizations can make your educational experience more interesting and fulfilling.
According to the most recent information, there are 1059 open-membership organizations at University of Wisconsin-Madison. That includes sororities and fraternities. At this school, 9% of male students are members of social organizations, while that percentage is 8 for female students. If you are interested in music, you can join the University of Wisconsin-Madison band. There is a drama club you can join if acting is something that interests you. You have a passion for media and communication? University of Wisconsin-Madison publishes its own newspaper and has its own radio station.
Student Services
University of Wisconsin-Madison offers a number of services necessary for a comfortable and safe life on campus.
The dormitory entrances are electronically operated. There is a 24-hour security patrol. The late-night transport/escort service is available.
There is a medical clinic with personal/psychological counseling. In addition, other services like Veteran's Affairs are available to the students of University of Wisconsin-Madison.
All in all, campus life at University of Wisconsin-Madison is rich and vibrant and provides everything most students need.
Career Services
Having career services at a college or university can mean a great deal for your career planning, so find out what you can expect at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Career Counselling
At University of Wisconsin-Madison, there is both group career counseling for all students and individual career counseling for all students. There are a library, a job bank, and job fairs. Job interviews are also available to students through the career center. There is campus employer recruitment for all the students. This school offers alumni networking opportunities, which could be excellent for your future career.
FAQ
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University of Wisconsin-Madison is located in Madison, WI.
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University of Wisconsin-Madison doesn't offer need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid to international students.
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This school uses standardized test scores for admission.
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According to the latest information, the acceptance rate for University of Wisconsin-Madison is 45%.
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The most recent data indicate that the freshman retention rate for University of Wisconsin-Madison is 96.1%.
Contact Information
Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved. Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
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Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
