Acceptance Rate
45%
Avg. SAT
1520
75th percentile
“At UW-Madison, you'll dive into a massive lakeside research engine fueled by Badger loyalty, where Big Ten weekends collide with cutting-edge labs in America's quirkiest state capital.”
Madison, WI
Location
Large City
Campus Setting
Picture arriving at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, chartered in 1848 just one day before Wisconsin joined the Union as the nation's first public university west of the Appalachians—its motto 'Numen Lumen' (God, our light) still etched into Bascom Hill's granite. This flagship sprawls across 936 acres between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona in Madison, a progressive bike haven with farm-to-table eateries, the State Capitol dome piercing the skyline, and enough craft breweries to fuel endless debates. You thrive here if you're ambitious yet gregarious, juggling rigorous classes with tailgates and lakefront chills; introverts or those craving hand-holding might drown in the 37,000-strong undergrad sea, where bureaucracy slows everything from advising to registration. Madison's liberal pulse—think socialist bookstores amid farmers' markets—infuses the school's feisty, activist spirit, but tradeoffs hit hard: bone-chilling winters bury paths in snow, and the sheer scale means you'll hustle for your niche amid corn-fed heartland kids and urban transplants.
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Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Degree Levels Offered
You'll navigate lecture halls holding hundreds in Engineering (top 15 nationally) or the Wisconsin School of Business, where undergrads snag internships at Epic Systems or Kohler, but brace for weed-out prelims that humble even straight-A premeds. Professors, backed by a $1.5 billion research budget, pull you into labs studying everything from CRISPR gene editing to Antarctic ice cores; the 18:1 student-faculty ratio means small seminars in Letters & Science foster debates on everything from quantum computing to indigenous history, yet massive intro classes rely on TAs who might grade harshly. Research ops abound for freshmen via the Undergraduate Research Scholars program, creating a buzz of innovation, though you'll compete fiercely against grad students for spots—ideal if you crave Big Ten-caliber resources without an Ivy price tag, less so if you want constant prof access.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
38,040 undergrad • 13,004 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
57%
Black / African American
3%
Hispanic / Latino
8%
Asian
9%
Other / Multi-racial
23%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Madison, WI
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
Your week pulses with 8 a.m. lectures, afternoons kayaking Lake Mendota or studying at the terrace overlooking sunsets, evenings hitting State Street's cheap eats and bars where undergrads from 50 states mingle. Football Saturdays erupt at Camp Randall with the stadium-shaking 'Jump Around,' while 900 clubs—from ultimate frisbee to Badgers for Israel—let you find your tribe amid Greek life's 20% pull and substance-fueled house parties that earn its rowdy rep. Residential life kicks off in 17 dorms like Sellery (party central) or Chadbourne (honors chill), evolving to off-campus co-ops or lake houses; traditions like the Walk of Fame (alumni handprints) and Fesshole parties bind you to Bucky Badger lore. Positives abound in the outdoorsy, inclusive vibe—hikes at Picnic Point, winter bonfires—but challenges loom: isolation in blizzards, hookup culture overwhelming some, and that overwhelming scale leaving freshmen adrift without proactive networking.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
Big Ten Conference
ROTC & Veteran Support
Army
Yes
Navy
Yes
Air Force
Yes
Veteran’s Programs Available
Yellow Ribbon Program (Post-9/11 GI Bill)
Yes
Credit for military training
Yes
Dedicated point of contact for veteran support services
Yes
Recognized student veteran organization
Yes
Member of DoD Voluntary Educational Partnership MOU
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
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Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
96%
4 Years Graduation Rate
73%
6 Years Graduation Rate
89%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$73,792
96% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at University of Wisconsin-Madison and return in the fall. 73% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 89% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
73%
4-5 years
16%
6-8 years
1%
Non-grad
10%
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Key Statistics
Type
Public
Tuition
$9,273
Acceptance
45%
Undergrads
38,040
4-Year Grad Rate
73%
Endowment
$5.5B
Madison, WI 53706-1380
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