More selective than 100% of Wisconsin colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $28,679. College Scorecard.
Higher than 100% of Wisconsin colleges we cover and 96% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 92% of Wisconsin colleges we cover and 88% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of Wisconsin-Madison acceptance rate & admissions
Of 63,505 applicants, University of Wisconsin-Madison admitted 27,529 and 7,964 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1380–1520 on the SAT or 29–33 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
University of Wisconsin-Madison tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Wisconsin residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What University of Wisconsin-Madison costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Wisconsin-Madison took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Wisconsin. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $4,200 | $17,640 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $4,101 | $17,224 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $8,134 | $34,163 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $17,763 | $74,605 | 2.1 years |
| $110k+ | $27,292 | $114,626 | 3.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (73% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($73,792) minus $37,564 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $36,228 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
University of Wisconsin-Madison majors, earnings & careers
University of Wisconsin-Madison offers 99 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 26
- Engineering · 15
- Humanities & Languages · 15
- Business & Finance · 12
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Health & Medicine · 7
- Arts & Design · 5
- Education · 4
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
Highest-earning majors at University of Wisconsin-Madison
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Real Estate | $120,483 | $20,500 |
| Computer Engineering | $120,068 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $119,655 | $22,500 |
| Industrial Engineering | $110,711 | $23,577 |
| Finance | $107,207 | $21,500 |
| International Business | $106,783 | $14,000 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $106,521 | $22,250 |
| Insurance | $105,992 | $20,500 |
Quick list of all 99 majors
- Accounting$101,390
- African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Agricultural Business$81,655
- Agricultural Engineering$78,368
- Agricultural Public Services$71,726
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$57,745
- Animal Sciences$57,605
- Anthropology$54,773
- Apparel and Textiles—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Area Studies$55,733
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology—
- Biochemistry$72,988
- Biology$69,005
- Biomedical Engineering$99,762
- Botany / Plant Biology$50,963
- Business Administration$100,005
- Chemical Engineering$101,676
- Chemistry$64,734
- Civil Engineering$87,691
- Classics—
- Communications$61,270
- Computer and Information Sciences$119,655
- Computer Engineering$120,068
- Dance—
- Data Science—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology$49,602
- Economics$85,366
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,640
- Education (Subject Teaching)$48,435
- Electrical Engineering$95,059
- Engineering Mechanics$92,276
- Engineering Physics—
- Engineering, Other—
- English$53,197
- Environmental Science / Conservation$52,631
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$48,934
- Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies—
- Finance$107,207
- Food Science and Technology$85,445
- Forestry—
- General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations$82,081
- Genetics$68,402
- Geography$59,424
- Geological / Geophysical Engineering$73,337
- Geology / Earth Science$58,771
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$65,874
- History$58,343
- Human Development and Family Studies$59,044
- Industrial Engineering$110,711
- Information Science / Studies—
- Insurance$105,992
- International / Global Studies$63,452
- International Business$106,783
- Journalism$75,967
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$74,963
- Landscape Architecture$63,759
- Legal Studies / Paralegal$70,123
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems—
- Management Science / Analytics$106,521
- Marketing$96,148
- Materials Engineering$91,265
- Mathematics$101,438
- Mechanical Engineering$95,114
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$68,397
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Neuroscience$58,824
- Nuclear Engineering$102,449
- Nursing$85,579
- Nutrition Science$59,329
- Pharmacology and Toxicology—
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration—
- Philosophy$61,186
- Physics$77,380
- Plant Sciences—
- Political Science$66,148
- Psychology$58,901
- Real Estate$120,483
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$63,061
- Religious Studies—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education—
- Social Work$54,375
- Sociology$58,007
- Soil Sciences—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$58,565
- Special Education$50,302
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$61,737
- Statistics$99,210
- Studio Art$48,684
- Sustainability Studies—
- Theatre—
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management$45,212
- Zoology / Animal Biology$50,080
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Finance → Financial analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Madison
Overall prices in the Madison, WI area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,565. Housing costs about the U.S. average for housing.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 40 inches of rain a year, 39 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Dane County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Dane County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare University of Wisconsin-Madison with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Wisconsin by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | 45% | $17,354 | 90% | $73,792 | This school |
| University of Wisconsin-La Crosse | 76% | $16,210 | 71% | $60,378 | |
| Madison Area Technical College | — | $14,238 | 29% | $45,413 | |
| University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 82% | $16,550 | 64% | $58,561 | |
| University of Wisconsin-Whitewater | 86% | $14,158 | 59% | $55,356 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of Wisconsin-Madison would cost you $1,144 more per year than University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of Wisconsin-Madison, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$5,540).
- University of Wisconsin-Madison gives aided families $7,942 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Wisconsin resident | University of Wisconsin-Madison | University of Wisconsin-La Crosse | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $11,603 | $10,070 | +$1,533 |
| Books & supplies | $1,100 | $120 | +$980 |
| Housing & meals | $13,500 | $7,960 | +$5,540 |
| Personal & travel | $3,100 | $2,036 | +$1,064 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$624 | −$593 | −$31 |
| Sticker price | $28,679 | $19,593 | +$9,086 |
| Average grants | −$11,325 | −$3,383 | −$7,942 |
| You pay | $17,354 | $16,210 | +$1,144 |
“+” means University of Wisconsin-Madison costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about University of Wisconsin-Madison
What is the University of Wisconsin-Madison acceptance rate?
University of Wisconsin-Madison accepts 45% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 27,529 of 63,505 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1380–1520 on the SAT or 29–33 on the ACT.
How much does University of Wisconsin-Madison cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $28,679 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $17,354 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $4,200 and families earning $110k+ pay $27,292.
How much do University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates earn?
Former University of Wisconsin-Madison students earn a median $73,792 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the University of Wisconsin-Madison graduation rate?
90% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 96% return for their second year.
How long does a University of Wisconsin-Madison degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Wisconsin-Madison costs about $34,163 after grants ($8,134 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $73,792 ten years after starting, $36,228 more than high school graduates in Wisconsin ($37,564), so the cost is repaid in under 1 year of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is University of Wisconsin-Madison the right fit for your family?
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of Wisconsin-Madison: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-madison (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).