More selective than 20% 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 $22,756. College Scorecard.
Higher than 37% of Wisconsin colleges we cover and 41% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 52% of Wisconsin colleges we cover and 56% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
UWM acceptance rate & admissions
Of 16,662 applicants, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee admitted 14,736 and 3,366 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
UWM 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 UWM costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee took 4.5 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 | $10,329 | $46,894 | 2.7 years |
| $30–48k | $10,709 | $48,619 | 2.8 years |
| $48–75k | $12,344 | $56,042 | 3.2 years |
| $75–110k | $19,315 | $87,690 | 5.0 years |
| $110k+ | $21,477 | $97,506 | 5.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (28% 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 ($54,990) minus $37,564 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $17,426 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.
UWM majors, earnings & careers
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee offers 89 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 17
- Engineering · 12
- Science & Math · 11
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 11
- Health & Medicine · 10
- Business & Finance · 9
- Arts & Design · 7
- Education · 5
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
Highest-earning majors at UWM
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $95,849 | — |
| Computer Science | $92,342 | $29,000 |
| Electrical Engineering | $91,955 | $32,498 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $86,405 | $27,000 |
| Industrial Engineering | $82,763 | $22,536 |
| Materials Engineering | $82,131 | $29,750 |
| Nursing | $81,067 | $27,000 |
| Accounting | $78,127 | $25,750 |
Quick list of all 89 majors
- Accounting$78,127
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- American Sign Language—
- Anthropology$47,811
- Applied Mathematics—
- Architecture$62,803
- Area Studies—
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology—
- Behavioral Sciences—
- Biochemistry$64,492
- Biology$58,804
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business$66,668
- Business Administration$72,507
- Chemistry$61,089
- Civil Engineering$77,958
- Classics—
- Communications$55,697
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering$95,849
- Computer Science$92,342
- Criminal Justice$58,223
- Criminology—
- Dance$29,695
- Data Science—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics$64,454
- Education$49,228
- Education (Subject Teaching)$44,776
- Educational Administration and Supervision$46,822
- Electrical Engineering$91,955
- Engineering—
- Engineering Science—
- English$46,712
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$51,181
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$42,435
- Film and Photography$44,232
- Finance$69,673
- Geography$57,604
- Geology / Earth Science$63,838
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Graphic Communications—
- Health Administration$65,400
- History$48,442
- Human Resources$67,192
- Industrial Engineering$82,763
- Information Science / Studies$70,639
- International / Global Studies$54,462
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$53,974
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$53,901
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems$76,422
- Management Science / Analytics$75,055
- Manufacturing Engineering—
- Marketing$64,173
- Materials Engineering$82,131
- Mathematics$70,656
- Mechanical Engineering$86,405
- Medical Laboratory Science$73,346
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
- Middle / Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$51,713
- Music$37,616
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$81,067
- Nutrition Science$53,006
- Philosophy$59,370
- Physics—
- Political Science$51,320
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health$62,343
- Psychology$52,328
- Psychology (Research)—
- Public Health—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$57,596
- Religious Studies$52,659
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Work$50,392
- Sociology$49,486
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$47,574
- Special Education$52,142
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$53,793
- Studio Art$44,788
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language—
- Theatre$39,452
- Urban Studies / Affairs—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
— 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 →Marketing → Marketing specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Milwaukee
Overall prices in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,263. Housing costs 3% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 35 inches of rain a year, 52 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (very high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Milwaukee County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Milwaukee County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare UWM 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-Milwaukee | 91% | $15,014 | 49% | $54,990 | This school |
| University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point | 92% | $14,559 | 51% | $52,021 | |
| University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | 89% | $13,369 | 48% | $52,528 | |
| University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | 87% | $14,305 | 46% | $55,548 | |
| 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-Milwaukee would cost you $455 more per year than University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$2,480).
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee gives aided families $2,222 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Wisconsin resident | UWM | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $10,398 | $9,488 | +$910 |
| Books & supplies | $800 | $250 | +$550 |
| Housing & meals | $10,980 | $8,500 | +$2,480 |
| Personal & travel | $3,600 | $3,322 | +$278 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,022 | −$1,481 | −$1,541 |
| Sticker price | $22,756 | $20,079 | +$2,677 |
| Average grants | −$7,742 | −$5,520 | −$2,222 |
| You pay | $15,014 | $14,559 | +$455 |
“+” means UWM 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 UWM
What is the UWM acceptance rate?
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee accepts 91% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 14,736 of 16,662 applicants were admitted.
How much does University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $22,756 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $15,014 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $10,329 and families earning $110k+ pay $21,477.
How much do UWM graduates earn?
Former University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students earn a median $54,990 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the UWM graduation rate?
49% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 73% return for their second year.
How long does a UWM degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee costs about $56,042 after grants ($12,344 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $54,990 ten years after starting, $17,426 more than high school graduates in Wisconsin ($37,564), so the cost is repaid in 3.2 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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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-Milwaukee: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-milwaukee (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).