University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh is a less selective public university in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It admits most applicants, graduates 46% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $55,548 ten years after starting college, more than 60% of the Wisconsin colleges we cover.

Show numbers for my family

Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Acceptance rate
87%

More selective than 34% of Wisconsin colleges we cover.

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class

What your family pays
$14,305 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $19,652. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
46%

Higher than 29% of Wisconsin colleges we cover and 35% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$55,548

Higher than 60% of Wisconsin colleges we cover and 57% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh acceptance rate & admissions

Of 9,082 applicants, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh admitted 7,872 and 1,751 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).

9,082
Applied
7,872
Admitted
1,751
Enrolled

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

ACT composite, middle 50% of first-years18–25
First-year students who return69%
Pell Grant recipients16%
First-generation students31%
Women / men56% / 44%

Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 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)

Tuition & fees, in-state$8,532
Tuition & fees, out-of-state$16,446
Housing & meals, on campus$8,940
Books & supplies$1,000
Total cost of attendance, in-state$19,652

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$12,500
Loan default rate5.4%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

What University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh costs to finish, and how fast it pays back

Graduates of University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh took 4.6 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 incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$9,236$42,5782.4 years
$30–48k$9,654$44,5052.5 years
$48–75k$11,601$53,4813.0 years
$75–110k$16,853$77,6924.3 years
$110k+$19,223$88,6184.9 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.6 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 ($55,548) minus $37,564 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $17,984 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.

Best-value colleges in Wisconsin for your income →

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh majors, earnings & careers

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh offers 72 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Social Sciences & Public Service · 13
  • Humanities & Languages · 12
  • Science & Math · 10
  • Business & Finance · 9
  • Health & Medicine · 7
  • Engineering · 5
  • Communications & Media · 4
  • Education · 4
  • Technology & Computing · 4
  • Arts & Design · 3
  • Trades & Applied Technology · 1

Highest-earning majors at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

MajorEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
Computer Engineering$107,771—
Finance$79,927$24,065
Economics$79,267$25,000
Business Administration$79,228$25,000
Accounting$79,217$21,541
Nursing$77,490$25,000
Business$73,138—
Marketing$69,383$22,082
Quick list of all 72 majors
  • Accounting$79,217
  • Air Transportation—
  • Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$66,541
  • Anthropology—
  • Area Studies—
  • Biochemistry—
  • Biology$53,507
  • Broadcasting / Digital Media$49,639
  • Business$73,138
  • Business Administration$79,228
  • Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences—
  • Chemistry—
  • City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning—
  • Communications$64,103
  • Community Organization and Advocacy$46,812
  • Computer and Information Sciences—
  • Computer Engineering$107,771
  • Computer Science—
  • Criminal Justice$58,489
  • East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
  • Economics$79,267
  • Education (Elementary / Secondary)$45,902
  • Education (Subject Teaching)$49,676
  • Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
  • English$48,178
  • Environmental Control Technologies / Technicians—
  • Environmental Science / Conservation$49,074
  • Ethnic / Gender Studies—
  • Finance$79,927
  • Fire Protection—
  • General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations$66,875
  • Geography—
  • Geology / Earth Science—
  • German—
  • Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other—
  • History—
  • Human Resources$67,766
  • Human Services—
  • Information Science / Studies—
  • Information Technology—
  • International / Global Studies—
  • International Relations$54,506
  • Journalism$48,935
  • Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies$49,759
  • Management Information Systems—
  • Marketing$69,383
  • Mathematics—
  • Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians—
  • Medical Laboratory Science—
  • Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
  • Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
  • Music—
  • Nursing$77,490
  • Philosophy—
  • Physics—
  • Physiology$56,407
  • Political Science—
  • Psychology$51,721
  • Public Administration—
  • Public Health—
  • Public Relations and Advertising$60,672
  • Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
  • Religious Studies—
  • Social Work$51,044
  • Sociology—
  • Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
  • Special Education$47,828
  • Studio Art$50,189
  • Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language—
  • Theatre—
  • Urban Studies / Affairs—

— 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 →

Nursing → Registered nurse

$87,340
Oshkosh
$95,530
Wisconsin
$97,550
U.S.

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

Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher

$60,150
Oshkosh
$61,210
Wisconsin
$63,970
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Living in Oshkosh

Cost of living
7% below the U.S. average

Overall prices in the Oshkosh-Neenah, WI area.

BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$936/mo

2 bedrooms $1,195. Housing costs 26% below the U.S. average.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
26° / 82°

January and July average highs. 33 inches of rain a year, 39 inches of snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively Moderate

Highest: tornado (relatively high).

FEMA National Risk Index, Winnebago County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)13,761
First-year students from Wisconsin88%
Next most common home statesIllinois, Minnesota, Michigan
AthleticsNCAA Division III with football · 13 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-2477% bachelor's · 9% associate · 14% certificates
Campus typePrimarily residential
Student bodyWhite 79% · Hispanic 7% · Asian 4% · Two or more 3%International 2%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Winnebago County at a glance

Population171,769
Median household income$74,925
Adults with a bachelor's degree31%
Median age39

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with similar schools

Similar public colleges in Wisconsin by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh87%$14,30546%$55,548This school
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay89%$13,36948%$52,528
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point92%$14,55951%$52,021
University of Wisconsin-Stout88%$17,49055%$58,084
University of Wisconsin-Platteville89%$16,03256%$61,760

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh would cost you $936 more per year than University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, on average.

  • Higher sticker price at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$898).
  • University of Wisconsin-Green Bay gives aided families $650 more in grants, on average.
Per year, Wisconsin residentUniversity of Wisconsin-OshkoshUniversity of Wisconsin-Green BayDifference
Tuition & fees$8,532$8,700−$168
Books & supplies$1,000$800+$200
Housing & meals$8,940$8,042+$898
Personal & travel$3,000$4,276−$1,276
Living-at-home adjustment−$1,820−$2,452+$632
Sticker price$19,652$19,366+$286
Average grants−$5,347−$5,997+$650
You pay$14,305$13,369+$936

“+” means University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 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-Oshkosh

What is the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh acceptance rate?

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh accepts 87% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 7,872 of 9,082 applicants were admitted.

How much does University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $19,652 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $14,305 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,236 and families earning $110k+ pay $19,223.

How much do University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh graduates earn?

Former University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh students earn a median $55,548 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-Oshkosh graduation rate?

46% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 69% return for their second year.

How long does a University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh degree take to pay off?

For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh costs about $53,481 after grants ($11,601 a year for 4.6 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $55,548 ten years after starting, $17,984 more than high school graduates in Wisconsin ($37,564), so the cost is repaid in 3.0 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).

Is University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.

Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting in

We never share your contact information.

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-Oshkosh: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-oshkosh (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).