University of Wisconsin-Madison

University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public, state school in an urban setting in Madison, Wisconsin. UW Madison was founded in 1848 and now enrolls around 45,540 students a year, including 33,585 undergrads. UW Madison offers on-campus housing for up to 7,476 students. Most students live in off campus housing.

There are many ways for students to get involved at UW Madison! Love music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of UW Madison's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? UW Madison students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Excited for Greek life? UW Madison has fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? UW Madison has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at UW Madison on the Student Life page.

Learn more about life at UW Madison on the Student Life page.

Mark your calendar! February 1, 2022 is the final deadline to submit an application for Fall. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2022 should receive admissions decisions by March 31.

2021 UW Madison Facts At-A-Glance
Academic Calendar	Semester
Overall Acceptance Rate	57%
Average GPA	3.9
Applicants Submitting SAT scores	27%
In-State Tuition	$9,273
Out-of-State	$37,161
Percent of Need Met	80%
Average First-Year Financial Aid Package	$20,561

Is UW Madison a Good School?

There is no one way to define a "good" college or university. Admissions difficulty and admitted student statistics can give you a sense of how selective a college is, but they don't say much about the quality of the education or the student experience. There are a few statistics that can give you a good idea of how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its students.

Let's take a closer look at to get a better idea of what UW Madison offers and if it might be a good choice for you.

2021 Acceptance Rate for University of Wisconsin-Madison

It is very difficult to get into UW Madison. The acceptance rate at UW Madison is 57%. Last year, 45,941 students applied to UW Madison and 26,289 were admitted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at UW Madison

Retention is the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. This is a way to get a sense of how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

About 95% of students who start at UW Madison return for their second year of college. UW Madison's six-year graduation rate for undergrads is 88%. The average six-year graduation rate for U.S. colleges and universities is 61% for public schools, and 67% for private, non-profit schools.

Job Outlook UW Madison Graduates

Job placement rates after graduation and average starting salaries can all give important clues about the value of a degree from a specific school.

UW Madison's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students. UW Madison's endowment was valued at $3.2 billion in 2021, compared to a national average of $905 million.

Tuition and Financial Aid at UW Madison

Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need. UW Madison meets 80% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. The average financial aid package for a full-time, first-year student is around $20,561 a year.

Students in the class of 2021 who had taken out student loans graduated with an average of $27,889 of debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021

Some aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA asap. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! No one should ever pay to fill out the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid, (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at UW Madison. Based on this information, how does UW Madison sound? Remember, the best school for one person may be a terrible fit for someone else! So ask yourself: Is UW Madison a good school for you?

If University of Wisconsin-Madison seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

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Where is University of Wisconsin-Madison Located?

UW Madison is located in the urban setting of Madison, Wisconsin, less than an hour from Milwaukee.

If you want to see UW Madison for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Interstate 90/94 to Madison, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Dane County Regional.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what UW Madison and Madison are like without leaving home.

Considering Going to School in Wisconsin?

See a full list of colleges in Wisconsin and save your favorites to your college list.