University of Wisconsin-Madison

University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public, state school located in the urban setting of Madison, WI, less than an hour from Milwaukee.

Founded in 1848, the institution currently enrolls around 45,540 students a year, including 33,585 undergrads. The institution runs on a semester academic calendar.

UW Madison's endowment was valued at $3,152,600,000 in 2021.

Admissions Facts About UW Madison

Acceptance rate: 57%

Average GPA: 3.87

Early Decision or Early Action: No/Yes

2022 Regular Decision Deadline: February 1

2022 Regular Decision Notification Date: March 31

UW Madison Acceptance Rate

It is very difficult to get into University of Wisconsin-Madison. The acceptance rate at UW Madison is 57 percent.

The average high school GPA for a student at UW Madison is 3.87 on a 4.0 scale.

In 2021, 8,913 applicants were waitlisted and 2,861 students were ultimating offered a spot off the waitlist.

Is UW Madison a good school?

The definition of a "good school" is different for different people. Acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how selective an institution is, but they don't tell you how happy or successful students are. However, there are a few good ways to get a better sense how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its student body.

Retention and graduation rates

Out of all the first-year, full-time undergrads who start at UW Madison, around 95 percent return for their sophomore year. Out of the 6,264 students who started at UW Madison as first-time freshman, 4,193 graduate within four years.

UW Madison's six-year graduation for undergrads is 88 percent. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61 percent for public schools and 67 percent for private.

Job outcomes and student debt

Job placement and student debt statistics for recent graduates can give you a sense of the return on investment a school offers. 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.

Based on this information, how does UW Madison sound? Remember, a school that is perfect for one person may not be the right school for someone else! So the real question to ask yourself: is UW Madison a good school for YOU?

Is University of Wisconsin-Madison on your list?

Click the heart icon to save UW Madison to your own personal list of colleges that you're interested in applying to!

The deadline to apply to UW Madison for Fall 2022 is February 31. All applicants will be notified by March 31.

Read on to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics and majors and more. Or, visit the College Confidential forums to join the conversation about UW Madison and get personalized recommendations for more schools that might be a good fit for you.