Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPublic

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin·Public, 4-year or above·Great Lakes·uwlax.edu
6-yr Graduation
71%
+13.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
10,446
peer median 8,997
Avg net price
$15,374
+$605 vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
7,136
7,136 candidates competed
Admitted
5,388
75.5% acceptance rate
Enrolled
2,325
43.2% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
71%+13.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
51%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
71%
Full-time retention
87%

Pell equity

5.0pp gap
Pell recipients
63%
Non-Pell
68%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 5.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 91 Title IV programs, 39 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 2 fail. 50 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
91
Passing
39
42.9% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
2
2.2% of portfolio
Fail rate
2.2%
+1.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

91programs
  • Passing39 · 42.9%
  • No Data50 · 54.9%
  • Failing2 · 2.2%

Severity spectrum

Critical
1
Severe
0
Recoverable
1
At Risk
0
Watch
5
Safe
34
No data
50

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

41
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
-17.7%
$42,432 vs $51,545
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-4.4%
$34,880 vs $36,491
Educational Administration and Supervision
Master's Degree · Education
+10.1%
$51,082 vs $46,391
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+14.8%
$65,645 vs $57,169
Archeology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+17.7%
$42,939 vs $36,491
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+19.7%
$55,528 vs $46,391
Parks Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+22.5%
$44,710 vs $36,491
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+26.2%
$46,043 vs $36,491

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-4.4%
$1,611

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

38
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Doctoral Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
76%
$61,228 debt · $80,611 earn
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
63%
$41,333 debt · $65,645 earn
Curriculum and Instruction
Bachelor Degree · Education
55%
$25,962 debt · $47,047 earn
Educational Administration and Supervision
Master's Degree · Education
55%
$28,084 debt · $51,082 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Bachelor Degree · Education
55%
$29,000 debt · $53,218 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
53%
$22,670 debt · $42,432 earn
History
Bachelor Degree · History
51%
$26,000 debt · $50,745 earn
Archeology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
51%
$21,751 debt · $42,939 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1928Next review Aug 2026

Programmatic accreditations · 7

Action history · 8

  1. Feb 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Medical Dosimetry (MD) - Programs for medical dosimetrists
  2. Jan 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RADTT) - Programs for radiation therapists
  3. Mar 2022Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary Withdrawal
    Council on Education for Public Health · Public Health Programs (PHPBG) - Baccalaureate and Graduate level programs offered outside a school of public health
  4. Apr 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Medical Dosimetry (MD) - Programs for medical dosimetrists
  5. Oct 2018Renewal of Accreditation
    American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education · Physical Therapy (PT) - Professional programs for the physical therapist

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$6,798
$30–48k$8,794
$48–75k$13,175
$75–110k$16,528
$110k+$17,538

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$15,374
+$605vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $14,770
Federal loans
44.0%
In-state tuition
$9,651
Out-of-state
$18,691

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 1,690 students received $9.4M in Pell grants, alongside $35.1M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,690
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$9.4M
$9,374,909 total
Direct Loans
$35.1M
6,022 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

2k
20
2k
21
1k
22
1k
23
2k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$6.5M
1,725 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$16.5M
3,347 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$6.7M
512 loan awards
Parent PLUS$4.4M
376 loan awards
Grad PLUS$954K
62 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 2,262 borrowers who entered repayment, 12 (0.5%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.5%
-1.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
2,262
Defaulted
12
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
1.6%
2017
1.6%
2018
1.5%
2019
0.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at UWLAX

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs66
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

2,269 total completions
01Business
58725.9%
02Health Professions
30813.6%
03Biological Sciences
29613.0%
04Parks/Recreation
25511.2%
05Psychology
24110.6%
06Education
22710.0%
07Social Sciences
1215.3%
08Liberal Arts
1175.2%
09Communication
723.2%
10Multi/Interdisciplinary
452.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
10,446
12-mo unduplicated
11,038
Undergraduate
9,894
Graduate
1,144

Gender split

Men
42%4,641
Women
58%6,397

Race / ethnicity composition

White
88.9%
Hispanic
4.0%
Two or more
3.1%
Asian
2.0%
Black
0.7%
Unknown
0.6%
Non-resident
0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
611
312 M · 299 W
Women athletes
48.9%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$6.7M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$25K
$23K
Head-coach salaries
$48K
$43K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 15

Track and Field (Outdoor)
64 M · 87 W
$267K
Track and Field (Indoor)
65 M · 84 W
$267K
Football
115 M ·
$686K
Swimming and Diving (combined)
28 M · 43 W
$258K
Cross Country
25 M · 34 W
$236K
Baseball
36 M ·
$459K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.88
9 offenses · 10,274 students

3-year trend

0.762 yrs ago1.161 yr ago0.88Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
29
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
28
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
3

Criminal offenses by type

Fondling
5
Rape
1
Arson
1
Burglary
1
Aggravated assault
1

By location

9total
  • On campus9

Includes 7 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
6
Stalking
6 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs497
Liquor0332

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
20.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
456

UWLAX vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions UWLAX selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectUniversity of Wisconsin-La Crosse
71%10,446$15,374Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
63%85.7%11,746$14,785Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Wisconsin-Stout
55%87.7%6,926$17,365Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
61%89.4%6,389$14,754Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Southern Indiana
48%95.8%9,488$12,621Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Eastern Illinois University
47%65.3%8,505$14,093Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median58%87.7%8,997$14,770

Frequently asked questions about University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about UWLAX.

What is the graduation rate at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse?

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse reports a 6-year graduation rate of 71% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend University of Wisconsin-La Crosse?

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse reports a total enrollment of 10,446 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse?

The average net price at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is $15,374 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse?

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's yield rate is 43.2%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is University of Wisconsin-La Crosse located?

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601-9959.

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