R1 ResearchPublicLand-grantMedical

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, Wisconsin·Public, 4-year or above·Great Lakes·wisc.edu
6-yr Graduation
90%
+8.0pp vs R1 Research
Total enrollment
51,044
peer median 51,567
Avg net price
$17,354
+$1.2k vs R1 Research
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR Office

Admissions & acceptance rate

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

IPEDS
Applied
65,894
65,894 candidates competed
Admitted
29,782
45.2% acceptance rate
Enrolled
8,514
28.6% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

IPEDS
Overall completion
90%+8.0pp vs R1 Research
4-year graduation
75%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
90%
Full-time retention
96%

Pell equity

4.0pp gap
Pell recipients
86%818 of 946
Non-Pell (all)
90%5317 of 5905
Subsidized loan, no Pell
88%937 of 1067
No Federal Aid
91%4380 of 4838

Non-Pell students graduate at a 4.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

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

FVT/GE

Of 322 Title IV programs, 115 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 207 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
322
Passing
115
35.7% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

322programs
  • Passing115 · 35.7%
  • No Data207 · 64.3%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
5
Safe
109
No data
207

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.

115
Fine and Studio Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+1.3%
$43,436 vs $42,885
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+11.2%
$63,546 vs $57,169
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+12.8%
$64,515 vs $57,169
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+17.5%
$67,173 vs $57,169
Curriculum and Instruction
Master's Degree · Education
+18.8%
$55,104 vs $46,391
Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management
Bachelor Degree · Natural Resources And Conservation
+23.9%
$45,212 vs $36,491
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Bachelor Degree · Education
+32.7%
$48,435 vs $36,491
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+33.4%
$48,684 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
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+1.3%
+$551

Debt vs earnings

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

83
Medicine
First Professional Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
131%
$167,305 debt · $127,913 earn
Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Sciences and Administration
First Professional Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
89%
$123,609 debt · $139,210 earn
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
First Professional Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
81%
$63,757 debt · $78,614 earn
Curriculum and Instruction
Doctoral Degree · Education
78%
$55,081 debt · $70,523 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
73%
$31,761 debt · $43,436 earn
Library Science and Administration
Master's Degree · Library Science
73%
$40,145 debt · $54,976 earn
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
65%
$41,500 debt · $63,546 earn
Law
First Professional Degree · Legal Professions And Studies
61%
$61,500 debt · $100,715 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1913Next review Aug 2029

Programmatic accreditations · 27

Action history · 28

  1. Jul 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIET) - Coordinated Program in Dietetics
  2. Dec 2023Initial Accreditation
    American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTD) - Programs leading to a Doctoral Degree
  3. Nov 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
  4. Mar 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Clinical doctoral program in Audiology
  5. Jun 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    American Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education · Veterinary Medicine (VET) - Programs leading to a D.V.M. or D.M.V. degree

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$4,200
$30–48k$4,101
$48–75k$8,134
$75–110k$17,763
$110k+$27,292

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

Avg net price
$17,354
+$1,170vs R1 Research median $16,184
Federal loans
20.4%
In-state tuition
$11,603
Out-of-state
$42,103

Federal aid volume & trends

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

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 7,126 students received $44.0M in Pell grants, alongside $167.9M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
7,126
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$44.0M
$43,973,509 total
Direct Loans
$167.9M
14,774 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

5k
’20
5k
’21
6k
’22
6k
’23
7k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$15.2M
3,610 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$29.7M
6,292 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$69.8M
2,909 loan awards
Parent PLUS$34.4M
1,134 loan awards
Grad PLUS$18.8M
829 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.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 5,188 borrowers who entered repayment, 15 (0.2%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.2%
-2.1pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
5,188
Defaulted
15
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
1.3%
2017
0.8%
2018
0.9%
2019
0.2%
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 WISC

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs262
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

12,608 total completions
01Business
2,53720.1%
02Biological Sciences
1,64313.0%
03Social Sciences
1,60212.7%
04Engineering
1,48911.8%
05Computer Sciences
1,42111.3%
06Health Professions
1,1579.2%
07Multi/Interdisciplinary
9447.5%
08Psychology
7866.2%
09Communication
5574.4%
10Mathematics
4723.7%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS
Fall total
51,044
12-mo unduplicated
55,471
Undergraduate
41,069
Graduate
14,402

Gender split

Men
47%26,147
Women
53%29,324

Race / ethnicity composition

White
59.1%
Asian
10.9%
Non-resident
10.3%
Hispanic
8.5%
Two or more
4.9%
Unknown
3.5%
Black
2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

EADA
Athletes
738
364 M · 374 W
Women athletes
50.7%
Athletic aid
$18.6M
Total student aid
Budget
$180.5M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$10.7M
$7.9M
Recruiting expense
$1.7M
$641K
Head-coach salaries
$1.6M
$398K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 12

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
91 M · 124 W
$6.4M
Rowing
52 M · 141 W
$5.9M
Football
122 M · —
$40.9M
Swimming and Diving (combined)
32 M · 32 W
$4.7M
Soccer
27 M · 35 W
$4.9M
Ice Hockey
26 M · 24 W
$9.5M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

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

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
3.02
150 offenses · 49,605 students

3-year trend

3.302 yrs ago2.211 yr ago3.02Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
413
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
169
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
27
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
4

Criminal offenses by type

Aggravated assault
38
Motor vehicle theft
37
Fondling
31
Rape
21
Burglary
17
Arson
3
Robbery
3

By location

150total
  • On campus133
  • Non-campus12
  • Public property5

Includes 35 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

13
Domestic violence
10
Dating violence
42
Stalking
65 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Religion3
  • National origin2
  • Race1
  • Ethnicity1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons90
Drugs2234
Liquor0670

Residence-hall fires

  • Sellery1 fire
    Open flamesDamage $0-$99
  • 701-703 Eagle Heights1 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999

Data quality: 9 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
18.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
4,082

WISC vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions WISC selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
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-Madison
90%—51,044$17,354R1 Research
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
53%90.7%22,450$15,014R1 Research
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
93%15.6%52,855$13,138R1 Research
Michigan State University
81%84.8%52,089$19,680R1 Research
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
75%85.3%45,026$25,648R1 Research
Purdue University-Main Campus
83%49.9%58,658$14,600R1 Research
Peer group median82%84.8%51,567$16,184

Institutions like WISC

Explore the federal data for institutions in WISC's comparison group.

IPEDS

WISC Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research
Email
dapir [at] provost.wisc.edu
Address
Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Dr, Madison, WI 53706

The webpage for UW–Madison's Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research provides access to various institutional reports, including the RADAR portal, and offers contact information for inquiries. It also outlines resources related to academic planning, data governance, and institutional research.

Visit IR office page
Team
31 members
  • Amber Klein
    Executive Assistant
  • Allison La Tarte
    Vice Provost and Chief Data and Analytics Officer
  • Beth Helmueller-Perkins
    Communications Manager
  • Michelle Young
    Associate Vice Provost for Academic Planning
  • Melissa Schultz
    Institutional Academic Planner
  • Karen Mittelstadt
    Institutional Academic Planner
  • Abbie Windsor
    Institutional Academic Planner
  • Bethany Crowell
    Associate Vice Provost
  • Sara Lazenby
    Director of Institutional Research Partnerships and External Engagement
  • Clare Huhn
    Institutional Policy Analyst
  • Scott Wildman
    Institutional Policy Analyst
  • James Yonker
    Institutional Policy Analyst
  • Rosie Bae
    Institutional Policy Analyst
  • Noah Natzke
    Institutional Policy Analyst
  • Derek Field
    Institutional Policy Analyst
  • Adam Anderson
    Institutional Policy Analyst
  • Matt Delaney
    Student Success Analyst
  • Emily Dubrovin
    School of Education Analyst
  • Jessica Liu
    BI Developer
  • Tracy Reuter
    Data Scientist
  • Lisa Johnston
    Director of Data Governance
  • Brad Sanders
    Enterprise Data Management Director
  • Sanjana Aleti
    Data Warehouse Developer
  • Randy Carey
    Data Warehouse Developer
  • Kevin Musser
    Data Warehouse Developer
  • James Falkofske
    Business Analyst
  • Mark Manville
    Data Architect
  • Kay Steiner
    Business Analyst
  • Wendy Gordon
    Business Analyst
  • Eric Gentz
    Data Systems Administrator
  • Erica Jessen
    Project Manager

Frequently asked questions about University of Wisconsin-Madison

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about WISC.

What is the graduation rate at University of Wisconsin-Madison?

University of Wisconsin-Madison reports a 6-year graduation rate of 90% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend University of Wisconsin-Madison?

University of Wisconsin-Madison reports a total enrollment of 51,044 students per the latest IPEDS.

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

The average net price at University of Wisconsin-Madison is $17,354 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-Madison?

University of Wisconsin-Madison's yield rate is 28.6%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is University of Wisconsin-Madison located?

University of Wisconsin-Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1380.

Who runs Institutional Research at University of Wisconsin-Madison?

University of Wisconsin-Madison's IR work is done by the Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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