University of Wisconsin--Madison - Profile, Rankings and Data | US News Best Colleges

University of Wisconsin--Madison

#35 in National Universities (tie)

4 year • Madison, WI

4 year • Madison, WI
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Overview

University of Wisconsin—Madison is a public institution that was founded in 1848. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 37,230 (fall 2022), and the campus size is 936 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Wisconsin—Madison's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #35. Its in-state tuition and fees are $11,205; out-of-state tuition and fees are $40,603.


The University of Wisconsin—Madison lies along the southern shore of Lake Mendota in the city of Madison. The Wisconsin Badgers compete in more than 20 NCAA Division I sports and are part of the Big Ten Conference. Students can get involved in nearly 900 organizations on campus. There is also an active Greek life and social scene on campus, evident in Wisconsin’s reputation as one of the top party schools in the country. Freshmen are not required to live on campus, but many choose to do so. Students can opt to live in one of several residential communities where they learn and live with other students and faculty.


The University of Wisconsin—Madison’s highly ranked graduate schools include the School of Education, Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs, College of Engineering, School of Business, School of Medicine and Public Health and Law School. The school’s legacy of public service was founded on the "Wisconsin Idea" that education should influence and improve people’s lives beyond the classroom. Notable Wisconsin alumni include renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly and author Joyce Carol Oates. Other past students include former Vice President Dick Cheney, aviator Charles Lindbergh, naturalist John Muir and architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

University of Wisconsin—Madison is a public institution that was founded in 1848. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 37,230 (fall 2022), and the campus size is 936 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Wisconsin—Madison's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #35. Its in-state tuition and fees are $11,205; out-of-state tuition and fees are $40,603.


The University of Wisconsin—Madison lies along the southern shore of Lake Mendota in the city of Madison. The Wisconsin Badgers compete in more than 20 NCAA Division I sports and are part of the Big Ten Conference. Students can get involved in nearly 900 organizations on campus. There is also an active Greek life and social scene on campus, evident in Wisconsin’s reputation as one of the top party schools in the country. Freshmen are not required to live on campus, but many choose to do so. Students can opt to live in one of several residential communities where they learn and live with other students and faculty.


The University of Wisconsin—Madison’s highly ranked graduate schools include the School of Education, Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs, College of Engineering, School of Business, School of Medicine and Public Health and Law School. The school’s legacy of public service was founded on the "Wisconsin Idea" that education should influence and improve people’s lives beyond the classroom. Notable Wisconsin alumni include renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly and author Joyce Carol Oates. Other past students include former Vice President Dick Cheney, aviator Charles Lindbergh, naturalist John Muir and architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

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At-a-Glance

Setting

N/A

In-state tuition and fees

$11,205

Undergraduate Enrollment

37,230

Acceptance Rate

49%

500 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706

2024 Rankings

Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. Read more about how we rank schools.

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Admissions

Feb. 1

Application Deadline

49%

Acceptance Rate

SAT Range*

1350-1510

ACT Range*

28-33

High School GPA*

3.8

* These are the average scores of applications admitted to this school. Ranges represent admitted applicants who fell within the 25th and 75th percentile.

Will You Get Into University of Wisconsin--Madison?

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Data provided by U.S. News College Compass Users.

Cost

Out-of-State Tuition & Fees

$40,603

In-State Tuition & Fees

$11,205

Room & Board

$13,500(2023-24)

Average Need-Based Aid Package

$20,697

$16,708

Annual Cost*

$16,708

Annual Cost*

Out-of-State Tuition & Fees

$40,603

In-State Tuition & Fees

$11,205

Room & Board

$13,500(2023-24)

Average Need-Based Aid Package

$20,697

*Average in-state cost after aid

Academics

72%

4-Year Graduation Rate

18:1

Student/Faculty Ratio

44%

Classes With Fewer Than 20 Students

Popular Majors

MAJOR

% OF GRADUATES

ALUMNI STARTING SALARY

Computer and Information Sciences, General

10%

$76,728

Economics, General

8%

$52,587

Psychology, General

7%

$31,238

Finance, General

5%

$64,350

Biology/Biological Sciences, General

5%

$33,497

Computer and Information Sciences, General
10% Percent of Graduates
$76,728 Alumni Starting Salary
Economics, General
8% Percent of Graduates
$52,587 Alumni Starting Salary
Psychology, General
7% Percent of Graduates
$31,238 Alumni Starting Salary
Finance, General
5% Percent of Graduates
$64,350 Alumni Starting Salary
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
5% Percent of Graduates
$33,497 Alumni Starting Salary

* In cases where salary data at the specific major level is unavailable, a general salary for the major category is displayed.

Faculty Research Impact

Bibliometric Rank

55

Bibliometrics is the statistical analyses of publications and citations for the purpose of measuring faculty research impact.

Publications Cited in Top 25% of Journals

69%

Publications Cited in Top 5% of Journals

23%

Total Papers published between 2018-2022

45,331

Citations Per Publication

14:1

Data provided byLast updated 2023.

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Students

37,230

Undergraduate Enrollment

Graduate Enrollment

12,656

Total Enrollment

49,886

Full-Time Degree-Seeking Students

33,547

Student Diversity

Gender Distribution

Male47%
Female53%

Ethnic Diversity

24%

Minority Enrollment

24%

Minority Enrollment

62%

White

10%

Asian

10%

International

8%

Hispanic

4%

Two or more races

3%

Unknown

2%

Black

Not Specified is not included in this breakdown due to an enrollment of 0%.

Campus Life

Housing and Dorms

Types of campus housing available:

  • coed dorms
  • women's dorms
  • men's dorms
  • apartments for married students
  • theme housing
  • wellness housing
  • other housing options
  • Student Activities

    126+

    Sports Teams

    33

    Fraternities

    26

    Sororities

    After College

    Graduation Rate

    72%

    Graduating Students Who Have Borrowed (any loan type, 2021)

    37%

    Average Debt at Graduation

    $27,495

    $50,967

    Median Starting Salary of Alumni

    $50,967

    Median Starting Salary of Alumni

    Graduation Rate

    72%

    Graduating Students Who Have Borrowed (any loan type, 2021)

    37%

    Average Debt at Graduation

    $27,495

    Reviews & Ratings

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    Undergraduate data are based on the 2022 school year.

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