Location
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Madison, WI
- University of California-Santa Barbara
- Santa Barbara, CA
University of Wisconsin-Madison vs University of California-Santa Barbara
Madison, WI · Santa Barbara, CA · largest Scorecard gap: median debt at graduation
Scorecard match plate
Pair WI:CA
PUBLIC-PAIR · CROSS-STATE · ACCEPT-PAR · NET-PAR · EARN-PAR · DEBT-SPLIT · COMPLETE-HIGH · GAP-DEBT
- PUBLIC-PAIR Public pair
- CROSS-STATE WI × CA
- ACCEPT-PAR Admission near-par
- NET-PAR Net near-par
- EARN-PAR Earnings near-par
- DEBT-SPLIT Debt split
- COMPLETE-HIGH High completion
- GAP-DEBT Largest gap · Median Debt at Graduation
Instrument codes from this pair's College Scorecard ownership, geography, acceptance, net price, earnings, debt, and completion, plus the ENROLL-RACE · narrow · 2013–2023 decade-path stamp below, not a ranking or recommendation.
Decade path · College Scorecard
Nearly parallel enrollment growth
ENROLL-RACE · narrow · 2013–2023
Undergraduate headcount rose at both University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of California-Santa Barbara across 2013–2023 on similar paces, while acceptance rates tightened on both sides, a growth-under-squeeze pattern rather than a pure size race.
- University of Wisconsin-Madison: enrollment grew +20.9% over 2013–2023; fitted +651 students/yr fitted, r² 0.85.
- University of California-Santa Barbara: enrollment grew +19.8% over 2013–2023; fitted +397 students/yr fitted, r² 0.83.
- University of Wisconsin-Madison: acceptance rate tightened -36.2% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.42).
- University of California-Santa Barbara: acceptance rate tightened -37.5% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.63).
College Scorecard institution series; dollars are nominal. Direction claims require r² ≥ 0.40 on the fitted annual slope, otherwise the page reports the observed range. Descriptive history, not a recommendation.
Scorecard metrics
Undergraduate Enrollment
Median Debt at Graduation
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- $20,484
In-State Tuition
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- $11,603
Acceptance Rate
Out-of-State Tuition
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- $42,103
Loan Repayment Rate (Completers)
Median Earnings (6 yr)
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- $61,275
Avg Net Price
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- $17,354
150%-Time Completion
Cards ordered by relative gap on this pair. Teal = better side.
| Metric | University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI | University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Madison, WI | Santa Barbara, CA |
| Undergraduate Enrollment | 36,902 | 23,113 |
| Median Debt at Graduation | $20,484 | $13,993 |
| In-State Tuition | $11,603 | $16,414 |
| Acceptance Rate | 45.2% | 33.0% |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $42,103 | $50,614 |
| Loan Repayment Rate (Completers) | 87.8% | 79.3% |
| Median Earnings (6 yr) | $61,275 | $56,852 |
| Avg Net Price | $17,354 | $16,109 |
| 150%-Time Completion | 89.4% | 84.3% |
Largest gaps: University of Wisconsin-Madison vs University of California-Santa Barbara
- MEDIAN-DEBT-AT-GRA University of California-Santa Barbara leads on median debt at graduation ($13,993 vs $20,484 at University of Wisconsin-Madison)
- IN-STATE-TUITION University of Wisconsin-Madison leads on in-state tuition ($11,603 vs $16,414 at University of California-Santa Barbara)
- ACCEPTANCE-RATE University of California-Santa Barbara leads on acceptance rate (33.0% vs 45.2% at University of Wisconsin-Madison)
University of Wisconsin-Madison profile · University of California-Santa Barbara profile · Compare other colleges
Median Debt at Graduation and other Scorecard questions
On median debt at graduation, who leads between University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of California-Santa Barbara?▼
University of California-Santa Barbara leads on median debt at graduation at $13,993 versus $20,484 at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On in-state tuition, who leads between University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of California-Santa Barbara?▼
University of Wisconsin-Madison leads on in-state tuition at $11,603 versus $16,414 at University of California-Santa Barbara. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On acceptance rate, who leads between University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of California-Santa Barbara?▼
University of California-Santa Barbara leads on acceptance rate at 33.0% versus 45.2% at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard College Scorecard institution outcomes (earnings, completion, debt); median debt at graduation focus for this pair · 2025