Public · Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a public institution in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Graduates earn a median of $58,561 ten years after enrollment at an average net price of $16,550/yr.

$58,561
10-yr median earnings
$16,550
Avg net price / yr
82.3%
Acceptance rate
65.6%
4-yr completion

The verdict

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire pairs above-median graduate earnings with open admission.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 34%
graduate earnings, US
82.3%
acceptance rate
65.6%
4-yr completion
+17%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Small Carnegie: Master's (M)

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a public institution in Eau Claire, Wisconsin enrolling 8,895 students, according to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard's 2024-25 release. The acceptance rate is 82.3% with an average SAT of 1,220. Graduates earn a median of $58,561 ten years after enrollment, based on U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid data. The average net price after financial aid is $16,550. This profile includes admissions data, graduation rates, program-level earnings, and cost breakdowns to help students compare colleges using official federal data.

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Data updated July 2026

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire operates as a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin (city: small), with a total reported enrollment of 8,895 students of which 10,147 are undergraduates. Institution-level records in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) classify each school by Carnegie category, ownership sector, and urban/rural locale, which is how this profile's peer group and cost cohort are determined; University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is categorized as "Master's Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs" under the Carnegie classification system, a meaningful signal when comparing like-to-like institutions.

Admissions and cost figures below come from the same annual IPEDS Fall enrollment survey and net-price calculation that every Title IV institution is legally required to submit to the federal government, so the same standardized methodology applies whether comparing a public flagship or a small private college. Net price nets grant and scholarship aid out of the published sticker price, the number financial-aid experts consider the honest comparison point - the table further down breaks that figure out by family income band rather than a single blended average, since what one family actually pays can look very different from what another family pays at the identical school.

The outcomes further down come from federal tax records the U.S. Treasury links to former students who received federal financial aid, not a self-reported alumni survey - an approach that removes response bias but also means graduates who never took federal aid are absent from the earnings figures. Completion and retention rates only count first-time, full-time degree-seeking students, so a school with a large transfer or part-time population can serve those students well without that showing up in these particular metrics. Reading the cost, completion, and earnings figures together, rather than any single one in isolation, is the approach the College Scorecard's own methodology recommends for judging return on investment.

College Value Score

C+
College Value Score
64/100
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.

Earnings A-
$58,561
10-year median graduate earnings
Net Price C-
$16,550
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Graduation Rate N/A
N/A
6-year completion rate
Debt F
$20,909
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
83.9%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention B-
81.8%
First-year students returning for year two
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceGrad RateDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$58,561

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$16,550

After grants and scholarships

4-yr completion

65.6%

First-time, full-time bachelor's

4-year completion vs national average (40%) 65.6%

Higher is better

College ROI Quadrant - University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire vs peers

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by 4-year graduation rate (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = avoid (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire positione… Carnegie Classification: Master's (M) Master's (… AVOID PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $35K $77K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $8K $18K Avg Net Price ($) University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (you are here): $59K earn · $17K net · 66% grad You are here - University of Wisc… University of Wisconsin-Madison: $74K earn · $17K net · 89% grad University of Wisc… University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: $55K earn · $15K net · 50% grad University of Wisc… Milwaukee Area Technical College: $41K earn · $9K net Milwaukee Area Tec… Madison Area Technical College: $45K earn · $14K net · 28% grad Madison Area Techn… University of Wisconsin-Whitewater: $55K earn · $14K net · 62% grad University of Wisc… University of Wisconsin-La Crosse: $60K earn · $16K net · 71% grad Chippewa Valley Technical College: $46K earn · $12K net Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by 4-year graduation rate. Top-left = best ROI; bottom-right = avoid.

How University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire ranks nationally

Where this school's graduate earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire: graduate earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$58,561 Top 34% higher than 66% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · 2024

Quick Facts

8,895
Total enrollment
82.3%
Acceptance rate
1,220
SAT average
65.6%
4-yr graduation rate
$58,561
10-yr median earnings
81.8%
First-year retention

Admissions

Admission Rate 82.3%
SAT Average 1,220
ACT Average 24
ACT (25th-75th) 22 – 27

Share of applicants admitted

0%100%82.3%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $9,642
Out-of-State Tuition $19,228
Average Net Price $16,550

Net Price by Family Income

$0 – $30,000 $10,270
$30,001 – $48,000 $10,968
$48,001 – $75,000 $12,766
Over $110,000 $20,778
19.6%
Pell Grant Rate
42.1%
Federal Loan Rate
$20,909
Median Debt
$222/mo
Monthly Payment

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

64.4%
Female
22.0%
First Generation

Outcomes

65.6%
4-Year Completion Rate
81.8%
Retention Rate
$50,011
Median Earnings (6yr)
$58,561
Median Earnings (10yr)
74.9%
Earning Over $25K
83.9%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Programs & Earnings

Top programs at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire by graduate earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

median earnings

What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of 2024
Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Business Administration, Management and Operations Master's 65 $136,439 $31,909
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Doctoral - $129,249 $52,094
Computer and Information Sciences, General Bachelor's 83 $106,724 $20,494
Management Information Systems and Services Bachelor's 44 $90,193 $21,374
Physics Bachelor's 14 $87,033 -
Mathematics Bachelor's 42 $83,027 $23,625
Accounting and Related Services Bachelor's 77 $83,018 $22,437
Health and Medical Administrative Services Bachelor's 42 $80,564 $21,850
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Bachelor's 138 $78,912 $18,593
Finance and Financial Management Services Bachelor's 137 $75,724 $20,290
Marketing Bachelor's 145 $70,891 $19,500
International Business Bachelor's 16 $70,219 -
Economics Bachelor's 21 $69,435 $21,875
Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's 175 $66,606 $20,550
Chemistry Bachelor's 19 $66,246 $23,093

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire?
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a public institution in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The acceptance rate is 82.3%. The average SAT score is 1,220. Total enrollment is 8,895 students.
How much do University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire graduates earn?
Graduates of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire earn a median of $58,561 ten years after enrollment. Six years after enrollment, median earnings are $50,011.
How much does University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire cost?
The average net price at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is $16,550. In-state tuition is $9,642 and out-of-state tuition is $19,228. Median student debt at graduation is $20,909.
What is the graduation rate at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire?
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire has a 4-year completion rate of 65.6%. The first-year retention rate is 81.8%.
Is University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire worth the student debt?
The median student debt at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is $20,909, while graduates earn a median of $58,561 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 36% of first-year post-graduation earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 83.9% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $222.

Sources & methodology

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard's 2024-25 release, PlainCollege tracks 6,243 postsecondary institutions and 70,827 individual school-and-program earnings records nationwide.

Every figure on this page is read live from official U.S. federal datasets, as of the 2024-25 release. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

  • University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's graduates land in the 34th percentile nationally for 10-year earnings among reporting colleges.
  • The average net price after aid is $16,550 - compare it against schools with similar outcomes but a lower cost.Find similar schools that cost less
  • See how this school compares to every other college in Wisconsin.Browse Wisconsin

This profile is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or admissions advice. Figures are historical averages and may not predict an individual student's outcome - confirm current details directly with the institution before making enrollment decisions.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Institution profiles are compiled directly from College Scorecard, IPEDS, and Treasury earnings-linkage data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024-25.