10-yr median earnings
$73,792
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Madison, Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public institution in Madison, Wisconsin. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.
- $17,354
- Avg net price / yr
- $73,792
- 10-yr median earnings
- 89.4%
- 150%-time completion
- 45.2%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
University of Wisconsin-Madison pairs top-10% former-student earnings with a selective admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 6%
- former-student earnings, US
- 45.2%
- acceptance rate
- 89.4%
- 150%-time completion
- +20%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Large
Carnegie: R1
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this University of Wisconsin-Madison profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
B+
College Value Score
76/100
University of Wisconsin-Madison
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+
$73,792
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price D
$17,354
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate A+
89.4%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$20,484
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
87.8%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A+
96.2%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$17,354
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
89.4%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 89.4%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - University of Wisconsin-Madison vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How University of Wisconsin-Madison ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student 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-Madison: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$73,792 Top 6% higher than 94% of 5,103 US colleges
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 · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | University of Wisconsin-Madison | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $73,792 | #295 of 5103 | 94th |
| Average net price | $17,354 | #2554 of 5020 | 49th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 89.4% | #239 of 4858 | 95th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 36,902 | #33 of 5462 | 99th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
36,902
Undergraduate enrollment
45.2%
Acceptance rate
1,427
SAT average
89.4%
150%-time completion
$73,792
10-yr median earnings
96.2%
First-year retention
How University of Wisconsin-Madison ranks in Wisconsin
State rank among 78 reporting Wisconsin colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | University of Wisconsin-Madison | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $73,792 | #4 of 78 | 95th |
| Average net price | $17,354 | #40 of 71 | 44th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 89.4% | #4 of 73 | 95th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 36,902 | #1 of 78 | 99th |
Highest former-student earnings in Wisconsin
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee School of Engineering | $89,070 | $22,453 |
| 2 | Marquette University | $78,257 | $31,487 |
| 3 | Bellin College | $76,222 | $37,408 |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonThis school | $73,792 | $17,354 |
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville | $61,760 | $16,032 |
| 6 | University of Wisconsin-La Crosse | $60,378 | $16,210 |
| 7 | Edgewood University | $59,728 | $26,113 |
| 8 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | $58,561 | $16,550 |
| 9 | Saint Norbert College | $58,363 | $26,172 |
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | $58,084 | $17,490 |
| 11 | Carroll University | $58,009 | $15,193 |
| 12 | Carthage College | $56,950 | $26,565 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 45.2% |
| SAT Average | 1,427 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 710 – 780 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 670 – 740 |
| ACT Average | 29 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 29 – 33 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at University of Wisconsin-Madison
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k $4,200
$0 – $30k
$4,200 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k $4,101
$30k – $48k
$4,101 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k $8,134
$48k – $75k
$8,134 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$27,292 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at University of Wisconsin-Madison - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $11,603 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $42,103 |
| Average Net Price | $17,354 |
15.9%
Pell Grant Rate
20.4%
Federal Loan Rate
$20,484
Median Debt
$217/mo
Monthly Payment
University of Wisconsin-Madison costs less today than it did in 2013
Average net price fell from $18,387 to $16,928 (-7.9%) between 2013 and 2023, before any inflation adjustment, which makes the real-terms fall larger still. Most colleges moved the other way: the median change across the 4,315 schools measured over the same span was +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $18,3872023 · $16,928
Over the same years, enrollment went +20.9% (29,504 → 35,665 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
53.1%
Female
16.8%
First Generation
Outcomes
96.2%
Retention Rate
$61,275
Median Earnings (6yr)
80.0%
Earning Over $25K
87.8%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 89.4% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 96.2% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $61,275 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $73,792 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 80.0% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 87.8% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $20,484 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $217/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 82 | 9,412 | $74,789 | $120,483 | $20,479 |
| Master's | 40 | 1,852 | $100,751 | $196,985 | $33,890 |
| Doctoral | 15 | 333 | $99,259 | $169,322 | $63,482 |
| First Professional | 8 | 701 | $112,607 | $139,210 | $102,862 |
Top programs at University of Wisconsin-Madison by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Computer and Information S…
Computer and Information Sciences, General
$196,985 median earnings
- Public Health
Public Health
$169,322 median earnings
- Marketing
Marketing
$166,668 median earnings
- Finance and Financial Mana…
Finance and Financial Management Services
$164,371 median earnings
- Business/Commerce, General
Business/Commerce, General
$160,097 median earnings
- Management Sciences and Qu…
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
$156,689 median earnings
- Engineering, General
Engineering, General
$147,101 median earnings
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical S…
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
$139,210 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.
Nearby Schools
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Matches use Scorecard measures among reporting colleges — not state-system recommendations or geographic proximity.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Public institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL
37,207 students · 305 apart
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL
36,258 students · 644 apart
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ
37,751 students · 849 apart
Indiana University-Bloomington
Bloomington, IN
37,806 students · 904 apart
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Terra State Community College
Fremont, OH
$17,345 net price · $9 apart
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH
$17,339 net price · $15 apart
Southeast Technical College
Sioux Falls, SD
$17,400 net price · $46 apart
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC
$17,303 net price · $51 apart
Similar 2013–2023 Net-Price Trend
Same-sector institutions with the same direction and nearest fitted annual change; only series with R² of at least 0.40 qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at University of Wisconsin-Madison? ▼
University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public institution in Madison, Wisconsin. The acceptance rate is 45.2%. The average SAT score is 1,427. Undergraduate enrollment is 36,902 students.
How much do University of Wisconsin-Madison former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at University of Wisconsin-Madison who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $73,792 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $61,275.
How much does University of Wisconsin-Madison cost? ▼
The average net price at University of Wisconsin-Madison is $17,354. In-state tuition is $11,603 and out-of-state tuition is $42,103. Median student debt at graduation is $20,484.
What is the graduation rate at University of Wisconsin-Madison? ▼
University of Wisconsin-Madison has a 89.4% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 96.2%.
Is University of Wisconsin-Madison worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at University of Wisconsin-Madison is $20,484, while former students earn a median of $73,792 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 28% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 87.8% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $217.
Sources & methodology
Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.
Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Compare University of Wisconsin-Madison against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Wisconsin side by side.Browse Wisconsin
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.
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. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.