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University of Wisconsin-Madison
About 45 in 100 applicants get into University of Wisconsin-Madison — solidly within reach for students near the ranges below.
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University of Wisconsin-Madison sits in Madison proper — a public campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. It carries a land-grant charter — the 1862 mandate that ties it to agricultural and practical education. The university runs its own medical system, which colors both its budget and its biggest programs.
Its highest-earning path is Real Estate, where graduates median $120,483 four years out. Faculty pay averages $187,716 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 36,902 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 96.2% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1360 and 1510 — above the WI middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on University of Wisconsin-Madison's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
University of Wisconsin-Madison is test-optional: scores are considered when submitted but not required. The 1360–1510 range below describes admitted students who chose to submit — typically University of Wisconsin-Madison's stronger testers — so treat it as the higher end of what gets in.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 660 | 700 | 730 |
| SAT Math | 700 | 750 | 780 |
| ACT Composite | 28 | 30 | 32 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
In the Fall 2023 cycle, University of Wisconsin-Madison received 63,505 applications and admitted 27,529 (43.3%), with 7,964 enrolling.
How University of Wisconsin-Madison compares
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | Wisconsin median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 45.2% | 81.5% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $11,603 | $33,396 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $73,792 | $55,452 | $53,781 |
Ten years after enrolling, the median University of Wisconsin-Madison student earns $73,792 — 33% above the Wisconsin median of $55,452 for college-goers.
Cost, size & completion
As a public university, University of Wisconsin-Madison prices by residency: $11,603 in-state versus $42,103 out-of-state — a $30,500 gap that makes state lines part of the decision.
36,902 undergraduates make University of Wisconsin-Madison a large campus: broad course catalogs and big intro lectures come as a package.
89.5% of University of Wisconsin-Madison students finish a bachelor's within six years — 34.7 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $11,603 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at University of Wisconsin-Madison
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Real Estate | $120,483 |
| Computer Engineering | $120,068 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $119,655 |
| Industrial Engineering | $110,711 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $107,207 |
| International Business | $106,783 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $106,521 |
| Insurance | $105,992 |
| Nuclear Engineering | $102,449 |
| Chemical Engineering | $101,676 |
| Mathematics | $101,438 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $101,390 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $100,005 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $99,762 |
| Statistics | $99,210 |
| Marketing | $96,148 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $95,114 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $95,059 |
| Engineering Mechanics | $92,276 |
| Materials Engineering | $91,265 |
| Civil Engineering | $87,691 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $85,579 |
| Food Science and Technology | $85,445 |
| Economics | $85,366 |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $82,081 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | $81,655 |
| Agricultural Engineering | $78,368 |
| Physics | $77,380 |
| Journalism | $75,967 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $74,963 |
| Geological/Geophysical Engineering | $73,337 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $72,988 |
| Agricultural Public Services | $71,726 |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | $70,123 |
| Biology, General | $69,005 |
| Genetics | $68,402 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | $68,397 |
| Political Science and Government | $66,148 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $65,874 |
| Chemistry | $64,734 |
| Landscape Architecture | $63,759 |
| International/Globalization Studies | $63,452 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $63,061 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | $61,737 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $61,270 |
| Philosophy | $61,186 |
| Geography and Cartography | $59,424 |
| Nutrition Sciences | $59,329 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $59,044 |
| Psychology, General | $58,901 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | $58,824 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $58,771 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $58,565 |
| History | $58,343 |
| Sociology | $58,007 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $57,745 |
| Animal Sciences | $57,605 |
| Area Studies | $55,733 |
| Anthropology | $54,773 |
| Social Work | $54,375 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $53,197 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $52,631 |
| Botany/Plant Biology | $50,963 |
| Special Education and Teaching | $50,302 |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | $50,080 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $49,640 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | $49,602 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $48,934 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $48,684 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $48,435 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | $45,212 |
Median earnings for these 71 University of Wisconsin-Madison programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $73,792 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 28 additional University of Wisconsin-Madison programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for University of Wisconsin-Madison?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1360–1510 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 45.2% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is University of Wisconsin-Madison's acceptance rate?
43.3% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 27,529 admitted from 63,505 applicants.
How much does University of Wisconsin-Madison cost?
In-state tuition is $11,603; out-of-state students pay $42,103. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $73,792 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Wisconsin
- Milwaukee School of Engineering — 58.9% admitted
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee — 90.7% admitted
- University of Wisconsin-Platteville — 89.4% admitted
- University of Wisconsin-Superior — 93% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.