$73,792
median earnings, 10 years after starting
University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public 4-year college in Madison, Wisconsin with 36,902 undergraduates and 13,004 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $17,354 a year (tuition and fees $11,603 in-state, $42,103 out-of-state). It admits 45% of applicants and 90% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $73,792 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $20,484 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$17,354
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$11,603
Out-of-state $42,103
Admission rate
45%
US median 78%
Completion rate
90%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$20,484
About $217 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$73,792
Rank 295 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $17,354
- Tuition in-state
- $11,603
- Tuition out-of-state
- $42,103
- Cost of attendance
- $28,679
- Students with a need-based grant
- 16%
- Students with federal loans
- 20%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $4,200
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $4,101
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $8,134
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $17,763
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $27,292
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $10,415 in 2015-16 to $11,603 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 45%
- Average SAT
- 1,427
- SAT reading, middle
- 680
- SAT math, middle
- 730
- ACT, middle
- 29
- Undergraduates
- 36,902
- Graduate students
- 13,004
- Part-time students
- 4.6%
- Women
- 53%
- Students per teacher
- 18
- Completion rate
- 90%
- Retention rate
- 96%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 396
- Endowment
- $6.1B
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 295 of 5,094 US colleges and 4 of 78 in Wisconsin (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | WI median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $17,354 | $16,210 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $11,603 | $9,856 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 45% | 82% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 90% | 58% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 96% | 76% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $20,484 | $20,492 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $61,275 | $41,210 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $73,792 | $45,358 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 84% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 87% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
396 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 864 | $20,500 | $80,566 | $119,655 | $92,374 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 589 | $20,500 | $31,985 | $58,901 | $50,706 |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 587 | $20,500 | $54,495 | $85,366 | $82,686 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 521 | $20,181 | $68,681 | $107,207 | $83,343 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group StudiesCertificate | Certificate | 502 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 440 | $20,500 | $35,798 | $69,005 | $57,214 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 384 | $20,500 | $42,063 | $66,148 | $63,293 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 343 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Data ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 323 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Public HealthCertificate | Certificate | 322 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 304 | $20,500 | $37,286 | $61,270 | $56,359 |
| Neurobiology and NeurosciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 288 | $21,202 | $31,687 | $58,824 | $62,451 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchCertificate | Certificate | 259 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationCertificate | Certificate | 257 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| MarketingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 252 | $20,000 | $65,224 | $96,148 | $69,303 |
| MathematicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 237 | $20,080 | $67,744 | $101,438 | $69,562 |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 232 | $18,737 | $57,760 | $82,081 | $75,399 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 231 | $20,000 | $67,699 | $100,005 | $68,257 |
| LawProfessional | Professional | 226 | $61,500 | $71,236 | $100,715 | $107,773 |
| JournalismBachelor's | Bachelor's | 221 | $21,500 | $40,942 | $75,967 | $56,278 |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 218 | $19,450 | $74,611 | $95,114 | $92,135 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 218 | $20,659 | $75,513 | $85,579 | $88,910 |
| CriminologyCertificate | Certificate | 208 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 188 | Withheld | Withheld | $196,985 | $124,201 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular BiologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 183 | $20,000 | $44,074 | $72,988 | $65,466 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: Wisconsin on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Wisconsin
- Homes: Homes for sale in Wisconsin
Questions and answers
How much does University of Wisconsin-Madison cost?
$17,354 a year is the average net price at University of Wisconsin-Madison after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $11,603 for in-state students and $42,103 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $28,679. Families earning under $30,000 pay $4,200 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Wisconsin-Madison?
45% of applicants are admitted to University of Wisconsin-Madison. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,427 and the middle ACT score is 29. The median admission rate of colleges in Wisconsin is 82%.
How much do University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates earn?
$73,792 a year is the median pay of former University of Wisconsin-Madison students who work, 10 years after they started ($61,275 after 6 years). That ranks 295 of 5,094 US colleges and 4 of 78 in Wisconsin. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Business/Commerce, General (Master's) at $127,264.
How much student debt do University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates have?
$20,484 is the median federal student loan debt of University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates, about $217 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 20% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at University of Wisconsin-Madison?
90% of first-time, full-time students at University of Wisconsin-Madison finish within 6 years. 96% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at University of Wisconsin-Madison?
Computer and Information Sciences, General (864 bachelor's graduates), Psychology, General (589 bachelor's graduates), Economics (587 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 396 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.