UW Madison

uw_madison.md


UW Madison

Overview

  • Type: Public flagship (Big Ten)
  • Location: Madison, WI
  • Category: flagship_public

Admissions (Fall 2024)

  • Total applicants: 45,941 (record high, up 4.6% YoY)
  • Acceptance rate: ~49% overall (73% for WI residents, 53.8% for non-residents)
  • Class size: 7,306 freshmen enrolled
  • Yield rate: 29%

Academic Profile

  • SAT middle 50%: 1370-1490 (avg ~1400)
  • ACT middle 50%: 29-33 (avg ~31)
  • Average GPA: 3.90 unweighted (52.7% had 4.0, 33.4% had 3.75-3.99)
  • Top 10% of HS class: 54%
  • Testing policy: Test-optional

Application Rounds

  • Early Action: Nov 1 deadline, decisions by end of January (non-binding)
  • Regular Decision: Feb 1 deadline, decisions by end of March
  • No Early Decision

Demographics (Undergraduate)

Group Pct
White 65%
International 13%
Asian 7%
Hispanic 6%
Multiracial 3%
Black 2%
Women 53%
  • Total undergrad enrollment: ~38,040
  • International students from 110 countries (China, India, South Korea top 3)

Financial Aid / Net Cost by Income

Income Bracket Net Price
$0-$30,000 $4,367
$30,001-$48,000 $6,860
$48,001-$75,000 $13,227
$75,001-$110,000 $21,860
Over $110,000 $24,574

Athletics

  • 23 Big Ten varsity sports
  • 889 student-athletes (~2.3% of undergrad enrollment)

Notable

  • Wisconsin Guarantee: top 5% of WI high school grads guaranteed admission starting 2025-26
  • Strong programs in STEM, business, social sciences, agriculture
  • Research powerhouse with $1.4B+ annual research expenditures

Sources

  • College Factual diversity data
  • UW-Madison DAPIR admissions data
  • Common Data Set 2024-2025
  • GoodGoblin/NextGenAdmit admissions profiles