Madison, WI · public · 36,902 undergraduates
University of Wisconsin-Madison acceptance rate, SAT range and net price
UW-Madison admitted 40.8% of applicants for fall 2025, but more than half of the Wisconsin residents who applied.
Net price per year at UW-Madison
$17,763
Reach · admit rate 40.8%
| Admit rate, Fall 2025 entering class | 40.8% (1 in 2) |
| Middle 50% of enrolled students (SAT) | 1,400 to 1,490 |
| Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.) | 8% |
| This site’s label | Reach |
| Sticker price 2026-27, in-state | $31,524 |
| Paid by families with $75,001-$110,000 (2023-24) | $17,763 |
| Share of the sticker price | 56% |
Net price: average paid after grants by students on federal aid in that income band (2023-24), not a quote. The label is a fixed rule of this site (admit rate under 15% is a reach for everyone), not a prediction. Your exact price: UW-Madison net price calculator. How this is calculated.
Admissions: University of Wisconsin-Madison Common Data Set 2025-2026 (Excel), C1 · net price: College Scorecard, 2023-24 · figures checked · Built by Radif Partners · Method and data
- Admit rate, newest cycle
- 40.8%
- SAT middle 50%
- 1,400 to 1,490
- Sticker price 2026-27
- $31,524
- Net price, income $48k to $75k
- $8,134
The University of Wisconsin-Madison admitted 30,167 of 73,912 first-year applicants for the class that entered in fall 2025, an acceptance rate of 40.8%, and 8,495 enrolled, according to its Common Data Set 2025-2026. Wisconsin residents were admitted at a much higher rate than nonresidents. Testing is optional through the spring 2028 term, and far more enrolled students sent the ACT (29%, middle 50% 29 to 33) than the SAT (12%). The 2026-27 budget is $31,524 for Wisconsin residents and $65,120 for most nonresidents, with a reciprocity rate for Minnesotans. Bucky's Tuition Promise covers tuition and fees for residents with household income of $65,000 or less; in 2023-24, aided residents paid an average of $4,200 under $30,000 and $17,763 between $75,001 and $110,000.
Two admit rates in one
The overall rate hides a wide gap. For fall 2025, UW-Madison admitted 5,672 of 10,058 Wisconsin applicants, more than half, and 19,948 of 49,463 out-of-state applicants, about four in ten. Even so, nonresidents make up more than half of the entering class: only 3,831 of the 8,495 new students were Wisconsin residents. The university relies on out-of-state tuition, and its pool of applicants from Illinois, Minnesota and the coasts keeps growing.
UW-Madison: the out-of-state premium
Extra tuition for a non-WI student
$122,000
| In-state tuition and fees 2024-25 | $11,603 |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees 2024-25 | $42,103 |
| Gap per year | $30,500 |
Published tuition and fees, before any nonresident scholarship; future increases not included.
Minnesota pays its own rate
A reciprocity agreement between Wisconsin and Minnesota gives Minnesota residents a rate between the two: their 2026-27 budget is $37,574, against $31,524 for Wisconsin residents and $65,120 for other nonresidents. Engineering, nursing and business students pay a tuition differential on top of the standard budget, a few thousand dollars a year, which the totals above do not include.
Bucky's Tuition Promise
For Wisconsin residents whose household adjusted gross income is $65,000 or less, Bucky's Tuition Promise guarantees scholarships and grants covering tuition and segregated fees for eight semesters; only income is counted, not assets. The federal averages for residents on aid were $4,101 between $30,001 and $48,000 and $8,134 between $48,001 and $75,000 in 2023-24, figures in which housing and food make most of the cost.
UW-Madison: net price for your family income
Average net price, 2023-24
$8,134
| Income band | $48,001-$75,000 |
| Share of the 2023-24 cost | 28% |
In-state students; federal figure for students on federal aid.
Early Action and the ACT
UW-Madison offers a non-binding Early Action on November 1, with decisions by the end of January, and a regular deadline of January 15. The ACT remains the test of the Midwest here: the range of 29 to 33 is the more complete picture of the class. The waiting list moves, with about a thousand students admitted from it for fall 2025, so a student placed on it should accept the place and keep the university informed of new grades. Compare with Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan in the comparison tool.
From University of Wisconsin-Madison’s own documents
- For fall 2025, UW-Madison admitted 5,672 of 10,058 Wisconsin applicants and 19,948 of 49,463 out-of-state applicants; 3,831 of the 8,495 enrolled first-years were Wisconsin residents. source
- Bucky's Tuition Promise covers four years of tuition and segregated fees for Wisconsin residents whose household adjusted gross income is $65,000 or less, counting income only, not assets. source
- Minnesota residents pay a reciprocity rate: their 2026-27 budget is 37,574, against 31,524 for Wisconsin residents and 65,120 for other nonresidents. source
- Testing is optional for applicants through the spring 2028 term, and only 1,000 of the fall 2025 enrolled first-years submitted an SAT score, against 2,437 who sent an ACT. source
- Engineering, nursing and business students pay a tuition differential on top of the standard budget (estimated 3,200, 1,500 and 3,000 a year). source
- For fall 2025, 4,317 students accepted a place on the waiting list and 1,088 of them were admitted. source
Net price at University of Wisconsin-Madison by family income
| Family income | Average net price 2023-24 | Share of the 2023-24 cost |
|---|---|---|
| $0-$30,000 | $4,200 | 15% |
| $30,001-$48,000 | $4,101 | 14% |
| $48,001-$75,000 | $8,134 | 28% |
| $75,001-$110,000 | $17,763 | 62% |
| $110,001 and up | $27,292 | 95% |
| All aided students | $17,354 | 61% |
Cost of attendance at University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2026-27
| Item | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $12,532 | $45,518 |
| Housing and food | $14,994 | $14,994 |
| Books and supplies | $700 | $700 |
| Personal | $2,618 | $2,618 |
| Travel | $612 | $1,222 |
| Total | $31,524 | $65,120 |
University of Wisconsin-Madison admissions by cycle
| Entering class | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 entering class | 73,912 | 30,167 | 8,495 | 40.8% |
| Fall 2024 (federal IPEDS figure) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 45.2% |
SAT and ACT scores at University of Wisconsin-Madison
| Score | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total (Fall 2025 entering class, CDS 2025-2026, C9 (1,000 SAT submitters, 2,437 ACT submitters)) | 1,400 | 1,450 | 1,490 |
| ACT composite (Fall 2025 entering class (CDS 2025-2026, C9 (1,000 SAT submitters, 2,437 ACT submitters))) | 29 | 31 | 33 |
| SAT sections, fall 2024 (Scorecard) | 670 + 710 | n/a | 740 + 780 |
Outcomes at University of Wisconsin-Madison
| Measure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Graduated within 6 years | 90% | fall 2018 entering cohort |
| Returned for a second year | 96% | fall 2023 entering cohort |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $73,792 | measured 2020-2021, 10 years after entry, 2022 dollars |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $20,484 | students who finished in 2019-20 and 2020-21 |
| Undergraduates | 36,902 | fall 2024 |
| Students with a Pell Grant | 16% | 2023-24 |