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College Ledger

Statement · Madison, WI

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Public4-year · Bachelor's degreesCompare with other schools →

  1. Families earning under $30k paid $4,200 a year after grants and aid, against a published cost of $28,679.

  2. Students who received federal aid earned a median $73,792 ten years after entering, the 94th percentile among public 4-years.

  3. 90% of students finish within 150% of normal time.

Founded
1848
Enrollment, 2023
53,219
Website
wisc.edu
Motto
“Numen Lumen”
Campus of University of Wisconsin-Madison

Unknown author · Public domain

AboutPublic university in Madison, Wisconsin, US. Wikipedia ↗

Read the Wikipedia extract

The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved statehood and is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. The 933-acre (378 ha) main campus is located on the shores of Lake Mendota; the university also owns and operates a 1,200-acre (486 ha) arboretum 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the main campus.

From the Wikipedia article “University of Wisconsin–Madison”, revision 1363985351, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.

What it costs

The published sticker cost is $28,679 a year; after grants, families who received aid paid between $4,101 and $27,292 a year depending on income at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Statement of cost · University of Wisconsin-Madison

Family income (per year)
Sticker costPublished yearly cost of attendance, all students
$28,679
What families earning under $30k paidYearly net price after grants, for students receiving federal aid
$4,200
Average net price, all incomesAided students, all family incomes
$17,354
In-state tuition & feesLatest reported, 2024
$11,603

Each figure is reported separately; none is computed from another.

Net price by family income

Pick an income bracket above; the marked point follows. Dollars are what aided families paid each year after grants.

Yearly net price by family income, in dollars

under $30k: $4,200; $30–48k: $4,101; $48–75k: $8,134; $75–110k: $17,763; over $110k: $27,292. Shaded band: middle half of public 4-years, from $8,778 to $16,425; dotted line at the median, $12,780.
  • Shaded: the middle half of public 4-years (all incomes), $8,778 to $16,425. Dotted line: the median, $12,780.
Table of the same numbers
Average yearly net price by family income bracket
Family incomePaid per year
Under $30k$4,200
$30k–$48k$4,101
$48k–$75k$8,134
$75k–$110k$17,763
Over $110k$27,292

College Scorecard, 2023–24 aid cohort (students who received federal aid)

What graduates earn and owe

Ten years after entry, the median federally aided student here earns $73,792; the median graduate who borrowed owes $20,484.

Statement, continued

Earnings, 6 years after entryFederally aided (Title IV) students only. Median.
$61,275
Earnings, 8 years after entryFederally aided (Title IV) students only. Median.
$69,868
Median earnings 10 years after entryFederally aided (Title IV) students only. Median.
94th percentile among public 4-years
$73,792
Median debt, graduatesStudents who finished and borrowed federal loans.
57th percentile among public 4-years
$20,484
Median debt, all who borrowedEveryone who borrowed, whether or not they finished.
$18,058

Earnings and debt come from federal aid records, so students who never received federal aid are not counted.

Earnings after entry

The shaded band is the middle half of public 4-years at 10 years: $42,655 to $60,720.

6 yrs after entry: $61,275; 8 yrs after entry: $69,868; 10 yrs after entry: $73,792. Median graduate debt: $20,484. Shaded band: middle half of public 4-years at 10 years, from $42,655 to $60,720; dotted line at the median, $50,178.
  • Shaded: middle half of public 4-years, 10 years out ($42,655 to $60,720); dotted line is the median.
  • Dashed: median graduate debt, $20,484.

Earnings cover federally aided (Title IV) students only. Hollow marks are rungs with no reported value, not zero.

Table of the same numbers
Earnings after entry and graduate debt
MeasureDollars
Median earnings, 6 yrs after entry$61,275
Median earnings, 8 yrs after entry$69,868
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry$73,792
Median graduate debt$20,484

College Scorecard, federal tax and aid records

What programs pay

Median earnings five years after completing, by field of study. Small programs are privacy-suppressed and shown as not reported, never zero.

What programs pay at University of Wisconsin-Madison
ProgramCredentialGraduatesEarnings, 5 yrsMedian debt
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's Degree864$118,588$22,500
Psychology, GeneralBachelor's Degree589$61,607$21,215
EconomicsBachelor's Degree587$84,958$20,750
Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's Degree521$106,484$21,500
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group StudiesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma502not reportednot reported
Biology, GeneralBachelor's Degree440$68,812$20,500
Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's Degree384$68,593$22,000
Entrepreneurial and Small Business OperationsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma343not reportednot reported
Data ScienceBachelor's Degree323not reportednot reported
Public HealthUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma322not reportednot reported
Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's Degree304$57,874$23,250
Neurobiology and NeurosciencesBachelor's Degree288not reported$21,750
Show all 30 programs
Remaining programs
ProgramCredentialGraduatesEarnings, 5 yrsMedian debt
Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma259not reportednot reported
Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma257not reportednot reported
MarketingBachelor's Degree252$99,093$20,500
MathematicsBachelor's Degree237$100,406$20,500
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing OperationsBachelor's Degree232$73,814$21,630
Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's Degree231$92,203$20,500
LawFirst Professional Degree226$104,344not reported
JournalismBachelor's Degree221$68,253$23,250
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralMaster's Degree188not reportednot reported
Public HealthDoctoral Degree18$122,215not reported
MarketingMaster's Degree21$165,191not reported
Finance and Financial Management ServicesMaster's Degree22$180,896not reported
Business/Commerce, GeneralMaster's Degree45$160,846not reported
Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsMaster's Degree164not reportednot reported
Engineering, GeneralMaster's Degree77$133,037not reported
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and AdministrationFirst Professional Degree125$143,810not reported
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringMaster's Degree114$134,929not reported
MedicineFirst Professional Degree156$191,376not reported

Source: College Scorecard field-of-study data.

Who goes here

University of Wisconsin-Madison: 36,902 undergraduates; 16% of students receive Pell grants; 45% of applicants are admitted.

Admission rate

45%

9th percentile among public 4-years

Undergraduates

36,902

97th percentile among public 4-years

Pell share

16%

of undergraduates receive Pell grants

7th percentile among public 4-years

Completion

90%

finish within 150% of normal time

99th percentile among public 4-years

First-generation

17%

parents did not attend college

Median family income

$92,428

99th percentile among public 4-years

Students by family income

Share of students in each family-income bracket, for students who received federal aid.

  • Under $30k12%
  • $30k–$48k10%
  • $48k–$75k15%
  • $75k–$110knot reported
  • Over $110knot reported
Show as a table
Students by family income
Family incomeShare of students
Under $30k12%
$30k–$48k10%
$48k–$75k15%
$75k–$110knot reported
Over $110knot reported

Who Wikipedia remembers

Wikidata records 12,621 people who studied at University of Wisconsin-Madison, most often in science & academia (60%). That is the archive's memory, not a census.

What the recorded alumni are remembered for

Share of recorded people by field, in a fixed order so schools compare.

Fields of the people the archive recorded for this school, in a fixed order: science & academia 60% (6,580 people); medicine 1.2% (134 people); law 1.9% (208 people); politics & gov 6.1% (664 people); business 2.1% (229 people); engineering & tech 3.3% (365 people); writing & journalism 6.5% (707 people); film & stage 1.8% (196 people); music 0.9% (102 people); visual arts 2.1% (230 people); sports 13% (1,384 people); religion 0.3% (31 people); military 1.1% (120 people). These are shares of people recorded in Wikidata, the archive's memory, not a census of alumni.
Table of the same numbers
Fields of the people the archive recorded for this school (the archive's memory, not a census)
FieldPeople recordedShare
science & academia6,58060.1%
medicine1341.2%
law2081.9%
politics & gov6646.1%
business2292.1%
engineering & tech3653.3%
writing & journalism7076.5%
film & stage1961.8%
music1020.9%
visual arts2302.1%
sports1,38412.6%
religion310.3%
military1201.1%

Source: Wikidata, via the archive's memory (not a census).

most recorded occupationsresearcher (3,432) · university teacher (1,437) · economist (642) · basketball player (613) · politician (610) · American football player (425) · writer (378) · mathematician (324)

Women among recorded alumni, by birth decade

Counts reflect who the archive records, not a census.

Share of women among recorded alumni, from 20% for the 1840s to 37% for the 2000s. Decades with fewer than 5 recorded people are not drawn, and 3 decades are marked not reported for women. The line breaks at every decade not drawn.

Counts only people the archive records with a gender. Hollow marks are decades with no women reported or fewer than 5 recorded, not zero.

Table of the same numbers
Recorded alumni by birth decade
BornWomenMenShare women
1800snot reported1not reported
1820snot reported3not reported
1830snot reported14not reported
1840s52020%
1850s92725%
1860s97311%
1870s1811214%
1880s2615614%
1890s4621218%
1900s5026116%
1910s3931011%
1920s7344614%
1930s8046915%
1940s18461623%
1950s17151225%
1960s10029625%
1970s8322727%
1980s6319624%
1990s5610635%
2000s457737%

Source: Wikidata, via the archive's memory (not a census).

Wikipedia attention, by month

Wikipedia attention

monthly views

Monthly Wikipedia article views from 2015-07 to 2026-06; peak 43,850 in 2020-07.
Table of the same numbers
Wikipedia article views by month
MonthViews
2026-0614,495
2026-0516,770
2026-0417,327
2026-0318,915
2026-0214,959
2026-0117,996
2025-1217,232
2025-1119,347
2025-1021,099
2025-0920,253
2025-0819,993
2025-0716,978
2025-0615,990
2025-0518,182
2025-0421,730
2025-0326,226
2025-0219,709
2025-0122,642
2024-1223,266
2024-1124,649
2024-1026,570
2024-0928,064
2024-0825,307
2024-0720,789
2024-0619,088
2024-0525,593
2024-0424,759
2024-0329,039
2024-0222,991
2024-0131,587
2023-1227,428
2023-1126,121
2023-1029,586
2023-0930,464
2023-0831,148
2023-0726,376
2023-0624,069
2023-0527,228
2023-0426,501
2023-0330,124
2023-0224,032
2023-0127,931
2022-1225,551
2022-1128,398
2022-1031,900
2022-0928,892
2022-0829,187
2022-0725,924
2022-0623,296
2022-0523,967
2022-0429,053
2022-0328,962
2022-0225,316
2022-0127,652
2021-1226,611
2021-1132,825
2021-1029,813
2021-0930,129
2021-0826,970
2021-0726,029
2021-0619,155
2021-0522,409
2021-0426,266
2021-0325,853
2021-0221,498
2021-0126,357
2020-1225,186
2020-1126,472
2020-1025,946
2020-0922,057
2020-0821,735
2020-0743,850
2020-0618,791
2020-0524,788
2020-0430,372
2020-0325,975
2020-0225,825
2020-0133,599
2019-1234,556
2019-1132,704
2019-1034,500
2019-0931,555
2019-0826,326
2019-0723,794
2019-0621,572
2019-0524,526
2019-0426,211
2019-0329,501
2019-0223,330
2019-0132,313
2018-1230,822
2018-1125,864
2018-1034,018
2018-0930,311
2018-0828,995
2018-0727,107
2018-0626,012
2018-0528,029
2018-0428,617
2018-0331,722
2018-0224,380
2018-0125,482
2017-1226,981
2017-1129,055
2017-1028,840
2017-0925,347
2017-0822,981
2017-0720,472
2017-0619,299
2017-0522,928
2017-0425,101
2017-0331,113
2017-0223,540
2017-0127,383
2016-1225,650
2016-1127,951
2016-1031,357
2016-0929,018
2016-0823,680
2016-0720,005
2016-0619,456
2016-0522,707
2016-0424,693
2016-0329,080
2016-0223,337
2016-0125,200
2015-1222,680
2015-1123,843
2015-1028,806
2015-0927,155
2015-0823,557
2015-0719,910

Source: Wikimedia pageviews.

Nobel laureates who studied here

  • Joseph Erlanger Medicine 1944
  • Herbert Spencer Gasser Medicine 1944
  • John Bardeen Physics 1956
  • Edward Lawrie Tatum Medicine 1958
  • Joshua Lederberg Medicine 1958
  • John Bardeen Physics 1972
Show all 18
  • Stanford Moore Chemistry 1972
  • Howard Temin Medicine 1975
  • Saul Bellow Literature 1976
  • John Hasbrouck Van Vleck Physics 1977
  • Theodore Schultz Economics 1979
  • Erwin Neher Medicine 1991
  • Paul D. Boyer Chemistry 1997
  • Günter Blobel Medicine 1999
  • Alan MacDiarmid Chemistry 2000
  • Jack Kilby Physics 2000
  • Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Peace 2011
  • William C. Campbell Medicine 2015

The portrait wall

Ordered by Wikipedia footprint (language editions).

Show all 15 portraits

Similar schools

These are the nearest neighbors in the same sector. The list is not an ordering.

Sources & caveats

Figures come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Built 2026-07-17.

not reported
Not reported: suppressed for privacy or never collected. It is not zero, and nothing has been filled in.
Percentiles
A percentile compares this school with others in its own sector (for example, public 4-year schools). It describes position, not quality.
Earnings
Earnings cover students who received federal (Title IV) aid, measured from the year they entered. Students who never received federal aid are not included.
Provenance notes
  • U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard, 2026-06 release. Earnings cover federally aided (Title IV) students only. Suppressed values are null, never imputed.
  • Annual Scorecard files 1996-2026. A null in early years usually means the measure was not yet collected, not zero.
  • Coordinates and locale describe the campus address, not where students live.
  • Wikidata is not an alumni census: a person appears only when volunteer editors record them. Counts measure the archive's memory - access x achievement x documentation - never placement rates or institutional quality.
  • Images are from Wikimedia Commons under free licenses. Render the credit line (artist + license) with every image.

Lead text from Wikipedia (revision 1363985351), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.