Basic Information

Type Public
Geographical Reach National
Location Madison, WI
Population 600,000
Map of the United States

Weather

Comfortable Days 105 (50%) very dry
Sunshine Hours 2,370 (24%)
Days Without Precipitation 244 (43%)

Demographics

Total Undergraduates 36,095
Men / Women 47% / 53%
From State 45%
From Region 23%
Athletes 2.5%

Racial/Ethnic

White 58%
Asian 11%
International 11%
Hispanic 9%
Mixed 5%
Black 2%
Native American 0%

Schools & Majors

Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences 449 29% / 71% 4% $64,376 57 96%
Agroecology 9 +3 44% / 56% 0% $57,006 36
Genetics and Genomics 102 +15 21% / 79% 8% $70,095 69 92%
Agricultural Business Management 18 50% / 50% 0% $77,198 79 95%
Agricultural and Applied Economics 10 +2 60% / 40% 10% $77,198 79 95%
Animal Sciences 34 +1 12% / 88% 0% $58,890 42 100%
Biological Systems Engineering 33 64% / 36% 6% $80,551 83 97%
Dairy and Food Animal Management 9 +2 22% / 78% 0% $58,890 42 100%
Entomology 2 +1 50% / 50% 0% $50,648 18 94%
Environmental Studies 64 +56 30% / 70% 3% $55,221 31 94%
Food Science 13 62% / 38% 15% $76,546 79 100%
Forest Science 7 43% / 57% 0% $52,799 24
Horticultural Science 9 +1 44% / 56% 11% $61,569 50
Nutritional Sciences 53 +5 8% / 92% 8% $66,274 62 95%
Plant Pathology 5 +1 20% / 80% 0% $51,256 20 95%
Soil Science 4 75% / 25% 0% $61,294 49
Wildlife Ecology 32 +2 28% / 72% 0% $37,509 3 100%
Agricultural Communication 35 +24 23% / 77% 0% $71,505 72 100%
Rural Sociology 10 +3 20% / 80% 0% $61,929 51 98%
Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
College of Engineering 857 74% / 26% 10% $103,313 96 97%
Biomedical Engineering 114 +5 44% / 56% 3% $96,804 94 95%
Chemical Engineering 82 +5 63% / 37% 24% $104,326 97 98%
Civil Engineering 60 +1 80% / 20% 2% $85,884 87 96%
Computer Engineering 82 +29 84% / 16% 21% $148,618 100 98%
Electrical Engineering 110 +7 91% / 9% 16% $95,604 93 93%
Engineering 1 100% / 0% 0% $102,223 96
Engineering Mechanics 29 86% / 14% 0% $88,432 89 100%
Engineering Physics (Nuclear) 2 +2 50% / 50% 0% $103,703 96
Engineering Undecided $103,004 96
Environmental Engineering 21 33% / 67% 5% $81,479 84
Geological Engineering 3 +4 0% / 100% 0% $88,013 89 100%
Industrial Engineering 79 +8 59% / 41% 11% $112,506 98 98%
Materials Science and Engineering 19 68% / 32% 16% $87,130 88 95%
Mechanical Engineering 241 +6 88% / 12% 7% $100,054 95 98%
Nuclear Engineering 14 71% / 29% 7% $113,400 98 91%
Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
College of Letters and Science 5,322 48% / 52% 15% $78,683 81 96%
Computer Science 766 +252 82% / 18% 34% $119,290 99 96%
Data Science 331 +217 69% / 31% 31% $103,503 96
Information Science 81 +29 65% / 35% 19% $105,278 97
Applied Mathematics 6 +3 83% / 17% 33% $102,263 96
Astrophysics 23 +16 70% / 30% 13% $67,924 65 100%
Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences 20 +4 50% / 50% 10% $54,583 29 100%
Chemistry 70 +16 59% / 41% 14% $75,609 78 95%
Geology and Geophysics 13 +6 38% / 62% 0% $73,223 74 97%
Mathematics 153 +92 68% / 32% 46% $101,723 96 92%
Physics 28 +18 82% / 18% 11% $71,549 72 96%
Statistics 43 +31 51% / 49% 58% $98,501 95 100%
Biochemistry 159 +29 46% / 54% 13% $73,245 74 96%
Biology 394 +54 32% / 68% 4% $70,620 70 96%
Botany 8 +3 38% / 62% 12% $51,256 20 95%
Conservation Biology 49 +25 35% / 65% 0% $40,841 5 97%
Microbiology 58 +12 40% / 60% 5% $66,855 63 97%
Molecular Biology 43 +7 35% / 65% 12% $73,245 74 96%
Neurobiology 214 +57 29% / 71% 3% $59,162 43 100%
Environmental Sciences 56 +16 36% / 64% 5% $55,221 31 94%
Zoology 43 +11 53% / 47% 2% $50,648 18 94%
Communication Sciences and Disorders 78 +13 3% / 97% 1% $65,987 61 97%
Economics 539 +161 74% / 26% 25% $86,585 88 96%
African American Studies 2 +1 50% / 50% 0% $53,171 25 88%
African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics +1 $61,854 51
Anthropology 23 +10 35% / 65% 0% $51,412 20 91%
Cartography and Geographic Information Systems 16 +8 88% / 12% 12% $63,348 55 98%
Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies 8 +10 12% / 88% 0% $53,171 25 88%
Chinese 7 +6 57% / 43% 0% $61,827 51
Classics 6 +5 17% / 83% 17% $60,097 46
Communication Arts 230 +49 33% / 67% 11% $58,430 41 96%
English 96 +36 29% / 71% 1% $54,287 28 96%
French 12 +10 25% / 75% 0% $62,141 51 94%
Gender and Women's Studies 29 +19 7% / 93% 3% $53,171 25 88%
Geography 1 100% / 0% 0% $63,348 55 98%
Geography and Environmental Studies 15 +12 13% / 87% 13%
German 4 +6 75% / 25% 0% $61,665 50
History 113 +66 49% / 51% 4% $59,695 45 91%
International Studies 75 +37 29% / 71% 8% $62,299 52 90%
Italian 2 +1 0% / 100% 0% $62,141 51
Japanese 12 +4 58% / 42% 25% $61,783 51
Jewish Studies 2 +1 0% / 100% 0% $54,439 29
Journalism 198 +38 20% / 80% 5% $68,909 67 97%
Latin 1 +1 0% / 100% 0% $62,222 52
Latin American and Caribbean Studies 3 +2 0% / 100% 0% $52,973 25 82%
Linguistics 19 +10 37% / 63% 0% $61,197 49
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 1 100% / 0% 0% $56,337 34
Philosophy 44 +37 57% / 43% 9% $57,638 38 97%
Polish 1 0% / 100% 0% $62,129 51
Political Science 268 +138 47% / 53% 4% $69,906 69 95%
Portuguese 1 +1 0% / 100% 0% $62,141 51 94%
Psychology 471 +166 23% / 77% 7% $63,172 54 96%
Religious Studies 3 +4 0% / 100% 0% $53,229 25
Russian 7 +3 29% / 71% 0% $61,695 50
Scandinavian Studies 2 +3 50% / 50% 0% $52,973 25 82%
Social Sciences 4 75% / 25% 0%
Social Welfare 78 +9 14% / 86% 0% $59,281 43 93%
Sociology 62 +32 32% / 68% 8% $61,929 51 98%
South Asian Studies 5 +9 40% / 60% 20% $52,973 25 82%
Spanish 62 +53 19% / 81% 0% $62,141 51 94%
Sustainability Studies 123 +28 14% / 86% 2% $60,284 46
Art History 15 +9 27% / 73% 0% $39,728 4 92%
Landscape and Urban Studies 26 +8 38% / 62% 4% $63,976 56 100%
Legal Studies 100 +69 16% / 84% 1% $67,795 65 98%
Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
Mead Witter School of Music 21 43% / 57% 5% $44,821 9 88%
Music 14 +7 43% / 57% 0% $44,077 8 86%
Music Education 4 50% / 50% 0% $47,983 13 100%
Music Performance 3 33% / 67% 33% $44,077 8 86%
Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
School of Education 586 20% / 80% 4% $60,786 48 96%
Kinesiology 144 +1 33% / 67% 1% $73,200 74 96%
Rehabilitation Psychology 40 +2 10% / 90% 0% $63,033 54 98%
Educational Policy Studies 38 +31 26% / 74% 32% $57,865 39
Elementary Education 107 +3 10% / 90% 3% $53,083 25 96%
Physical Education 17 35% / 65% 0% $47,983 13 100%
Physical Education and Sport Science 103 +8 16% / 84% 2% $73,200 74 96%
Special Education 10 +1 20% / 80% 0% $57,018 36 91%
Special Education 25 4% / 96% 0%
Art 72 +4 22% / 78% 7% $39,728 4 91%
Art Education 11 9% / 91% 0% $47,983 13 100%
Dance 8 0% / 100% 0% $42,776 7
Theatre and Drama 11 +4 45% / 55% 9% $45,871 10 92%
Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
School of Human Ecology 683 33% / 67% 4% $79,360 82 97%
Consumer Finance and Financial Planning 181 +15 73% / 27% 5% $108,741 98 96%
Retailing and Retail Operations 324 +19 25% / 75% 6% $75,379 77 98%
Family and Community Services 22 +4 5% / 95% 0% $56,736 36 98%
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Communication 1 0% / 100% 0%
Human Development and Family Studies 108 +25 7% / 93% 0% $56,736 36 98%
Apparel and Textiles 17 +1 6% / 94% 0% $49,013 15 90%
Housing and Human Environments, Other 1 0% / 100% 0%
Interior Design 29 3% / 97% 3% $59,683 44 93%
Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
School of Nursing 223 17% / 83% 0% $83,841 86 96%
Nursing 223 17% / 83% 0% $83,841 86 96%
Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
School of Pharmacy 65 23% / 77% 5% $138,991 100 96%
Pharmaceutical Sciences 48 21% / 79% 4% $148,664 100 96%
Pharmacology and Toxicology 17 +5 29% / 71% 6% $111,680 98
Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
Wisconsin School of Business 1,035 53% / 47% 4% $106,807 97 97%
Accounting 94 +22 48% / 52% 3% $98,168 94 99%
Actuarial Science 29 +16 72% / 28% 24% $129,544 99 100%
Business Administration 88 +41 38% / 62% 7% $94,157 93 98%
Entrepreneurship 2 50% / 50% 0%
Finance, Investment, and Banking 300 +114 67% / 33% 3% $108,741 98 96%
Human Resources Management 6 0% / 100% 0%
International Business 32 +30 28% / 72% 0% $105,372 97 95%
Management Information Systems 38 +21 58% / 42% 8% $108,843 98 91%
Marketing 194 +87 25% / 75% 3% $101,193 96 99%
Operations and Technology Management 52 +42 56% / 44% 12% $94,157 93 98%
Organizational Leadership 2 +1 0% / 100% 0%
Professional Selling 4 25% / 75% 0% $75,379 77 98%
Real Estate and Urban Land Economics 140 +85 72% / 28% 1% $122,491 99 94%
Risk Management and Insurance 54 +42 65% / 35% 9% $112,940 98 93%

Financial

In-State Tuition & Fees $12,490
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees $45,600
Est. In-State Cost $16,157
Est. Out-of-State Cost $58,988
ROI Percentile 85th

Retention & Graduation

Full-Time Retention 96%
4-Year Graduation Rate 75%
6-Year Graduation Rate 90%
Transfer-Out Rate 0%

Earnings by Major Category

Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).

Academics

% Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
Humanities & Social Sciences 24.0% 2,222 28% / 72% 5% $62,265 52 95%
Business & Economics 22.5% 2,079 56% / 44% 10% $96,787 94 97%
Computer Science 12.7% 1,178 77% / 23% 32% $113,891 98 96%
Life & Natural Sciences 11.2% 1,036 33% / 67% 6% $66,826 63 97%
Engineering 9.3% 857 74% / 26% 10% $103,314 96 97%
Health Sciences 5.5% 510 20% / 80% 1% $85,135 87 96%
Agriculture & Food Science 4.2% 392 35% / 65% 4% $59,670 44 96%
Physical Sciences & Math 3.9% 356 63% / 37% 33% $87,962 89 95%
Education 3.2% 300 15% / 85% 6% $61,106 49 96%
Arts 2.3% 211 22% / 78% 4% $47,617 12 93%
Professional 1.1% 100 16% / 84% 1% $67,795 65 98%

Research R1

Research $ Rank Federal Industry $ PhDs Rank PhD students Postdocs
Health Sciences $630M #20 42% $24.4M 63 #28 325 283
Life & Natural Sciences $379M #10 59% $8.4M 168 #4 995 131
Physical Sciences & Math $210M #12 62% $2.8M 152 #3 938 73
Engineering $194M #21 56% $4.8M 122 #25 901 128
Agriculture & Food Science $180M #4 36% $2.4M 43 #9 292 196
Humanities & Social Sciences $132M #7 35% $0.5M 184 #8 543 46
Computer Science $38.9M #14 59% $1.3M 30 #22 348 10
Education $37.7M #11 54% $0.1M 54 #52
Business & Economics $28.9M #11 7% $0 34 #24 159 1
Total $1,833M #6 48% $44.7M 850 #7 4,501 868

Expenditure and funding source: NSF HERD, FY2024. Degrees: IPEDS completions, 2023–24. Students and postdocs: NSF Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, fall 2024, which covers science, engineering and selected health fields only. An em dash means the source does not report the figure, which is not the same as zero.

Admissions

Uses Common App Yes
Acceptance Rate 41%
Yield (Unbound) 28%
Early Action Nov 1
Regular Decision Jan 1

Acceptance Rates

In-State Out-of-State International
Regular Decision 56% 40% 32%

Early Action and Restrictive Early Action applicants are reported at the regular-decision rate.

Standardized Tests

Test Policy optional
Submitted Test Scores 41%
SAT Range 1400 – 1490
SAT Math Range 700 – 780
SAT RW Range 680 – 740

Rankings

Fun and Games

Party til You Drop (Out) Party Schools
Legendary

Politically Incorrect

Equal Opportunity Objectification Most Attractive Men
Rugged & Bookish

My Tribe

Call Your Mother! Most Jewish
Huge Community

Engineering

It's Not About Molecules, It's About Pipes Chemical Engineering
Dinosaur Juice
Playing House Civil Engineering
Project Managers
Resistance Is Futile Computer Engineering
Segfault Survivors & Kernel Panickers
Resistance Is Not Futile Electrical Engineering
Dangerously Grounded
Making Spreadsheets Go Brrrr Industrial Engineering
The Classics
Is It a Solid? Is It a Liquid? Yes. Materials Engineering
Solid State
WD-40 & Duct Tape Mechanical Engineering & Robotics
Mad Scientists' Machine Shop
We Glow In The Dark Nuclear Engineering
Reactor Masters

Computer Science

Chat-GPT? Claude? I can do better. Artificial Intelligence
Solid Programs
Explaining That HTML is Not a Programming Language Computer Science (A&S)
LeetCode Grinders

Physical Sciences & Math

Quants, Proofs & p < 0.05 Applied Mathematics & Statistics
The Public Data Powerhouses
Breaking Bad Chemistry
Mega-Lab Multiverse
Rocks and Whales Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
Core Samplers
The "I Understand Interstellar" Elite Physics & Astronomy
The Atom Whisperers
No Words Allowed Pure Mathematics
Equation Elegance

Life & Natural Sciences

Pre-Med Reject Waiting Room Biology
The Double Helix
Photosynthesis Fan Club Ecology & Plant Biology
Tree-Hugger Royalty
Memorizing 206 Bones Human Biology
Muscle Memory
Action Potentials Neuroscience
Serotonin Seekers

Agriculture & Food Science

Show Me the Bushels Agribusiness & Economics
Wall Street of Wheat
Farming with Numbers Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Farm to Lab
Doomsday Prepping with Data Environmental Science
Ecosystem Engineers
Better Eating Through Chemistry Food Science & Nutrition
The Flavor Engineers
Farmers, Cowboys, and Tree Huggers Plant & Agricultural Systems
The Land Grants
Puppies Over People Zoology & Veterinary Sciences
We Can Pet It AND Fix Its Spleen

Health Sciences

Where Diagnoses Begin Laboratory Sciences
Pipette Pioneers
Future Heroes (With 12-Hour Shifts) Nursing
Scrub Life
Legal Drug Dealers Pharmacy
Dosage Masters
Talk About a Career Phonoaudiology
Voice Coaches Plus
Saving Lives One Spreadsheet At a Time Public Health
Public Health Pros
Sweat Equity Sports & Fitness
Game Day Ready

Business & Economics

LIFO the Party Accounting
Big Four Pipeline
The House Always Wins Actuarial Science
We Don't Predict the Future, We Charge You for It
PowerPoint Presentation Power Rankings Business Administration
Regional Boardroom Rulers
Pivot Tables & Missing Pallets Business Analytics
Just-In-Time Jugglers
It's Basic Supply and Demand, Bro Economics
Mega-Macro State Factories
Wolf of Wall Street Prep Finance
Fortune 500 Feeders
Office Politics 101 Human Resources
Org Chart Architects
Passport Stamp Power Rankings International Business
Fluent in Four Languages, One of Them PowerPoint
Tik-Tok Generation Marketing
The Creatives

Humanities & Social Sciences

Much Ado About Nothing English, Literature & Writing
Bookworm Elite
Saving the Planet, One Policy at a Time Environmental Policy & Sustainability
Climate Cabinet
Smashing the Patriarchy 101 Gender Studies
Discourse Disruptors
Mappy Few, the Cartography Crew Geography & Cartography
Cartography Cartel
Model UN Generation Government & Politics
Campaign Trail
Hindsight is 20/20 (And So is My Salary) History & Archaeology
Primary Source Hunters
Passport Stamp Collectors International Relations
Globe Trotters
Nosy for a Living Journalism
Statehouse Press-Corps Factories
Professional Yapping Media & Communication Studies
State-Funded Media Monoliths
Spin Class Professional Communication
State-Flagship Spin Machines
I Want To Understand Myself Psychology
Future Roommate Diagnosers
Arguing with God for a Grade Religion
The Seekers
Everything is a Construct Sociology & Anthropology
Social Theorists
Grammar Police Academy World Languages & Linguistics
Grammar Nerds

Education

No Johnny, Don't Eat Your Buggers Early Education
Brat Whisperers
Surviving PTA Karens General Education
Shaping the Shapers
Hablas Pedagogy? Languages Education
Grammar Gurus
Gym Class Heroes Physical Education
Picked First in Gym
History Repeats Itself Social Sciences Education
Civics Class Stars
Everyone Gets a Medal Special Education
Inclusive Classroom Crew
Gym Class Heroes and Art Teachers Specific Subjects Education
Studio to Schoolroom
Show Your Work, Then Teach It STEM Education
Future Khan Academies

Arts

The "Will Paint for Food" Brigade Fine & Studio Arts
State School Studio Stars
Eight Hours of Scales Music
Practice Room Prophets