College Trends

Public universities in Wisconsin

The College Scorecard lists 15 public colleges that mostly award bachelor's degrees or higher in Wisconsin, all compared on this page. Together they enroll 123,011 undergraduate degree-seeking students. The median average net price is $15,451 a year, higher than the $14,226 median for public universities nationwide. Former students' median earnings 10 years after starting college are $59,268 at the median institution, about the same as the $58,635 median for public universities nationwide. The median graduation rate is 53.4%.

Open in the dashboardSource: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Schools
15
UndergraduatesiUndergraduate degree-seeking enrollment.
123,011
Median net priceiAverage yearly cost for full-time, first-time undergraduates who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. The figure here is the median across schools.
$15,451
U.S.: $14,226
Median earnings, 10 yrsiMedian earnings of former students who received federal aid, 10 years after they started college, among those working and not enrolled. The figure here is the median across institutions (branch campuses count once).
$59,268
U.S.: $58,635
Median debtiMedian federal student-loan balance of graduates. Excludes Parent PLUS and private loans. The figure here is the median across institutions (branch campuses count once).
$20,500
U.S.: $19,500
Median grad rateiShare of full-time, first-time students who finished within 150% of normal time (6 years for a 4-year degree, 3 years for a 2-year degree). The figure here is the median across schools.
53.4%
U.S.: 51.6%

Compare all public universities in Wisconsin on one chart

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Each dot is one school. Dashed lines mark the median for Wisconsin. Showing 13 of 15 public universities in Wisconsin; schools missing either value are left out.

All 15 public universities in Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison
36,902$16,600$12,166$44,191$80,330$18,37589.8%96.2%45.2%
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee
16,758$15,625$10,916$23,515$59,268$21,87550.0%73.0%90.7%
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Whitewater
9,405$13,737$9,047$19,147$59,084$20,68855.6%78.0%85.7%
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
La Crosse
9,277$17,064$10,534$20,453$65,850$20,50071.0%86.5%75.5%
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Eau Claire
8,895$16,133$10,207$20,272$62,438$19,50062.0%81.8%82.3%
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Stevens Point
7,306$14,757$9,669$18,689$54,432$20,66453.4%73.8%91.8%
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Oshkosh
6,877$16,492$8,993$17,302$59,275$20,88847.2%69.3%86.5%
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Green Bay
6,341$12,211$8,985$17,573$56,401$19,00046.7%65.9%88.6%
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Menomonie
5,842$17,533$11,196$20,188$62,537$22,88752.5%78.9%87.7%
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Platteville
5,837$15,451$9,031$18,438$66,166$20,50058.3%79.0%89.4%
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
River Falls
4,205$14,703$9,436$18,321$56,914$19,50058.0%76.4%81.7%
University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Kenosha
2,844$11,233$8,658$18,275$57,115$19,50041.3%68.7%75.4%
University of Wisconsin-Superior
Superior
1,807$13,843$9,272$17,581$51,871$20,92843.4%71.8%93.0%
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Flex
Milwaukee
543n/an/an/a$59,268$21,875n/an/a100.0%
University of Wisconsin-Parkside Flex
Kenosha
172n/an/an/a$57,115$19,500n/an/an/a
Showing 15 of 15. Starts sorted by undergraduate enrollment; select a column to sort.

Quick facts: public universities in Wisconsin

How many public universities are in Wisconsin?
The College Scorecard lists 15 public colleges that mostly award bachelor's degrees or higher in Wisconsin.
What do public universities in Wisconsin cost?
Across the 13 schools that report it, the median average net price is $15,451 a year. Net price is what full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid pay after grants and scholarships. Reported net prices range from $11,233 at University of Wisconsin-Parkside to $17,533 at University of Wisconsin-Stout.
Which public universities in Wisconsin have the lowest average net price?
By reported average net price: University of Wisconsin-Parkside ($11,233), University of Wisconsin-Green Bay ($12,211), University of Wisconsin-Whitewater ($13,737), University of Wisconsin-Superior ($13,843), and University of Wisconsin-River Falls ($14,703).
How much is in-state and out-of-state tuition at public universities in Wisconsin?
The median published in-state tuition is $9,436 a year, and the median out-of-state tuition is $18,689. Many students pay less than published tuition after aid.
How much do former students of public universities in Wisconsin earn?
At the median institution, former students who received federal aid earn $59,268 10 years after starting college (13 institutions reporting; branch campuses share one figure and count once). The highest reported medians are at University of Wisconsin-Madison ($80,330), University of Wisconsin-Platteville ($66,166), and University of Wisconsin-La Crosse ($65,850).
What is the graduation rate at public universities in Wisconsin?
The median graduation rate is 53.4%, across 13 schools reporting. It counts full-time, first-time students who finished within 150% of normal time.
How much student debt do graduates of public universities in Wisconsin have?
The median institution's graduates leave with $20,500 in federal student loans (the median balance). Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.

Keep comparing

Other college types in Wisconsin

Public universities in other states

How these numbers work

This page includes public colleges that mostly award bachelor's degrees or higher, as reported in the College Scorecard. Summary figures are medians across schools: each school counts once, whatever its size, and schools that don't report a measure are left out of that measure. The Scorecard reports earnings and debt for a whole institution, so branch campuses share one figure; for those two measures each institution counts once. Most recent data year: cost 2025, graduation and retention 2025, earnings 2022, debt 2024. More on the data.