The University of Wisconsin-Madison, also known as UW-Madison, is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in the year 1848. The university is the flagship institution of the University of Wisconsin System. UW-Madison became a land-grant institution in 1866. The campus is spread across an area of over 900 acres.
University of Wisconsin-Madison offers a wide variety of degrees and programs through its associated schools and colleges. The Washington Monthly 2007 rankings placed UW-Madison at the 18th position among all national universities. UW-Madison’s sports teams are nicknamed the Badgers. Their official mascot is Bucky Badger. The university participates in the NCAA's Division I-A.
The University of Wisconsin-Extension offers an online Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Management program. Read an exclusive interview with the Student Service's director of this online green degree program.

The school offers more choices of majors than most colleges its size. University Of Wisconsin students most commonly major in a field related to mathematics, engineering, science, and liberal arts.
The school does not accept everyone who applies. In 2007-2008, SAT verbal scores of half of students were 550 to 670. Three-fourths of students accepted in 2007-2008 had SAT math scores of 610 or more.
The school offers tenure to reward and retain some professors. Salaries for full-time faculty at University Of Wisconsin are higher than most, allowing the school to afford quality teaching.
In 2007-2008, the school had 41,563 enrolled students.
University Of Wisconsin is generally not a school for part-time students. Student athletes at the school belong to the Big Ten Conference for major sports.
The school reports its educational mission is:
"The University of Wisconsin-Madison is Wisconsin's comprehensive teaching and research university with a statewide, national, and international mission, offering programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels in a wide range of fields, while engaging in extensive scholarly research, continuing adult education, and public service. The primary purpose of the University of Wisconsin-Madison is to provide a learning environment in which faculty, staff, and students can discover, examine critically, preserve, and transmit the knowledge, wisdom, and values that will help ensure the survival of this and future generations and improve the quality of life for all. The University seeks to help students to develop an understanding and appreciation for the complex cultural and physical worlds in which they live and to realize their highest potential of intellectual, physical, and human development. It also seeks to attract and serve students from diverse social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds and to be sensitive and responsive to those groups which have been underserved by higher education."
More complete details are provided below.
University Of Wisconsin Madison
500 Lincoln Dr
Madison, WI 53706-1380
General Phone: (608) 262-1234
http://www.wisc.edu
| General Category | Degrees | Most Common Majors [see all] |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts | 2,455 | political science, history, English, economics, sociology, Spanish language, international studies, library science, ... |
| Science | 1,323 | biology, biochemistry, zoology, chemistry, microbiology, genetics, physics, molecular biology, ... |
| Engineering | 1,005 | mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, industrial engineering, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, engineering mechanics, materials engineering, ... |
| Business and Management | 741 | finance, accounting, marketing, business management, business, insurance, actuarial science, international business, ... |
| Family and Social Work | 484 | social work, consumer economics, family studies, merchandising and retailing, public policy analysis, family and consumer science, consumer science communication |
| Media | 414 | communication studies, journalism, mass communication |
| Law | 401 | law, legal studies |
| Education and Teaching | 395 | elementary school teaching, educational administration, curriculum and instruction, special ed, family/home economics teaching, music teaching, school counseling, art education, ... |
| Medicine | 393 | medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, pre-med, veterinary sciences, public health, neuroscience, pharmacy administration, ... |
| Therapy and Counseling | 340 | psychology, educational psychology, physical therapy |
| Nursing and Emergency Medicine | 202 | registered nursing |
| Nutrition and Exercise Therapy | 190 | exercise science, nutrition sciences, vocational counseling, occupational therapy, parks and recreation management |
| Art Studies | 157 | art studies, arts management |
| Computer Science and Engineering | 147 | computer and info science, computer engineering |
| Medical Support and Technology | 137 | audiology and speech pathology, physician assistant, clinical lab tech, audiology |
| Mathematics | 132 | mathematics, statistics, applied mathematics |
| Agricultural Science and Management | 108 | agricultural journalism, food science, agricultural management, agricultural economics |
| Conservation and Resource Management | 87 | wildlife management, land use planning, wetlands management, conservation, forest sciences, forestry |
| Religion and Philosophy | 86 | philosophy, religion, Jewish studies |
| Real Estate and Construction Management | 81 | real estate |
| Music | 67 | music performance, music, music history and theory, musicology |
| Architecture and Planning | 67 | landscape architecture, urban planning |
| Drama and Performing Arts | 55 | drama, dance |
| Landscaping and Horticulture | 52 | horticultural science, agronomy, soil science |
| Fine Arts | 50 | art history and criticism |
| Animal Science and Care | 39 | animal science, dairy science |
| Design | 33 | interior design |
| Construction Trades | 27 | apparel and textile manufacture |
| Medical Administration | 25 | community health, pharmacy courses |
Number of programs and degrees for University Of Wisconsin in 2008-2009:
| Degree Level | Total Awarded | Number of Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 6,376 | 128 |
| Master's degree | 1,910 | 139 |
| Doctor's degree - research/scholarship | 761 | 98 |
| Doctor's degree - professional practice | 646 | 5 |
In 2007-2008, University Of Wisconsin had a total enrollment of 41,563 students (36,582 full-time equivalent).
Students in the Freshman Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Men | 47% |
| Women | 53% |
| Full-Time | 100% |
| Part-Time | 0% |
Students By Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 73% |
| Graduate | 27% |
| Race | Percent |
|---|---|
| White | 79% |
| Black | 3% |
| Hispanic | 3% |
| Asian | 5% |
| American Indian | 1% |
| (Foreign Students) | 9% |
Students by Age:
| Age | Percent |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 1% |
| 18-19 | 26% |
| 20-21 | 29% |
| 22-24 | 19% |
| 25-29 | 14% |
| 30-34 | 6% |
| 35-39 | 2% |
| 40-49 | 2% |
| 50-64 | 1% |
| 65+ | 0% |
Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence:
(From available data sampling)
| Residence | Percent |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 58% |
| Minnesota | 12% |
| Illinois | 9% |
| (International Students) | 4% |
| New York | 3% |
| California | 2% |
| New Jersey | 1% |
| Massachusetts | 1% |
| Pennsylvania | 1% |
| Maryland | 1% |
| Michigan | 1% |
| Connecticut | 1% |
| Florida | 1% |
| Ohio | 1% |
Retention Rates (2007):
| Group | Returning From Previous Year |
|---|---|
| Full-Time | 93 % |
| Part-Time | 90 % |
University Of Wisconsin offers campus housing for 8,205 of its 36,582 (full-time) students.
(Please refer to our profile of Madison, Wisconsin for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other Wisconsin Colleges).
The school does not offer students a meal plan.
Acceptances:
| Group | Applicants | Accepted | Percent Accepted | Enrolled | Percent of Accepted Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 22,289 | 14,004 | 63% | 5,994 | 43% |
| Men | 10,685 | 6,388 | 60% | 2,788 | 44% |
| Women | 11,604 | 7,616 | 66% | 3,206 | 42% |
Standardized Test Scores:
| Test | 25th Percentile | 75th Percetile |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Verbal | 550 | 670 |
| SAT Math | 610 | 710 |
| SAT Writing | 560 | 670 |
| ACT Verbal | 25 | 31 |
| ACT Math | 26 | 31 |
| ACT Composite | 26 | 30 |
Application Requirements:
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| GPA | required |
| Class Rank | required |
| High School Record | required |
| College Prep Program | required |
| Recommendations | recommended |
| Formal Demonstration of Competence | recommended |
| Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT) | required |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT | 28% |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT | 84% |
| TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) | required |
Expenses and Financial Aid:
| Expense | Amount |
|---|---|
| In-state tuition and fees | $ 7,564 |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $ 21,814 |
| Room and board | $ 6,909 |
| Room charge | $ 4,411 |
| Board (meal plan) charge | $ 2,498 |
| Books and supplies | $ 990 |
| Other expenses | $ 3,510 |
Financial Aid:
University Of Wisconsin participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 389500)
University Of Wisconsin has a tenure system for faculty.
Tenure Status of Faculty (2008-2009):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Tenured | 1,112 | 394 |
| Non-tenured, but on tenure track | 250 | 179 |
| Non-tenured and not on tenure track | 687 | 464 |
Salaries for full-time faculty:
Full-Time Faculty (2008-2009):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | calendar year | 80 | $113,330 | 29 | $95,443 |
| Associate professor | calendar year | 43 | $84,733 | 32 | $83,046 |
| Assistant professor | calendar year | 23 | $72,501 | 28 | $80,844 |
| Instructor | calendar year | 6 | $74,971 | 10 | $62,503 |
| Lecturer | calendar year | 4 | $73,130 | 5 | $67,711 |
| All faculty total | calendar year | 156 | $96,922 | 104 | $83,197 |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
Full-Time Faculty (2008-2009):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | academic year | 541 | $112,883 | 201 | $98,671 |
| Associate professor | academic year | 155 | $87,703 | 107 | $72,434 |
| Assistant professor | academic year | 150 | $75,916 | 151 | $68,642 |
| Instructor | academic year | 1 | * | 3 | $47,124 |
| Lecturer | academic year | 28 | $68,531 | 36 | $58,420 |
| No academic rank | academic year | 2 | * | 6 | $32,600 |
| All faculty total | academic year | 877 | $100,450 | 504 | $80,136 |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
Athletic Conferences:
| Sport | Conference |
|---|---|
| Football | Big Ten Conference |
| Basketball | Big Ten Conference |
| Track | Big Ten Conference |
Students on Athletic Scholarships (2007):
| Sport | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 234 | 222 | 456 |
| Football | 91 | 0 | 91 |
| Track | 23 | 40 | 63 |
| Basketball | 14 | 11 | 25 |
| All Other Sports | 106 | 171 | 277 |
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT
Agricultural Business and Management, General
Agricultural Communication/Journalism
Agricultural Economics
Food Science
ANIMAL SCIENCE AND CARE
Animal Sciences, General
Dairy Science
ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
Landscape Architecture (BS, BSLA, BLA, MSLA, MLA, PhD)
ART STUDIES
Art/Art Studies, General
Arts Management
BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Actuarial Science
Business Administration and Management, General
Business/Commerce, General
Finance, General
Insurance
International Business/Trade/Commerce
Management Information Systems, General
Marketing/Marketing Management, General
Operations Management and Supervision
Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, General
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Engineering, General
Computer and Information Sciences, General
CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Forest Sciences and Biology
Forestry, General
Land Use Planning and Management/Development
Natural Resources/Conservation, General
Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management
Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management
CONSTRUCTION TRADES
Apparel and Textile Manufacture
DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Dance, General
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching
Agricultural Teacher Education
Art Teacher Education
Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
Curriculum and Instruction
Educational Leadership and Administration, General
Elementary Education and Teaching
Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education
Music Teacher Education
Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education
Social Studies Teacher Education
Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education
Special Education and Teaching, General
ENGINEERING
Agricultural/Biological Engineering and Bioengineering
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering, General
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
Engineering Mechanics
Engineering Physics
Engineering, General
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Geological/Geophysical Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Materials Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
Systems Engineering
Water Resources Engineering
FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Consumer Economics
Consumer Merchandising/Retailing Management
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Communication
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General
Human Development and Family Studies, General
Public Policy Analysis
Social Work
FINE ARTS
Art History, Criticism and Conservation
LANDSCAPING AND HORTICULTURE
Agronomy and Crop Science
Horticultural Science
Soil Science and Agronomy, General
LAW
Law (LLB, JD)
Legal Studies, General
LIBERAL ARTS
African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
African-American/Black Studies
Anthropology
Area Studies, Other
Asian Studies/Civilization
Cartography
Chinese Language and Literature
Classics/Classical Languages, Lit & Linguistics, General
Comparative Literature
Creative Writing
Development Economics and International Development
Economics, General
English Language and Literature, General
French Language and Literature
Geography
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Hebrew Language and Literature
History and Philosophy of Science and Technology
History, General
International Relations and Affairs
International/Global Studies
Italian Language and Literature
Japanese Language and Literature
Latin American Studies
Latin Language and Literature
Library Science/Librarianship
Linguistics
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Polish Language and Literature
Political Science and Government, General
Portuguese Language and Literature
Russian Language and Literature
Scandinavian Studies
Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Sociology
South Asian Studies
Southeast Asian Studies
Spanish Language and Literature
Women's Studies
MATHEMATICS
Applied Mathematics
Mathematics, General
Statistics, General
MEDIA
Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
Journalism
Mass Communication/Media Studies
MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION
Community Health and Preventive Medicine
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Other
MEDICAL SUPPORT AND TECHNOLOGY
Audiology/Audiologist and Hearing Sciences
Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist
Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist
Physician Assistant
MEDICINE
Medicine (MD)
Neuroscience
Pharmaceutics and Drug Design (MS, PhD)
Pharmacy (PharmD [USA], PharmD or BS/BPharm [Canada])
Pharmacy Administration/Policy/Regulatory Affairs (MS, PhD)
Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies
Public Health, General (MPH, DPH)
Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
Veterinary Sciences/Veterinary Clinical Sci, Gen (Cert,MS,PhD)
MUSIC
Music History, Literature, and Theory
Music Performance, General
Music, General
Musicology and Ethnomusicology
NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)
NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Nutrition Sciences
Occupational Therapy/Therapist
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management
Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling/Counselor
REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
Real Estate
RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Jewish/Judaic Studies
Philosophy
Religion/Religious Studies
SCIENCE
Astronomy
Astrophysics
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General
Biochemistry
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Biometry/Biometrics
Biophysics
Biotechnology
Botany/Plant Biology
Chemistry, General
Chemistry, Other
Conservation Biology
Endocrinology
Entomology
Environmental Toxicology
Genetics, General
Geology/Earth Science, General
Geophysics and Seismology
Human/Medical Genetics
Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
Microbiology, General
Molecular Biochemistry
Molecular Biology
Oceanography, Chemical and Physical
Oncology and Cancer Biology
Pathology/Experimental Pathology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology and Toxicology
Physics, General
Physiology, General
Plant Genetics
Plant Pathology/Phytopathology
Zoology/Animal Biology
THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Educational Psychology
Physical Therapy/Therapist
Psychology, General
(Details are provided further down on this page.)
What Sets University Of Wisconsin Apart:
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of degree programs (vs. all colleges) | Top 1% | ![]() ![]() |
| Number of students (vs. all colleges) | Top 1% | ![]() ![]() |
| Salaries of full-time faculty (vs. all colleges) | Top 5% | ![]() ![]() |
| Student SAT scores (vs. all colleges) | Top 8% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in science (vs. all colleges) | Top 8% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in engineering (vs. all colleges) | Top 14% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in religion and philosophy (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 15% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in liberal arts (vs. colleges with similar degree levels) | Top 15% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in mathematics (vs. all colleges) | Top 20% | ![]() |
Notable:
Accepts some high school credits
Grants credits for AP courses
Offers distance learning
Career counseling
Career services
Student employment services
On-campus day care
Remedial classes for students
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Tenure system for quality teaching
Has ROTC (army)
Offers athletic scholarships
NCAA athletic conference member
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