Public · Community college
Madison Area Technical College
Madison, Wisconsin · Large city
- 18%
- Transfer rate
- $14,238
- Avg net price
- 29%
- Grad / completion
- $45,413
- Median earnings
Madison Area Technical College is a public certificate-granting institution in Madison, Wisconsin (large city setting), enrolling 10,073 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Ho-Chunk called the region Teejop meaning 'land of the four lakes' (Mendota, Monona, Waubesa, and Kegonsa). Numerous effigy mounds, constructed for ceremonial and burial purposes more than 1,000 years earlier, dotted the rich prairies around the lakes. The Memorial Union is a central gathering place on Lake Mendota. Memorial Union Terrace is home to uniquely designed "terrace chairs" with a sunburst design that have become a symbol of the city. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large city
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 5 miles to Madison, WI
- To Great Lakes shore
- 72 miles
- Nearest airport
- 1 mile to Dane County Regional Truax Field (MSN)
How Madison Area Technical College compares
Higher than 11% · #35 of 40 in Wisconsin
Higher than 84% · #5 of 40 in Wisconsin
Cheaper than 54% · #22 cheapest of 38 in Wisconsin
Lower than 17%
Lower than 62%
Larger than 96%
Percentiles compare Madison Area Technical College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Wisconsin.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate10,073100%
- Graduate310%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women5,72757%
- Men4,34643%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White58%
- Black8.8%
- Hispanic16%
- Asian5.1%
- Other or multiracial12%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 10,073
- Graduate enrollment
- 31
- Student–faculty ratio
- 14 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 20%
- First-generation students
- 40%
- Students over 25
- 30%
- Median family income
- $31,113
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $100,044
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 1,809 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Wisconsin98%
- Other U.S. states1.7%
Most first-years stay in state — Madison Area Technical College draws overwhelmingly from Wisconsin.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $4,977
- Out-of-state tuition
- $7,255
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,464
- Total cost of attendance
- $19,434
- Average net price
- $14,238
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 29%
- First-year retention
- —
- Transferred to another college
- 18%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $40,928
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $45,413
- Median debt at graduation
- $14,060
- Students with federal loans
- 16%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 41%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division II
- Varsity athletes
- 177 (99 men · 78 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (7)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.2 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 5
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 3
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 8 campuses (13,641 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 9% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,421. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 742 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $45,413
- Typical debt at graduation
- $14,060
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 31%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 56%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.1 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $9,297 (22%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 82°F
- Winter low
- 12°F
- Annual rain
- 37.1″
- Annual snow
- 51.8″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Madison Dane Rgnl AP, WI US station (1.6 mi from campus).
What Madison Area Technical College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Madison Area Technical College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Madison Area Technical College side by side →
Fox Valley Technical College
Appleton, Wisconsin · Midsize suburb · 27 mi to Green Bay
- Students
- 5,825
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 5%
- Earnings
- $46k
Waukesha County Technical College
Pewaukee, Wisconsin · Large suburb · 18 mi to Milwaukee
- Students
- 4,955
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 10%
- Earnings
- $47k
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
Green Bay, Wisconsin · Midsize city · 5 mi to Green Bay
- Students
- 5,704
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 11%
- Earnings
- $45k
Chippewa Valley Technical College
Eau Claire, Wisconsin · Small city · 87 mi to Minneapolis
- Students
- 4,272
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 7%
- Earnings
- $46k
Milwaukee Area Technical College
Milwaukee, Wisconsin · Large city · 1 mi to Milwaukee
- Students
- 12,024
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 16%
- Earnings
- $41k
Gateway Technical College
Kenosha, Wisconsin · Small city · 30 mi to Milwaukee
- Students
- 4,759
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $40k
Colleges near Madison Area Technical College
Herzing University-Madison
Madison, WI · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 2,494 students
The Institute of Beauty and Wellness Madison
Madison, WI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 88 students
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI · Public · Bachelor's · 36,902 students
Edgewood University
Madison, WI · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,107 students
East-West Healing Arts Institute
Madison, WI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 72 students
Academy of Beauty Professionals
Madison, WI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 53 students
Maranatha Baptist University
Watertown, WI · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 541 students
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Janesville
Janesville, WI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 102 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.