Private nonprofit · School

Milwaukee School of Engineering

Milwaukee, Wisconsin · Large city

#1 for grad earnings in Wisconsin#2 most selective in Wisconsin
58.9%
Admit rate
$22,453
Avg net price
67%
Graduation rate
$89,070
Median earnings

Milwaukee School of Engineering is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (large city setting), enrolling 2,654 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,654 undergradsLarge citySelective · 59% admitNCAA Division III without footballCold wintersSnowy

About Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The etymological origin of the name Milwaukee is disputed. Wisconsin academic Virgil J. Vogel has said, "the name [...] Milwaukee is not difficult to explain, yet there are a number of conflicting claims made concerning it." Milwaukee is a popular location for sailing, boating, and kayaking on Lake Michigan, ethnic dining, and cultural festivals. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
Milwaukee, WI
To Great Lakes shore
1 mile
Nearest airport
7 miles to General Mitchell (MKE) · major hub

How Milwaukee School of Engineering compares

Selectivity58.9%

More selective than 77% · #2 most selective of 34 in Wisconsin

Graduation rate67%

Higher than 73% · #11 of 33 in Wisconsin

First-year retention84%

Higher than 73%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$89,070

Higher than 95% · #1 of 36 in Wisconsin

Average net price$22,453

Cheaper than 38% · #20 cheapest of 33 in Wisconsin

Median debt at graduation$27,000

Lower than 11%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment2,654

Larger than 65%

Percentiles compare Milwaukee School of Engineering with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Wisconsin.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

2,903students
  • Undergraduate2,65491%
  • Graduate2499%

Undergraduates by gender

2,654undergrads
  • Women77729%
  • Men1,87771%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White67%
  • Black3.0%
  • Hispanic11%
  • Asian5.5%
  • Other or multiracial13%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,654
Graduate enrollment
249
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
24%
First-generation students
24%
Students over 25
5%
Median family income
$68,352
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$91,746
Endowment
$90,335,690

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 672 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Wisconsin56%
  • Other U.S. states41%
  • International3.0%

A regional draw: about 56% of first-years come from Wisconsin, the rest from elsewhere.

3% came from outside the U.S. 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.

Admissions

Admission rate
58.9%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$50,480
Room & board
$13,984
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$62,648
Average net price
$22,453

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 (within 6 years)
67%
Graduated on time (4 years)
47%
First-year retention
84%
Transferred to another college
22%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$75,114
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$89,070
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Students with federal loans
56%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
81%

About 20% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
47%
Low-income (Pell)
51%
First-generation
53%

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
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,431
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
54%
Housing charge (year)
$7,680
Meal plan (year)
$4,882
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III without football
Varsity athletes
636 (391 men · 245 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 (13)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)190
Soccer67
Lacrosse63
Ice Hockey50
Swimming and Diving (combined)40
Volleyball37
Rowing34
Basketball33
Tennis32
Baseball31
Golf20
Wrestling20
Softball19

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
7.1 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
35
Property offenses (2022–2024)
28

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,953 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.

21reported offenses a year
12 violent a year9.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
9.3
Aggravated assault
6.3
Rape
4.7
Robbery
0.7

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.

< $30k
$11,607
$30–48k
$15,919
$48–75k
$14,495
$75–110k
$19,034
$110k+
$30,292

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.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$64,340

$14,495/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

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.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$31,922
average award, among those who get one

Milwaukee School of Engineering discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $31,922. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

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 672 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)
$89,070
Typical debt at graduation
$27,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
30%
Out-earn a HS grad
89%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

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.

Women
$81,876
Men
$91,157

Men out-earn women by $9,281 (11%) 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
85°F
Winter low
15°F
Annual rain
39.4″
Annual snow
52.3″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.0JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, West Allis, WI US station (5.1 mi from campus).

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 Milwaukee School of Engineering

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Milwaukee School of Engineering side by side →

Colleges near Milwaukee School of Engineering

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.