Public · University

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin · Small city

75.5%
Admit rate
$16,210
Avg net price
71%
Graduation rate
$60,378
Median earnings

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is a public bachelor's-granting institution in La Crosse, Wisconsin (small city setting), enrolling 9,277 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 9,277 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 76% admitNCAA Division III with football · Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's admitted students.

Admit rate
75.5%
ACT (mid 50%)
22–27
Avg GPA (est.)
3.48

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About La Crosse, Wisconsin

La Crosse is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The first Europeans to see the region were French explorers who traveled the Mississippi River in the late 17th century. There is no written record of any visit to the site until 1805, when Lt. Zebulon Pike mounted an expedition up the Mississippi River for the United States. La Crosse has over 30 active arts organizations. The Pump House Regional Arts Center hosts visual arts exhibits throughout the year plus its own series of jazz, folk, and blues performers. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
105 miles to Madison, WI
To Great Lakes shore
167 miles
Nearest airport
5 miles to La Crosse (LSE)

How University of Wisconsin-La Crosse compares

Selectivity75.5%

More selective than 54% · #12 most selective of 34 in Wisconsin

SAT average1220

Higher than 64%

Graduation rate71%

Higher than 80% · #7 of 33 in Wisconsin

First-year retention87%

Higher than 80%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$60,378

Higher than 68% · #6 of 36 in Wisconsin

Average net price$16,210

Cheaper than 67% · #11 cheapest of 33 in Wisconsin

Median debt at graduation$22,500

Lower than 56%

Student–faculty ratio20 : 1

Lower than 10%

Undergraduate enrollment9,277

Larger than 88%

Percentiles compare University of Wisconsin-La Crosse 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

10,222students
  • Undergraduate9,27791%
  • Graduate9459%

Undergraduates by gender

9,277undergrads
  • Women5,35758%
  • Men3,92042%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White89%
  • Black0.6%
  • Hispanic3.9%
  • Asian2.0%
  • Other or multiracial4.9%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
9,277
Graduate enrollment
945
Student–faculty ratio
20 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
14%
First-generation students
21%
Students over 25
2%
Median family income
$83,835
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$75,141
Endowment
$46,068,454

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 2,301 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Wisconsin80%
  • Other U.S. states20%

Most first-years stay in state — University of Wisconsin-La Crosse 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.

Admissions

Admission rate
75.5%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
1220
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite
22–27
Average GPA (estimated)
3.48

Cost

In-state tuition
$10,070
Out-of-state tuition
$19,517
Room & board
$8,702
Books & supplies
$120
Total cost of attendance
$19,593
Average net price
$16,210

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)
71%
Graduated on time (4 years)
51%
First-year retention
87%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$49,626
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$60,378
Median debt at graduation
$22,500
Students with federal loans
42%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
77%

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
51%
Low-income (Pell)
63%
First-generation
64%

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
3,220
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
35%
Housing charge (year)
$4,423
Meal plan (year)
$2,922
Application fee
$25
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
828 (390 men · 438 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 (15)

Track and Field (Outdoor)158
Track and Field (Indoor)156
Football115
Swimming and Diving (combined)73
Cross Country60
Baseball37
Wrestling35
Basketball34
Soccer29
Tennis28
Gymnastics25
Lacrosse22
Volleyball21
Softball20
Golf15

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.1 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
22
Property offenses (2022–2024)
11

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (10,446 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.

11reported offenses a year
7.3 violent a year3.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
4.0
Rape
2.3
Burglary
2.3
Arson
1.3
Aggravated assault
1.0

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
$8,224
$30–48k
$8,766
$48–75k
$10,608
$75–110k
$17,394
$110k+
$18,991

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
$46,823

$10,608/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.

23%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$2,610
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 23% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,610. 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 2,320 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)
$60,378
Typical debt at graduation
$22,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
37%
Out-earn a HS grad
74%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.7 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
$57,259
Men
$65,245

Men out-earn women by $7,986 (14%) 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
80°F
Winter low
8°F
Annual rain
37.5″
Annual snow
54.2″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.65.3JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, LA Crosse Wfo, WI US station (2.1 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 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of Wisconsin-La Crosse side by side →

Colleges near University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

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.