Public · University

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin · Large city

90.7%
Admit rate
$15,014
Avg net price
49%
Graduation rate
$54,990
Median earnings

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (large city setting), enrolling 16,758 undergraduates.

PublicLarge · 16,758 undergradsLarge cityAccessible · 91% admitNCAA Division I without footballCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
90.7%
ACT (mid 50%)
18–25
Avg GPA (est.)
3.13

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

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

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
3 miles to Milwaukee, WI
To Great Lakes shore
< 1 mile
Nearest airport
9 miles to General Mitchell (MKE) · major hub

How University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee compares

Selectivity90.7%

More selective than 22% · #29 most selective of 34 in Wisconsin

SAT average1090

Higher than 27%

Graduation rate49%

Higher than 38% · #25 of 33 in Wisconsin

First-year retention73%

Higher than 39%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$54,990

Higher than 53% · #20 of 36 in Wisconsin

Average net price$15,014

Cheaper than 73% · #8 cheapest of 33 in Wisconsin

Median debt at graduation$23,000

Lower than 53%

Student–faculty ratio17 : 1

Lower than 23%

Undergraduate enrollment16,758

Larger than 93%

Percentiles compare University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 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

20,920students
  • Undergraduate16,75880%
  • Graduate4,16220%

Undergraduates by gender

16,758undergrads
  • Women9,45556%
  • Men7,30344%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White57%
  • Black9.7%
  • Hispanic17%
  • Asian7.4%
  • Other or multiracial9.3%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
16,758
Graduate enrollment
4,162
Student–faculty ratio
17 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
33%
First-generation students
33%
Students over 25
16%
Median family income
$50,518
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$89,640
Endowment
$257,759,835

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 3,366 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Wisconsin89%
  • Other U.S. states9.5%
  • International1.5%

Most first-years stay in state — University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee draws overwhelmingly from Wisconsin.

2% 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
90.7%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
1090
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite
18–25
Average GPA (estimated)
3.13

Cost

In-state tuition
$10,398
Out-of-state tuition
$22,398
Room & board
$11,684
Books & supplies
$800
Total cost of attendance
$22,756
Average net price
$15,014

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)
49%
Graduated on time (4 years)
31%
First-year retention
73%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$45,851
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$54,990
Median debt at graduation
$23,000
Students with federal loans
42%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
57%

About 19% 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
31%
Low-income (Pell)
41%
First-generation
42%

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
4,090
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
24%
Housing charge (year)
$6,297
Meal plan (year)
$4,433
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division I without football
Varsity athletes
466 (244 men · 222 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)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)232
Soccer71
Swimming and Diving (combined)65
Baseball40
Basketball33
Volleyball17
Tennis8

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.5 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
63
Property offenses (2022–2024)
35

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 5 campuses (22,450 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.

33reported offenses a year
21 violent a year12 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
11
Fondling
7.0
Burglary
6.0
Motor vehicle theft
5.7
Robbery
1.7
Aggravated assault
1.3

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
$10,329
$30–48k
$10,709
$48–75k
$12,344
$75–110k
$19,315
$110k+
$21,477

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
$56,381

$12,344/year × about 4.6 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.

62%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$1,504
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 62% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,504. 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 3,261 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)
$54,990
Typical debt at graduation
$23,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
42%
Out-earn a HS grad
68%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.2 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
$50,160
Men
$60,504

Men out-earn women by $10,344 (21%) 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 (7.4 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-Milwaukee

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

Colleges near University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

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.