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.
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
More selective than 22% · #29 most selective of 34 in Wisconsin
Higher than 27%
Higher than 38% · #25 of 33 in Wisconsin
Higher than 39%
Higher than 53% · #20 of 36 in Wisconsin
Cheaper than 73% · #8 cheapest of 33 in Wisconsin
Lower than 53%
Lower than 23%
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
- Undergraduate16,75880%
- Graduate4,16220%
Undergraduates by gender
- 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)
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)
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.
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.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$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.
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.
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 $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
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, West Allis, WI US station (7.4 mi from campus).
What University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 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 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee side by side →
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Honolulu, Hawaii · Large city · 3 mi to Honolulu
- Students
- 15,029
- Admission
- 87%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1102
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $58k
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia · Small city · 56 mi to Pittsburgh
- Students
- 17,385
- Admission
- 89%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1122
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $56k
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, Georgia · Distant town · 47 mi to Savannah
- Students
- 21,790
- Admission
- 88%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1053
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $53k
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan · Distant town · 60 mi to Lansing
- Students
- 10,035
- Admission
- 90%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- 1091
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $56k
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, Michigan · Fringe town · 11 mi to Grand Rapids
- Students
- 18,854
- Admission
- 83%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1074
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $56k
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska · Large city · 4 mi to Omaha
- Students
- 11,488
- Admission
- 87%
- Net price
- $13k
- SAT
- 1120
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $54k
Colleges near University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Milwaukee, WI · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,654 students
Milwaukee Area Technical College
Milwaukee, WI · Public · Certificate · 12,024 students
The Institute of Beauty and Wellness
Milwaukee, WI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 186 students
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design
Milwaukee, WI · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 837 students
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 7,660 students
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, WI · Private nonprofit · Graduate
Mount Mary University
Milwaukee, WI · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 631 students
Wisconsin School of Professional Psychology
Milwaukee, WI · Private nonprofit · Graduate
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.











