Public · University

University of Wisconsin-Superior

Superior, Wisconsin · Midsize suburb

#2 best value in Wisconsin
93.0%
Admit rate
$12,220
Avg net price
42%
Graduation rate
$49,606
Median earnings

University of Wisconsin-Superior is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Superior, Wisconsin (midsize suburb setting), enrolling 1,807 undergraduates.

PublicSmall · 1,807 undergradsMidsize suburbAccessible · 93% admitNCAA Division III without footballCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
93.0%
ACT (mid 50%)
18–24
Avg GPA (est.)
3.12

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

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

About Superior, Wisconsin

Superior is a city in Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The first log cabin in Superior was erected in September 1853 on the banks of the Nemadji River, at the same time that ground was broken for construction of the locks and ship canal at Sault Ste. This was intended to allow ships to bypass the rapids at that site. Superior City FC, a semi-professional soccer club, compete in the United Premier Soccer League. Founded in 2023, the club supports a Men's UPSL Premier team, a Women's UPSL Premier team, and multiple amateur adult teams. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
5 miles to Duluth, MN
To Great Lakes shore
1 mile
Nearest airport
10 miles to Duluth (DLH)

How University of Wisconsin-Superior compares

Selectivity93.0%

More selective than 17% · #32 most selective of 34 in Wisconsin

SAT average1090

Higher than 27%

Graduation rate42%

Higher than 26% · #32 of 33 in Wisconsin

First-year retention72%

Higher than 36%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$49,606

Higher than 38% · #32 of 36 in Wisconsin

Average net price$12,220

Cheaper than 84% · #2 cheapest of 33 in Wisconsin

Median debt at graduation$22,500

Lower than 56%

Student–faculty ratio18 : 1

Lower than 18%

Undergraduate enrollment1,807

Larger than 54%

Percentiles compare University of Wisconsin-Superior 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

2,603students
  • Undergraduate1,80769%
  • Graduate79631%

Undergraduates by gender

1,807undergrads
  • Women1,16164%
  • Men64636%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White77%
  • Black2.5%
  • Hispanic3.7%
  • Asian1.2%
  • Other or multiracial16%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,807
Graduate enrollment
796
Student–faculty ratio
18 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
31%
First-generation students
30%
Students over 25
27%
Median family income
$47,927
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$65,394
Endowment
$25,025,835

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 260 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Wisconsin45%
  • Other U.S. states39%
  • International16%

A regional draw: about 45% of first-years come from Wisconsin, the rest from elsewhere.

16% 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
93.0%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
1090
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite
18–24
Average GPA (estimated)
3.12

Cost

In-state tuition
$8,812
Out-of-state tuition
$16,726
Room & board
$7,476
Books & supplies
$1,050
Total cost of attendance
$19,860
Average net price
$12,220

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)
42%
Graduated on time (4 years)
29%
First-year retention
72%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$41,868
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$49,606
Median debt at graduation
$22,500
Students with federal loans
43%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
51%

About 13% 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
29%
Low-income (Pell)
37%
First-generation
37%

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
650
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
36%
Housing charge (year)
$4,656
Meal plan (year)
$2,998
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III without football
Varsity athletes
452 (247 men · 205 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 (11)

Soccer68
Track and Field (Outdoor)65
Track and Field (Indoor)64
Ice Hockey52
Basketball42
Baseball39
Golf28
Tennis26
Cross Country26
Softball23
Volleyball19

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.8 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
2
Property offenses (2022–2024)
5

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,833 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.

2.3reported offenses a year
0.7 violent a year1.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
1.0
Rape
0.7
Arson
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
$9,679
$30–48k
$10,178
$48–75k
$9,710
$75–110k
$13,728
$110k+
$17,859

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
$43,406

$9,710/year × about 4.5 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.

48%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$2,344
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 48% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,344. 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 311 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)
$49,606
Typical debt at graduation
$22,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
45%
Out-earn a HS grad
59%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.5 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
$45,534
Men
$57,664

Men out-earn women by $12,130 (27%) 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
76°F
Winter low
6°F
Annual rain
31.4″
Annual snow
56″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.34.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Superior, WI US station (1.1 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-Superior

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

Colleges near University of Wisconsin-Superior

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.