Public · University

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin · Distant town

#5 best value in Wisconsin
85.7%
Admit rate
$14,158
Avg net price
59%
Graduation rate
$55,356
Median earnings

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Whitewater, Wisconsin (distant town setting), enrolling 9,405 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 9,405 undergradsDistant townAccessible · 86% admitNCAA Division III with football · Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
85.7%
ACT (mid 50%)
17–24
Avg GPA (est.)
3.03

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

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

About Whitewater, Wisconsin

Whitewater is a city in Walworth and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Whitewater was founded at the confluence of Whitewater Creek and Spring Brook, and named for the white sand in their beds. A gristmill was built on Whitewater creek, the resulting pond now called Cravath Lake. Annual events in Whitewater include "Freeze Fest" in January, the Bridal Fair, Farm Toy Show in February, Maxwell Street Day and the 4th of July celebration in July. The Minneiska Water Ski Shows perform in the summer on Whitewater Lake. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Distant town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
37 miles to Madison, WI
To Great Lakes shore
45 miles
Nearest airport
37 miles to Dane County Regional Truax Field (MSN)

How University of Wisconsin-Whitewater compares

Selectivity85.7%

More selective than 34% · #20 most selective of 34 in Wisconsin

SAT average1050

Higher than 16%

Graduation rate59%

Higher than 59% · #20 of 33 in Wisconsin

First-year retention78%

Higher than 56%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$55,356

Higher than 55% · #19 of 36 in Wisconsin

Average net price$14,158

Cheaper than 76% · #5 cheapest of 33 in Wisconsin

Median debt at graduation$23,188

Lower than 51%

Student–faculty ratio21 : 1

Lower than 8%

Undergraduate enrollment9,405

Larger than 88%

Percentiles compare University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 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

11,067students
  • Undergraduate9,40585%
  • Graduate1,66215%

Undergraduates by gender

9,405undergrads
  • Women4,83851%
  • Men4,56749%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White78%
  • Black5.4%
  • Hispanic9.9%
  • Asian1.9%
  • 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
9,405
Graduate enrollment
1,662
Student–faculty ratio
21 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
25%
First-generation students
30%
Students over 25
10%
Median family income
$70,028
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$81,153
Endowment
$44,704,712

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 2,217 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Wisconsin84%
  • Other U.S. states16%

Most first-years stay in state — University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 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
85.7%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
1050
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite
17–24
Average GPA (estimated)
3.03

Cost

In-state tuition
$8,616
Out-of-state tuition
$18,716
Room & board
$8,090
Books & supplies
$300
Total cost of attendance
$18,719
Average net price
$14,158

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)
59%
Graduated on time (4 years)
42%
First-year retention
78%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$47,909
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$55,356
Median debt at graduation
$23,188
Students with federal loans
46%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
66%

About 17% 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
42%
Low-income (Pell)
56%
First-generation
57%

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
4,168
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
44%
Housing charge (year)
$4,694
Meal plan (year)
$2,976
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
753 (403 men · 350 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 (Indoor)123
Track and Field (Outdoor)121
Football112
Soccer55
Cross Country55
Swimming and Diving (combined)51
Wrestling37
Baseball35
Basketball35
Gymnastics28
Tennis27
Softball25
Volleyball20
Bowling16
Golf13

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.7 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
85
Property offenses (2022–2024)
9

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (11,746 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.

31reported offenses a year
28 violent a year3.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
17
Fondling
9.3
Motor vehicle theft
2.3
Aggravated assault
2.0
Burglary
0.7
Statutory rape
0.3

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
$8,440
$30–48k
$8,752
$48–75k
$11,176
$75–110k
$16,551
$110k+
$18,229

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
$49,537

$11,176/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.

38%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$1,425
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 38% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,425. 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 2,042 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)
$55,356
Typical debt at graduation
$23,188
Debt vs. one year's pay
42%
Out-earn a HS grad
69%

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
$51,255
Men
$61,371

Men out-earn women by $10,116 (20%) 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
82°F
Winter low
12°F
Annual rain
36.2″
Annual snow
33.9″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.0JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Whitewater, WI US station (1.4 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-Whitewater

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

Colleges near University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

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.