On a scale of 1 to 100, I believe that 90% of admission seekers (both local and international) into UW Madison will look at the UW Madison acceptance rate first, before tuition fees and other fees. This will give you a general overview of their competitiveness. It was discovered that only 49 applicants were admitted out of every 100 applicants. It shows that they’re moderately selective for students. It is obviously not for everyone.
Furthermore, there are other important requirements that you should also consider, like taking note of the GPA requirements, admission requirements, and average test score for SAT/ACT.
It would interest you to know that twenty years ago, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, also known as Uw Madison, was hardly a hot-ticket destination for stellar students from all over the country/world. It was always a popular and sound choice for locals; only 17,727 teens applied for a chance to become Badgers back in 2001, and 12,791, or 72%, were ultimately accepted.
That year, the 75th percentile standardized test scores among attending freshmen were 1350 on the SAT and 29 on the ACT. Today, those scores, while strong, would barely place you in the average range of admitted students. This complicates the question of how to get into the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2024-25, as the UW-Madison acceptance rate is now well under 50%.
In this article, we are set to bring you a lot of information you need concerning knowing the UW Madison acceptance rate, so journey with us as we delve into the uw madison acceptance rate.
UW Madison Acceptance Rate
In 2015, the state legislature increased the university’s allowable cap on out-of-state enrollment, which had previously limited nonresidents to a maximum of 27.5% of the undergraduate population. By the start of the 2021-22 school year, just 45% of freshmen were Wisconsin residents, with thousands flocking to Madison from all 50 U.S. states and 80+ countries from around the globe.
Given the increased desirability and selectivity at UW-Madison, the intent of this article is to give those considering applying to the university an understanding of the UW Madison Acceptance Rate and the following topics:
UW Madison Acceptance Rate for International Students
The UW Madison acceptance rate for international students is around 66%, which means admissions are not highly competitive. Some of the popular courses at UWM are Finance, Biochemistry, Programming, Operations Management, and Engineering Communication.
According to the University of Wisconsin Madison reviews given by students, the UW Madison gets a 3.0 rating out of 5.0 for Student Life and a 4.0 rating out of 5.0 for Quality of Faculty and Safety.
The UW Madison had an all-time high of 63,537 applications for admission into the Badger Class of 2027. 27,527 students were accepted, for an overall UW-Madison acceptance rate of 43%.
Historical UW-Madison acceptance rates are as follows:
Class of 2026
- Applicants: 60,260
- Admits: 29,546
- Acceptance Rate: 49%
Class of 2025
- Applicants: 53,829
- Admits: 32,466
- Acceptance Rate: 60%
Class of 2024
- Applicants: 45,941
- Admits: 26,289
- Acceptance Rate: 57%
UW-Madison In-State vs. Out-of-State Acceptance Rate
Traditionally, it is much easier to gain acceptance as a Wisconsin resident, and that held true this past cycle. In-state vs. out-of-state acceptance rates are as follows:
In-State:
- Applications: 9,692
- Admits: 5,880
- Acceptance Rate: 61%
Out-of-State:
- Applications: 41,490
- Admits: 17,705
- Acceptance Rate: 43%
What GPA do you need to get into UW-Madison?
The average high school GPA for the Class of 2027 was 3.9; an astonishing 48% of entering freshmen possessed above 4.0. Only 4% of the Class of 2027 earned lower than a 3.5 cumulative GPA. So as an international student who is checking for the UW Madison Acceptance Rate, you can see that one of the things that determines the UW Madison acceptance rate is your GPA.
What is the minimum SAT or ACT score for UW-Madison?
According to enrolled Class of 2027 statistics, the mid-50% SAT range was 1370-1490 while the mid-50% ACT range was 28-32. Only 16% of applicants submitted an SAT score, while 38% included an ACT result in their application. As a local or international student aspiring to gain admission into UW Madison, you should take note of the above information concerning the SAT and ACT scores and know how to up your game and pass or meet the pass cutoff.
How UW-Madison Rates Applicants
UW-Madison considers only two factors as “very important” to the admissions process: rigor of high school course load and GPA. Further, items that are “important” as part of the admissions process are: essays, recommendations, extracurriculars, character, and state residency. The “Considered” factors are: test scores, class rank, talent/ability, first-generation status (first in your family to pursue higher education) and work/volunteer experience.
The UW-Madison admission staff reads every application carefully and, in their own words, “We don’t use formulas or charts. We read each application thoroughly, one by one.” In reviewing each applicant, they focus first on “academic excellence and preparation.” Straight from the admissions office: “Beyond academics, we look for qualities such as leadership, contributions to your community, and achievement in the arts, athletics, and other areas. Were also seeking diversity in personal background and experience and your potential for positive contribution to the Wisconsin community.” The above paragraphs have stated how UW Madison School rates applicants, so as a student planning to go there, you should take note.
It is also worth noting that recruited athletes enjoy a huge edge. This is because UW-Madison takes great pride in its 23 NCAA Division I sports teams. Overall, approximately 900 student-athletes are presently attending the university. This may interest you, especially as an athletic student.
The most international students hail from the following countries:
- India
- China
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- United Arab Emirates
UW-Madison’s Yield Rate
UW-Madison’s yield rate—the percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted—is 29%. This figure is significantly lower than other powerhouse state universities like the University of Michigan, UVA, and UCLA.
Tips for Applying to UW-Madison
If you plan on joining the 60,000 UW-Madison for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:
- Firstly, you can apply using either the Common Application or the UW System Application.
- UW-Madison will continue to be test-optional through the spring 2027 term.
- UW-Madison does not use interviews as part of its evaluation process.
- The university does not officially grant any favor to children of alumni. However, recent data reveals that legacy students enjoy an acceptance rate 20% higher than non-legacies.
- UW-Madison does not consider “demonstrated interest,” so you will not be judged on whether or not you made a campus visit, contacted an admissions officer, etc.
- Lastly, make sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the supplemental essay required by UW-Madison. In the 2023-24 cycle, the prompt for those applying through the Common App was as follows:
For example, tell us why you decided to apply to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided, please describe your areas of possible academic interest. (650 words max)
This is a sample of how the essay you will write to UW Madison will be. You should follow this format and the other content above.
Should I Apply to UW-Madison?
I know after reading this article, you would be wondering if you should apply to UW Madison or not. The UW Madison acceptance rate is somewhat low but those with SAT/ACT scores within the mid-50% mark for UW Madison who are also at the very top of their respective high school classes are absolutely viable candidates. If you live in Wisconsin, your road to acceptance will be much smoother than if you are an out-of-state or international applicant. Therefore, if you do not hail from the Badger State, you will need to bring forward even better academic credentials. This is to say if you aren’t a local of Wisconsin and are an international student, you should aim to up your game to get a higher score for you to be accepted to the UW Madison school.
Final Words
In this article, we made sure to provide you, as a student, with what both a local of Wisconsin and an international student need in knowing the UW Madison acceptance rate.
