by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is the data on what it actually costs to attend University of Wisconsin-Madison, covering the cost range, projected degree costs, net price, debt at graduation, default rates, and aid distribution patterns.
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Published attendance costs at University of Wisconsin-Madison spanned $27,770.00 and up to $58,270.00 depending on whether you qualify for in-state rates.
Residency made the difference: in-state students paid the lower rate and out-of-state students the higher rate: about $27,770.00 in-state versus $58,270.00 for those paying out-of-state rates.
The blocks below show what you would pay with no aid, with average aid, and as a low-income student.
| Tuition and fees | $11,603.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $16,167.00 |
| Total cost | $27,770.00 |
| That is 44% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $27,770.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$11,325.00 |
| Net price | $16,445.00 |
| That is 15% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $27,770.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$24,479.00 |
| Net price | $3,291.00 |
| That is 83% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $42,103.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $16,167.00 |
| Total cost | $58,270.00 |
| That is 203% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $58,270.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$11,325.00 |
| Net price | $46,945.00 |
| That is 144% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $58,270.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$24,479.00 |
| Net price | $33,791.00 |
| That is 76% above the national average net price. | |
| For the full breakdown, see the tuition & fees page plus room and board. |
Costs have trended upward in recent years by around 2.9% per year; the projections below compound that across a degree. The tables below project the cost forward across a full degree, side by side for a low-income student with aid, a typical student with average aid, and a student paying full sticker price with no aid. Loan figures amortise the projected total over ten years at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| Freshman year | $3,388.00 | $16,927.00 | $28,584.00 |
| Senior year | $3,694.00 | $18,461.00 | $31,174.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $14,158.00 | $70,747.00 | $119,467.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $5,394.00 | $26,952.00 | $45,513.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $163.00 | $814.00 | $1,375.00 |
| Total amount paid | $19,552.00 | $97,698.00 | $164,979.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| Freshman year | $3,388.00 | $16,927.00 | $28,584.00 |
| Senior year | $3,487.00 | $17,424.00 | $29,423.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $6,874.00 | $34,351.00 | $58,007.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $2,619.00 | $13,087.00 | $22,099.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $79.00 | $395.00 | $668.00 |
| Total amount paid | $9,493.00 | $47,438.00 | $80,106.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| Freshman year | $34,782.00 | $48,322.00 | $59,979.00 |
| Senior year | $37,933.00 | $52,699.00 | $65,412.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $145,369.00 | $201,958.00 | $250,678.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $55,380.00 | $76,939.00 | $95,499.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,673.00 | $2,324.00 | $2,885.00 |
| Total amount paid | $200,749.00 | $278,896.00 | $346,177.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| Freshman year | $34,782.00 | $48,322.00 | $59,979.00 |
| Senior year | $35,802.00 | $49,739.00 | $61,738.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $70,584.00 | $98,061.00 | $121,717.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $26,890.00 | $37,358.00 | $46,370.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $812.00 | $1,128.00 | $1,401.00 |
| Total amount paid | $97,474.00 | $135,418.00 | $168,087.00 |
For the complete net-price picture, see the net price section below.
Net price strips out grant and scholarship aid to show what families really pay. This is the more honest cost figure for most families, since it accounts for institutional and federal aid.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $17,354.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $16,928.00 |
Net price varies sharply by family income, dropping as need-based aid grows. The breakdown below splits average net price across income brackets:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $4,458.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $5,268.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $9,613.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $21,123.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $26,427.00 |
Run your own numbers with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Net Price Calculator, or visit the financial aid office.
For the grant-and-scholarship detail behind these figures, see the financial aid page.
The median graduating debt at University of Wisconsin-Madison is $18,058.00, which the Department of Education classifies as a Low ($10-20k) debt-load classification.
The percentile spread of debt at graduation is shown below:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $5,500.00 |
| 25th | $9,960.00 |
| Median (50th) | $18,058.00 |
| 75th | $27,717.00 |
| 90th | $33,800.00 |
The spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles reflects how variable debt outcomes are at this school.
For the full borrowing and repayment picture, see the student-loan-debt breakdown.
Debt outcomes vary substantially with family income. Below, debt is broken out by low, middle, and high family income:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $13,750.00 |
| Middle income | $16,850.00 |
| High income | $19,058.00 |
Debt at graduation often differs for first-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $18,500.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $17,575.00 |
First-generation graduates from University of Wisconsin-Madison hold $925.00 more median debt than continuing-generation peers.
The Pell Grant is the main federal need-based award for undergraduates. The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap reveals how borrowing differs by need.
The Pell-versus-non-Pell median debt difference at University of Wisconsin-Madison comes to $-1,827.00.
The default-rate category at University of Wisconsin-Madison is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 1.1% |
To give some context for these rates, Stafford loans disbursed at University of Wisconsin-Madison total $1,784,101,391.00 covering 65,007 recipients.
Veterans and active-duty service members may qualify for substantial federal education benefits including the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Department of Defense Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 270 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $13,599.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 9 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $2,472.00 |
Dig into veteran education benefits on the college veterans page.
The data above is a foundation; round it out by asking yourself about University of Wisconsin-Madison, consider the following:
Use the pages below to go deeper on a specific part of the cost story:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.