by our College Data Analytics TeamGet the facts about University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School. Learn how it ranks, what graduate degree programs it offers, how diverse it is, and much more. Click on any of the following links to jump to that section on this page.
Each year, College Factual releases its Best Quality Schools ranking to identify graduate schools that offer a great educational experience and provide excellent student outcomes.Our methodology places a high weight on things such as post-graduation wages, time to graduate, and student-per-faculty ratio. Post-graduation debt, faculty and staff diversity, and other factors are also taken into account.
Out of a field of 4,630 colleges and universities considered in the 2026 Best Master’s Degree Schools in the U.S. ranking, University of Wisconsin-Madison landed the #9 spot.This places the school in the Top 10% of the country for overall quality.As a result, UW - Madison is a recipient of this year’s Best Master’s Schools badge.For the Best Master’s Degree Schools in Wisconsin, UW - Madison came in at #1.
Of the 4,630 institutions of higher learning that were examined in the 2026 Best Doctorate Schools in the United States ranking, UW - Madison came in at #9.So, the school is among the best in the nation with its Top 15% ranking.UW - Madison was awarded this year’s Best Doctorate Schools badge for this accomplishment.In addition, UW - Madison took the #1 spot for Best Doctorate Degree Schools in Wisconsin.
### Best Graduate Certificate Schools RankingUW - Madison ranked #9 in College Factual’s 2026 Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States ranking, out of 4,630 schools. In addition, UW - Madison took the #1 spot for Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Wisconsin.
UW - Madison ranked #9 in College Factual’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools in the United States ranking, out of 4,630 schools. UW - Madison also ranked #1 for Best Graduate Schools in Wisconsin.
During the most recent year for which data is available, 13,004 graduate students attended University of Wisconsin-Madison.Since diversity is such an important part of the grad school experience, College Factual looked deeper at the demographics of these students.Here is what we found.
The total graduate student population at UW - Madison is made up of 53.0% women and 47.0% men. Note that these percentages may differ for certain degree programs.
Racial-ethnic minorities* make up 19.3% of the graduate student population at UW - Madison.UW - Madison is popular with people from outside the United States, too. International students make up 29.6% of the graduate student population.The following chart shows the distribution of racial-ethnic groups at the school. If you click on it, you’ll find more detailed information.
The average tuition and fees for graduate students is shown below.
| In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $35,635 | $52,332 |
| Fees | $1,597 | $1,597 |
The typical graduate student at UW - Madison who borrowed carries a median debt of $21,813.
Graduate students who earn their master’s degree at UW - Madison enter the workforce with an average early-career salary of $90,878.
After earning their doctoral degree from UW - Madison, graduates go on to jobs with an average early-career salary of $84,860.
Professional degree recipients from UW - Madison earn an average early-career salary of $135,049.
Yearly salaries vary depending on the field of study, but the table below shows the highest-earning graduate fields of study at UW - Madison based on the early-career earnings of recent graduates.
| Graduate Field of Study | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|
| Medicine | $191,376 |
| Finance & Financial Management | $180,896 |
| Real Estate | $172,827 |
| Marketing | $165,191 |
| Business & Commerce | $160,846 |
| Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences | $143,810 |
| Electrical Engineering | $134,929 |
| General Engineering | $133,037 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $125,310 |
| Allied Health Professions | $120,354 |
University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public institution situated in Madison, Wisconsin.The city atmosphere of Madison makes it a great place for students who enjoy having lots of educational and entertainment options. Get more details about the location of University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Contact details for UW - Madison are given below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 500 Lincoln Dr, Madison, WI 53706-1380 |
| Phone: | 608-263-2400 |
| Website: | www.wisc.edu |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/UWMadison |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/UWMadison |
Around 15.9% of UW - Madison graduate students took at least one course online.Roughly 6.9% of all grad students took courses exclusively online.
The only degree programs listed here are those in which master’s degrees were awarded.
Just like the master’s degree programs, only programs that had doctorate degrees awarded are shown here.
The programs below are those in which the school awarded a graduate certificate.
| Graduate Certificate Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Biomathematics & Bioinformatics | 2 | — |
| Child Development & Family Studies | 1 | — |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | 1 | — |
| Communication Sciences | 7 | — |
| Computer Information Systems | 44 | — |
| Electrical Engineering | 17 | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 2 | — |
| General Engineering | 8 | — |
| Geography & Cartography | 26 | — |
| Information Science | 10 | — |
| Legal Research | 1 | — |
| Management Sciences & Methods | 2 | — |
| Medical Illustration & Informatics | 1 | — |
| Nursing | 4 | — |
| Polymer & Plastics Engineering | 2 | — |
| Public Health | 1 | — |
| Science, Technology & Society | 1 | — |
Listed here are the programs in which University of Wisconsin-Madison awarded a professional degree.
| Professional Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Communication Sciences | 11 | — |
| Law | 265 | $104,344 |
| Medicine | 173 | $191,376 |
| Nursing | 36 | — |
| Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences | 94 | $143,810 |
| Rehabilitation Professions | 68 | $78,312 |
| Veterinary Medicine. | 88 | $108,214 |
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References