In a previous article, we analyzed the easiest colleges to get into in the University of California system. This time around, we are evaluating the easiest colleges to get into in the University of Wisconsin System, often simply called the UW system.
The UW college system is home to 13 public four-year colleges, spread across 26 campuses in total. Based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the 13 schools that comprise the UW System have a combined student population of approximately 162,616, with 136,902 of them being undergraduates. Taken all together, these 13 colleges have an average graduation rate of 59%, while the average admission rate is 82%. Both of these figures, however, disguise some notable variations between colleges that make up the University of Wisconsin System. The easiest college to get into in the UW System has an undergraduate acceptance rate of 91%, while the hardest college to get into has an acceptance rate of 60%.
In order to find out the easiest colleges to get into in the University of Wisconsin System, BrokeScholar analyzed all the schools in the UW System in terms of their admission rates. Read on to find out the easiest colleges to get into in the University of Wisconsin college system.
How Many Schools Are in the UW System?
There are 13 colleges in the University of Wisconsin System, with most offering both undergraduate and graduate education, and all are four-year public universities. These 13 colleges are spread across all parts of Wisconsin and include two distance-learning branches called the UW Flexible Option, or Flex for short. And in terms of undergraduate populations, these 13 UW schools range from having nearly 35,000 students, down to a little over 2,200 students. The colleges and universities that make up the University of Wisconsin System include:
- University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
- University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
- University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Flex*
- University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
- University of Wisconsin-Parkside
- University of Wisconsin-Parkside Flex*
- University of Wisconsin-Platteville
- University of Wisconsin-River Falls
- University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
- University of Wisconsin-Stout
- University of Wisconsin-Superior
- University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
The Easiest Colleges to Get Into In the UW System
These 13 colleges have many shared characteristics, though they do not charge the same rates of tuition and required fees. As public colleges, the UW System colleges have different costs of tuition and required fees for in-state students versus out-of-state students. Interestingly, UW System schools also have special rates of tuition and fees for Minnesota residents that are slightly more expensive than for Wisconsin residents but cheaper than for out-of-state students that do not reside in Minnesota.
Below is a table ranked in order of UW System colleges with the highest admission rate to the lowest. Acceptance rates and undergraduate population data comes from the NCES and costs of tuition and required fees from individual college sites:
|
College |
Percent Admitted |
Undergraduate Population |
2022-2023 In-State Tuition and Required Fees |
2022-2023 Out-of-State Tuition and Required Fees |
|
91% |
9,257 |
|||
|
91% |
6,634 |
|||
|
90% |
12,946 |
|||
|
90% |
7,489 |
|||
|
89% |
19,411 |
|||
|
88% |
6,266 |
|||
|
86% |
4,988 |
|||
|
83% |
9,751 |
|||
|
77% |
9,869 |
|||
|
76% |
2,204 |
|||
|
75% |
3,365 |
|||
|
74% |
9,400 |
|||
|
60% |
34,561 |
Thus, the easiest college to get into among the schools in the UW System is a tie between the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and the University of Wisconsin-Stout, which both have an undergraduate acceptance rate of 91%. This is followed by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, which both have an undergraduate acceptance rate of 90%. The hardest college to get into in the University of Wisconsin System is currently the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which has an undergraduate acceptance rate of 60%. The University of Wisconsin-Madison also offers the most robust array of academic programs, including being one of the best veterinary colleges in the US.
It may not come as a surprise that the hardest college to get into in the UW System — the University of Wisconsin-Madison — also has the highest graduation rate at 89%. The University of Wisconsin-Madison also has the highest cost of tuition and required fees, both for in-state students and out-of-state students. The two easiest colleges to get into in the UW System — University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and University of Wisconsin-Stout — have graduation rates of 55% and 56%, respectively. Interestingly, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside has a comparatively low admission rate of 75%, but the lowest graduation rate out of the 13 UW System schools at 42%.
The Bottom Line on the Easiest Colleges to Get Into in the UW System
Looking over the easiest colleges to get into in the University of Wisconsin System, 4 colleges have undergraduate acceptance rates of 90% or higher. All 13 schools in the UW System have undergraduate admission rates of 50% or more, with the University of Wisconsin-Madison being the most selective with an acceptance rate of 60%.
When choosing a school to apply to, there are different criteria when researching colleges to consider, including, but not limited to:
- If your school of choice has the major or academic program you want to pursue
- The cost of tuition, fees, and room and board
- What campus life is like
- Graduation rates and admission rates
For Wisconsin residents, the costs of tuition and required fees at most UW System schools are very comparable and affordable. Only two colleges in the UW System have in-state tuition costs that are over $10,000 per academic year. For out-of-state applicants, however, the costs of tuition can be much greater compared to in-state applicants. Every single University of Wisconsin school in the system has out-of-state costs of tuition and required fees that are over $10,000 per academic year. However, they range considerably, from approximately $15,369 at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, to approximately $40,950 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Fortunately, BrokeScholar has a massive library of college scholarships and student discounts that can help reduce the financial burden on students, whether they are in-state or out-of-state students. Plus, if you’re a resident of Minnesota, you get a tuition rate that is much less than the cost for out-of-state students from other states.
