University of Wisconsin-Madison
UW-Madison publishes 41% (Fall 2025). Wisconsin resident applicants got in at 56%; international at 32%.
Acceptance rate
What UW-Madison's 41% is made of
The published rate averages groups with very different odds. These are the splits UW-Madison reports itself.
Part of Real Acceptance Rates, our series decomposing published rates from each school's own Common Data Set.
Testing
Test-Optional for 2026-27
- Policy
Confirmed test-optional through the spring 2028 term: 'Including scores from either the ACT or the SAT with your application is optional for students applying for admission through the spring 2028 term.' Applicants who don't submit are not disadvantaged.
- SAT middle 50%
- 1380–1520sum of section 25th–75th percentiles
- ACT middle 50%
- 29–33
- Average HS GPA
- 3.9Fall 2024 entering class (CDS 2024-25, item C12) · Source
Applying
Deadlines, essays and AI policy
- Early deadlines
- Nov 1, 2026 (EA)
- Regular decision
- Jan 15, 2027Source
- Supplemental essays
- 1 required
Two essays total: either the Common App personal essay or a UW-Madison-specific 'life experiences, talents, interests' prompt (this is the main-essay slot, not counted as supplemental), PLUS one required supplemental essay on why UW-Madison and the intended major(s).
- AI use in essays
Limited Use Allowed — applies to Admissions essays (first-year application essays)
“We will not disqualify an applicant found to have used or suspected of using AI in their admissions essays, nor are we running essays through any system to detect if AI was used. However, we strongly discourage students from simply feeding AI a prompt for their essay, as it denies you the opportunity to help us better understand why you would be a good fit for UW–Madison. Our goal is to hear from you about your academic aspirations and interest in joining our community here in Madison, Wisconsin.”
Full cycle calendar: Application Deadlines.
At a glance
Size and cost
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 36,902
- Tuition (out-of-state)
- $42,103
- Category
- Top Public
- Admissions site
- www.wisc.edu
What should this school mean for your list?
A published rate is one input. Working out what it means alongside the rest of your list is the part that actually changes an application. Free 25-minute call, no commitment.
Sources
- UW-Madison test policy (2026-27)
- UW-Madison deadlines
- UW-Madison GPA (Fall 2024 entering class (CDS 2024-25, item C12))
- UW-Madison AI-use policy
- UW-Madison admissions pages
- UW-Madison admissions pages
- Acceptance rate, test-score percentiles, enrollment and tuition: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, pulled 2026-08-19.
Test policy and deadlines last verified 2026-08-17.
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