How to Get Into UW Madison: Acceptance Rate & Strategies
August 4, 2025
Twenty years ago, the University of Wisconsin-Madison was hardly a hot-ticket destination for stellar students from all over the country/world. While always a popular and sound choice for locals, only 17,727 students applied for a chance to become Badgers back in 2001. Of those, 12,791 (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 2025-26 as the UW-Madison acceptance rate is now well under 50%.
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. As a result, 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 following topics:
- UW-Madison鈥檚 acceptance rate (plus how to predict your chances with our free admissions calculator)
- UW-Madison in-state vs. out-of-state acceptance rate
- SAT, ACT, GPA, and class rank of accepted Wisconsin applicants
- Admissions trends
- UW-Madison鈥檚 system for rating applicants
- A look at the demographics of current UW-Madison undergraduates
- The percentage of accepted students who attend UW-Madison (yield rate)
- Tips for applying to the University of Wisconsin
- UW-Madison essay prompts and tips
- How to assess whether applying to UW-Madison is even worth the $60 application fee (for you)
UW-Madison Admissions Calculator
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UW-Madison Acceptance Rate
There was an all-time high of 65,913 applications for admission into the Badger Class of 2028. 27,527 students were accepted, for an overall UW-Madison acceptance rate of 45%.
Historical UW-Madison acceptance rates are as follows:
| Applicants | Admits | Acceptance Rate | |
| Class of 2027 | 63,537 | 27,527 | 43% |
| Class of 2026 | 60,260 | 29,546 | 49% |
| Class of 2025 | 53,829 | 32,466 | 60% |
| Class of 2024 | 45,941 | 26,289 | 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 in a recent admissions cycle. In-state vs. out-of-state acceptance rates are as follows:
| Applicants | Admits | Acceptance Rate | |
| In-State | 9,692 | 5,880 | 61% |
| Out-of-State | 41,490 | 17,705 | 43% |
| International | 12,355 | 3,942 | 32% |
What GPA do you need to get into UW-Madison?
The average high school GPA for the Class of 2028 was 3.9; an astonishing 53% of entering freshmen possessed above 4.0. Only 4% of the Class of 2028 earned a cumulative GPA lower than 3.5.
What class rank do you need to get accepted to UW-Madison?
Among enrolled 2024-25 first-year students, an impressive 54% hailed from the top 10%, while 87% earned a place in the top 25%.
What is the minimum SAT or ACT score for UW-Madison?
According to enrolled Class of 2028 statistics, the mid-50% SAT range was 1370-1490 while the mid-50% ACT range was 29-33. Less than 15% of applicants submitted an SAT score but about 35% included an ACT result in their application.
Admissions Trends & Notes
- Firstly, the Class of 2028 was made up of 8,513, up from 7,964 the previous year.
- Over the past three years, the acceptance rate has dropped 15%.
- The number of applicants increased for the fifth year in a row.
- A recent class included 3,813 Wisconsin residents.
- The number of National Merit Scholars enrolled has increased by 175% in the last five years.
- Lastly, the university has extended its test-optional policy until at least spring 2027.
How UW-Madison Rates Applicants
UW-Madison considers only two factors as 鈥渧ery important鈥� to the admissions process: rigor of high school course load and GPA. Further, items that are 鈥渋mportant鈥� as part of the admissions process are: essays, recommendations, extracurriculars, character, and state residency. 鈥淐onsidered鈥� factors are: test scores, class rank,聽 talent/ability, first-generation status, and work/volunteer experience.
The UW-Madison admission staff reads every application carefully and, in their own words, 鈥淲e don鈥檛 use formulas or charts. We read each application thoroughly, one by one.鈥� In reviewing each applicant, they focus first on 鈥渁cademic excellence and preparation.鈥� Straight from the admissions office: 鈥淏eyond academics, we look for qualities such as leadership, contributions to your community, and achievement in the arts, athletics, and other areas. We鈥檙e also seeking diversity in personal background and experience and your potential for positive contribution to the Wisconsin community.鈥�
It is also worth highlighting that recruited athletes enjoy a huge edge. This is because UW-Madison takes great pride in its . Overall, approximately 900 student-athletes are presently attending the university.
For advice about how to stand out on the extracurricular front, check out our previous blog entitled How Many Extracurricular Activities Do I Need for College?
Who Gets Into UW-Madison?
Let鈥檚 look at the demographics of current freshmen (2024-25):
- In-State: 45%
- Minnesota Compact: 10%
- Out-of-State: 45%
Historically, the greatest number of students hail from the following states:
- Wisconsin
- Illinois
- California
- Minnesota
- New York
Among non-residents, competition is stiffest among those hailing from states with endless streams of qualified applicants (the entire Northeast & the West Coast). However, if you hail from the Deep South like Alabama or Mississippi (both with 0 current freshmen) or a less-populated state like Oklahoma (1 current freshman) or South Dakota (1 current freshman), your location is more likely to provide a boost to your admissions chances at UW-Madison.
Historically, the high schools producing the most Badger first-years are (most recent data available):
- Evansville Senior High School
- Badger High School
- Lancaster Senior High School
- Madison East High School
- Marshfield High School
- Oregon High School
- Sun Prairie High School
- Waunakee Community High School
- Bay Port High School
- James Madison Memorial High School
Shifting to ethnic identity, the breakdown is as follows:
- Caucasian/White: 60%
- Asian American: 12%
- Hispanic: 8%
- Black or African American: 2%
- International: 8%
Historically, the most international students hail from the following countries:
- India
- China
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- United Arab Emirates
Looking at the gender breakdown, the Class of 2028 enrolled more women than men:
- Men: 44%
- Women: 56%
UW-Madison鈥檚 Yield Rate
UW-Madison鈥檚 yield rate鈥攖he percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted鈥攊s 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 hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:
- You can apply using either the or the .
- 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 鈥渄emonstrated interest鈥� 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 2025-26 cycle, the prompt for those applying through the Common App was as follows:
- 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)
For detailed advice on how to write a winning essay, visit our blog: University of Wisconsin-Madison Supplemental Essay Prompts and Tips.听
Should I apply to UW-Madison?
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 class 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.
University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) Acceptance Rate – Final Thoughts
It goes without saying that all teens applying to a school of the University of Wisconsin鈥檚 ilk also need to also have a proper mix of 鈥渢arget鈥� and 鈥渟afety鈥� schools on their college list. More on creating a balanced college list can be found here.
Ready to start crafting your college applications? You might consider perusing the following resources:
