Wisconsin acceptance rate 2023

If you are considering submitting an application to UW Madison, the deadline for Fall 2023 admissions is January 15 and the fee for the application costs $60.

Application fees can add up, but some schools offer free applications and students with financial need may qualify for for fee waiver for their application.

Students who apply to UW Madison for fall should hear back from UW Madison by March 31.

UW Madison Admissions Stats at a Glance

Here is an overiew of some of UW Madison's admissions stats.

UW Madison 2022Admissions Statistics
Mean Unweighted GPA 3.9
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class 49%
Admissions Test Policy Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs 15%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs 46%
Waitlist Yes

Continue reading for more information on UW Madison's admissions stats.

Applying Early to UW Madison?

These are the early application deadlines for University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Application TypeOfferedApplication DeadlineNotification Deadline
Early Decision I No –– ––
Early Decision II No –– ––
Early Action Yes November 1 January 31

UW Madison does not offer early decision but does offer early action.

The Early Action deadline is November 1. UW Madison will release EA admissions decisions no later than January 31.

Some students apply to college early because they believe it will help their chances. Early deadlines may increase the chance of being admitted, since applying early shows your are very interested in a school, and your application is being considered before all the regular decision applicants apply.

See a list of some selective colleges that admit significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.

How To Get Into University of Wisconsin-Madison

Getting into UW Madison is very difficult. UW Madison evaluates applicants carefully based on multiple criteria to decide who to admit, and who to deny or waitlist.

In 2021, UW Madison accepted 60% of students, around 32,466 of the 53,829 students who applied.

Schools that are very difficult to get into, like UW Madison, accept fewer than 60% of all applicants. At least 50% of all admitted students have GPAs in the top 10% of their high school class and scored over 1230 on the SAT and over 26 on the ACT.

Transfer student admissions is moderately difficult.

In 2022, UW Madison waitlisted 8,128 students. Of those, 4,335 eventually were offered a spot.

What's Most Important for Getting Into UW Madison?

Colleges consider a range of factors when choosing who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college decides which factors are they consider most important in the admissions process. When creating your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and apply to colleges that put the most emphasis the areas where you shine.

Admissions Factors at UW Madison

What does UW Madison consider during the admissions process? Listed below are factors commonly taken into consideration during admissions decisions.

Admissions FactorLevel
Application Essay Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record Very Important
Recommendation(s) Important
State Residency Important
Academic GPA Important
Character/Personal Qualities Considered
Class Rank Considered
Extracurricular Activities Considered
Racial/Ethnic Status Considered
Standardized Test Scores Considered
Talent/Ability Considered
Volunteer Work Considered
Work Experience Considered
First Generation Considered

Make sure to check with UW Madison for more information on admission factors.

UW Madison 2022-2023 Application Requirements

To apply, all applicants to UW Madison must submit the following items. Double check with UW Madison's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

AreaRequiredRecommendedRequired for SomeDetails (If Any)
Interview
Letter(s) of Recommendation 2
Transcript(S) of College Record
Standardized Test Scores
Statement of Good Standing From Prior Institution(S)
Written Essay or Personal Statement
Transcript of High School Record

What GPA Do I Need To Get Into UW Madison?

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that reflects your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.

An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. 4.0. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.

Students admitted to UW Madison have an average unweighted GPA of 3.9

Out of all students that were admitted, 30% submitted a class rank. At UW Madison 49% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 86% were in the top 25% and 99% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At University of Wisconsin-Madison, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPAPercent of Students
4.0 GPA 30%
3.75 and 3.99 36%
3.50 and 3.74 14%
3.25 and 3.49 4%
3.00 and 3.24 1%
2.50 and 2.9 ––
2.00 and 2.49 ––

This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.

UW Madison does look at standardized tests scores during the admissions process.

UW Madison is a test optional school. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

In 2022, 15% of UW Madison's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 46% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What's a Good SAT Score for UW Madison?

To be competitive with other UW Madison applicants, you should strive to earn between 1350 and 1480 (or higher!) on the SAT. At UW Madison 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1480 and 25% of scored lower than 1350, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of UW Madison students scored 780 or higher and 75% of students scored 650 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of UW Madison students scored 730 or higher, and 75% scored a 650 or higher.

Want to increase your SAT Score?

Preparing for the SAT can help raise your score, but it doesn't have to take up a lot of time.

Learn how to increase your SAT score 200 points or more in just 10 minutes a day.

What's a Good ACT Score for UW Madison?

To be most competitive at UW Madison, you should strive to earn between 28 and 32 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 32 means you fall in the 75th percentile for UW Madison's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 32, and three out of four students scored lower than 32 on the ACT.

A 28 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for UW Madison students. Only one out of every four students scored below 28.

Want To Bring Up Your ACT Score? Access ACT practice tests and study tips and see upcoming ACT test dates.

Transferring to University of Wisconsin-Madison

For transfer students, it is moderately difficult to get admitted to UW Madison.

For transfer students wishing to start in the Fall, the deadline to apply is March 1. Applicants should hear back by April 30.

Transfer students can enroll in UW Madison during the following terms:

• Fall Term

• Spring Term

• Summer Term


UW Madison Admissions FAQs


Can I defer my acceptance to UW Madison?

✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to UW Madison.

Does UW Madison accept transfer credits?

✅ UW Madison accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions. UW Madison accepts:

  • CLEP subject tests

Does UW Madison accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?

✅ UW Madison accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to UW Madison?

❌ No, UW Madison is test optional, so it's up to you if you want to submit test scores or not. If you have higher than average scores, you should strongly consider submitting them. If you scored lower than a school's average,, you may want not want to include them in your application..

What is UW Madison's acceptance rate?

✅ UW Madison's acceptance rate is 60%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at UW Madison?

❌ UW Madison does not offer early decision.

What is the early action acceptance rate at UW Madison?

❌ UW Madison does not offer eary action.

Want To Learn More About UW Madison?

Choose one of the options below to find out more about about UW Madison:

Overview

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Connect with other students, parents, and admissions professionals to learn more about about UW Madison in the College Confidential forums

Explore other colleges in Wisconsin or use the college admissions predictor to calculate your chances of getting into some of the top colleges and universities in the U.S.

Can I get into UW

UW-Madison Admissions – SAT, ACT, GPA, and Class Rank An impressive 49% of freshmen hailed from the top 10%, while 86% earned a place in the top 25%. The average high school GPA was 3.88; an astonishing 45% of entering freshmen possessed above a 4.0. Only 5% of the Class of 2025 earned lower than a 3.5 cumulative GPA.

Is University of Wisconsin hard to get into?

The acceptance rate at University of Wisconsin - Madison is 51.7%. For every 100 applicants, 52 are admitted. This means the school is moderately selective. The school expects you to meet their requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but they're more flexible than other schools.

Does UW

What terms will UW–Madison be test optional for? Students who are applying for admission in spring 2021, fall 2021, spring 2022, fall 2022, spring 2023, fall 2023, spring 2024, fall 2024, and spring 2025 will not be required to submit an ACT or SAT score as part of their application for admission.

What is the acceptance rate for University of Wisconsin?

57.2% (2020)University of Wisconsin-Madison / Acceptance ratenull