University of Wisconsin-Madison
Academics
How strong are the academics at University of Wisconsin-Madison?
Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.
18:1
Student to faculty ratio
37
Average class size
75%
4-year grad rate
Class Sizes
Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.
UW-Madison has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 18:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.
Class Sizes
Most Common
10-19
2-9
349
10-19
1,108
20-29
605
30-39
325
40-49
239
50-99
430
100+
383
Honors Programs
University of Wisconsin-Madison has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.
Learn more about honors options on UW-Madison's website.
Outcomes
It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at University of Wisconsin-Madison:
96%
First-year retention rate
75%
4-year grad rate
90%
6-year grad rate
Majors
Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are University of Wisconsin-Madison's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Economics, General
Psychology, General
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Finance, General
234.2
320.36
406.52
492.68
578.84
665
The Full List
Major
Graduates
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science And Related Fields
- Agricultural Communication/Journalism 45
- Animal Sciences, General 25
- Agricultural Economics 18
- Food Science 16
- Agricultural Communication/Journalism 15
- Agricultural Business and Management, General 15
- Horticultural Science 12
- Dairy Science 11
- Agricultural Economics 3
- Soil Science and Agronomy, General 2
- Agronomy and Crop Science 2
- Animal Sciences, General 2
- Soil Science and Agronomy, General 1
- Horticultural Science 1
Architecture And Related Services
- Landscape Architecture 20
- Landscape Architecture 1
Area
- Women's Studies 19
- Women's Studies 18
- South Asian Studies 11
- Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies 5
- South Asian Studies 5
- Latin American and Caribbean Studies 3
- Scandinavian Studies 3
- Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies 2
- African-American/Black Studies 2
- Latin American and Caribbean Studies 2
- African-American/Black Studies 1
- Scandinavian Studies 1
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 354
- Neuroscience 223
- Biochemistry 150
- Genetics, General 92
- Conservation Biology 58
- Microbiology, General 53
- Neuroscience 49
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 39
- Zoology/Animal Biology 34
- Molecular Biology 32
- Conservation Biology 30
- Biochemistry 17
- Pharmacology and Toxicology 15
- Genetics, General 13
- Botany/Plant Biology 11
- Zoology/Animal Biology 10
- Molecular Biology 9
- Microbiology, General 6
- Botany/Plant Biology 6
- Pharmacology and Toxicology 6
- Entomology 5
- Plant Pathology/Phytopathology 2
- Entomology 1
- Plant Pathology/Phytopathology 1
Business
- Finance, General 306
- Retailing and Retail Operations 259
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General 170
- Financial Planning and Services 164
- Accounting 108
- Real Estate 105
- Finance, General 100
- Business Administration and Management, General 82
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General 73
- Real Estate 68
- Insurance 64
- Insurance 52
- Operations Management and Supervision 51
- Business Administration and Management, General 41
- Operations Management and Supervision 40
- Management Information Systems, General 39
- Actuarial Science 37
- International Business/Trade/Commerce 25
- Actuarial Science 24
- International Business/Trade/Commerce 20
- Management Information Systems, General 18
- Accounting 15
- Retailing and Retail Operations 10
- Financial Planning and Services 10
- Selling Skills and Sales Operations 4
Communication
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric 208
- Journalism 154
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric 44
- Journalism 36
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
- Computer and Information Sciences, General 665
- Computer and Information Sciences, General 210
- Information Science/Studies 26
- Information Science/Studies 10
Education
- Elementary Education and Teaching 112
- Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education 26
- Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education 21
- Special Education and Teaching, General 17
- Art Teacher Education 12
- Special Education and Teaching, General 12
- Elementary Education and Teaching 11
- Physical Education Teaching and Coaching 10
- Music Teacher Education 7
Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering 250
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 112
- Chemical Engineering 111
- Industrial Engineering 95
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 90
- Civil Engineering, General 86
- Computer Engineering, General 75
- Engineering Mechanics 40
- Materials Engineering 39
- Computer Engineering, General 32
- Agricultural Engineering 31
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 10
- Nuclear Engineering 10
- Industrial Engineering 10
- Chemical Engineering 9
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 7
- Geological/Geophysical Engineering 5
- Geological/Geophysical Engineering 4
- Mechanical Engineering 4
- Engineering Physics/Applied Physics 3
- Engineering, Other 3
- Civil Engineering, General 3
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 3
- Engineering Mechanics 1
- Materials Engineering 1
English Language And Literature/Letters
- English Language and Literature, General 72
- English Language and Literature, General 28
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
- Human Development and Family Studies, General 100
- Family and Community Services 25
- Apparel and Textiles, General 20
- Human Development and Family Studies, General 15
- Family and Community Services 8
Foreign Languages
- Spanish Language and Literature 63
- Spanish Language and Literature 57
- Linguistics 20
- French Language and Literature 11
- French Language and Literature 10
- Japanese Language and Literature 8
- Chinese Language and Literature 6
- Linguistics 6
- Chinese Language and Literature 5
- Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 5
- Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 5
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 4
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 4
- Japanese Language and Literature 4
- Polish Language and Literature 4
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 3
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 3
- Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 3
- Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 3
- Russian Language and Literature 3
- Russian Language and Literature 3
- Italian Language and Literature 2
- Portuguese Language and Literature 2
- Portuguese Language and Literature 2
- Latin Language and Literature 1
- Latin Language and Literature 1
- African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 1
- African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 1
- Italian Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 206
- Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 71
- Pharmaceutical Sciences 43
- Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling/Counselor 28
- Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 8
- Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling/Counselor 3
History
- History, General 92
- History, General 39
Legal Professions And Studies
- Legal Studies 90
- Non-Professional Legal Studies 90
- LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES 90
- Legal Studies 47
- Non-Professional Legal Studies 47
- LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES 47
Mathematics And Statistics
- Mathematics, General 120
- Mathematics, General 78
- Statistics, General 51
- Statistics, General 24
- Applied Mathematics, General 9
- Applied Mathematics, General 2
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Data Science, General 246
- Data Science, General 162
- Sustainability Studies 89
- International/Globalization Studies 69
- Nutrition Sciences 54
- International/Globalization Studies 36
- Sustainability Studies 21
- Nutrition Sciences 3
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
- Environmental Science 56
- Environmental Studies 52
- Environmental Studies 50
- Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management 28
- Environmental Science 16
- Forest Sciences and Biology 2
Parks
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology 118
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, Other 88
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, Other 10
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology 1
Philosophy And Religious Studies
- Philosophy 35
- Philosophy 22
- Religion/Religious Studies 7
- Religion/Religious Studies 2
- Jewish/Judaic Studies 2
- Jewish/Judaic Studies 1
Physical Sciences
- Chemistry, General 54
- Physics, General 33
- Astrophysics 20
- Chemistry, General 17
- Geology/Earth Science, General 16
- Physics, General 16
- Astrophysics 13
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General 10
- Geology/Earth Science, General 5
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General 4
Psychology
- Psychology, General 424
- Psychology, General 124
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
- Social Work 50
- Social Work 7
Social Sciences
- Economics, General 431
- Political Science and Government, General 231
- Economics, General 159
- Political Science and Government, General 105
- Sociology, General 63
- Sociology, General 24
- Geography 23
- Anthropology, General 22
- Geographic Information Science and Cartography 13
- Rural Sociology 13
- Geography 11
- Anthropology, General 9
- Geographic Information Science and Cartography 8
- Rural Sociology 5
Visual And Performing Arts
- Art/Art Studies, General 53
- Interior Design 28
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 13
- Music, General 12
- Dance, General 8
- Music Performance, General 8
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 8
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 8
- Music, General 5
- Art/Art Studies, General 5
- Dance, General 4
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 2
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