Access and affordability drive record interest as UW–Madison welcomes new students from all 72 Wisconsin counties

The incoming class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison represents every one of Wisconsin's 72 counties. Students also hail from all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and more than 50 foreign countries.

This year's freshman class was selected from a record 73,912 freshman applications- a 12 percent increase over last year - and the incoming freshman class of exactly 8,500 students is the fourth largest ever at UW-Madison.

"At the core of our mission is the drive to expand access and opportunity while delivering outstanding teaching, research, and service," said Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin. "This class continues to affirm that an education at UW-Madison is extremely valuable across the state, nation and world."

Total enrollment stands at 51,865 for the fall semester, down 0.5 percent. The university did not seek to grow its incoming class or total enrollment in 2025-26.

Statewide - and worldwide - representation

This year's class includes 3,828 Wisconsin resident students - the most since 2021.

In 2015, UW-Madison committed to continue enrolling at least 3,600 Wisconsin residents in each incoming freshman class, a commitment that it continues to meet.

Brooke Mercier, a freshman elementary education major and Wisconsin resident from Union Grove, Wisconsin, is among this year's recipients of Bucky's Tuition Promise and Bucky's Pell Pathway, programs that assist the university to enroll students from every county.

"I chose UW-Madison because it provides the perfect balance: a top-tier education, a diverse and inspiring community, and the resources to make college truly accessible," Mercier said. "The relief of not having to carry a financial burden through college has made it possible for me to fully focus on my education and make the most of every opportunity."

New this year, 1,713 applications to UW-Madison from Wisconsin high school students met the provisions of the new Wisconsin Guarantee program, which guaranteed admission to first-year applicants from Wisconsin who met eligibility requirements. Sixteen percent of Wisconsin resident applicants were Wisconsin Guarantee eligible.

Expanded Outreach and Access

The 2025 freshman class also reflects record progress in broadening access to UW-Madison by making it more affordable.

UW-Madison welcomed the highest number of first-generation students - 1,595 - since 2005. Additionally, a record-high 26% of the incoming class is receiving federal Pell grants - a major factor in lower-income students' ability to access higher education.

Interim Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Scott Owczarek credited expanded outreach efforts, including programs such as the College for Rural Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Tribal Educational Promise Program, launched last year, in addition to stepped up financial aid, for the increase in these numbers.

"Our greatest success is in the students we serve," Owczarek said. "We're proud of the work we've done to expand access to UW-Madison's world class education while also keeping it affordable and within reach for so many."

Once they arrive, approximately two-thirds of UW-Madison undergraduates finish their undergraduate degrees with zero student loan debt, and a majority graduate in less than four years.

A top choice for transfer students

More students are also choosing to continue their journey of higher education at UW-Madison after starting elsewhere. The school received approximately 4,600 transfer applications - a nearly four percent increase over last year and the second-largest total in the past decade.

United States Air Force Veteran Pricilla Reyes grew up in a low-income household marked by poverty and instability. "As a first-generation Latina, UW-Madison felt like a dream meant for someone else," she said.

She graduated from high school "with no money and poor grades." After returning to the Madison area from her service in the Air Force, she enrolled at Madison College and then Odyssey Beyond Wars, a program for veterans through UW-Madison's Odyssey Project, where she found a new source of confidence.

"The support I received from the Odyssey community was overwhelming in the best way. Every person there played a part in helping me believe I could do this." She applied to UW-Madison through the Badger Ready program and is pursuing a degree in social work, with an eventual goal of deepening her current work with youth who are aging out of foster care.

Nearly 25% of this year's transfer students are also first-generation college students. Close to 18% of the cohort come to UW-Madison from Madison College. Other top pipelines include UW-Milwaukee, UW-Green Bay, UW-Oshkosh, and Marquette University.

Other Enrollment Trends

Additional characteristics of this year's first-year class include:

• UW-Madison saw modest declines in graduate and international student enrollment this fall, in line with other institutions across the country. The total enrollment of international students declined 490 students, or 7 percent, from a year ago.

• The university welcomed approximately 3,100 new graduate and professional students-a 9 percent decrease from last year. Total graduate and professional school enrollment stands at 12,637, down 3 percent.

• The university enrolled 1,505 underrepresented students of color in the new class. (Note: domestic students who identify as African American/Black, Vietnamese, Hmong, Laotian, Cambodian, Hispanic/Latino(a), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, or American Indian/Alaska Native. International students are not included in these totals.)

• 59 percent of the new class are female students (both the largest number and percentage in history).

Enrollment figures are based on the 10th day of classes, the official student census date for reporting purposes.