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Cost & financial aid brief

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# University of Wisconsin-Madison Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does UW-Madison cost after financial aid?

The published cost of attendance at University of Wisconsin-Madison is $28,679, covering $11,603 in-state tuition and fees and $14,124 for room and board. Out-of-state tuition and fees are $42,103.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that about 25.3% of full-time undergraduates pay more than the base charge. For the average aid recipient, the [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $17,354, a drop of $11,325 from the sticker total.

Aid covers about 39% of the published cost for that group. Against the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size), that amount is above by $1,720.

Azimuth places University of Wisconsin-Madison at #478 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth scores the affordability of University of Wisconsin-Madison at the 66th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Families receiving aid encounter an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $17,354, a level above the $15,634 median observed at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,720.

By income band, average net prices stretch from $4,200 for families earning under $30,000 to $27,292 for those earning over $110,000. Borrowers who complete face a median federal debt of $20,484, landing above the $20,076 benchmark for comparable institutions by $408.

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s by family-income band show a progressive structure. For families earning under $30,000 the average net price is $4,200; for $30,001–$48,000 it is $4,101; for $48,001–$75,000 it is $8,134; for $75,001–$110,000 it is $17,763; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $27,292.

Pell Grant recipients make up 15.9% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $23,092.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$4,200

**$30–48K**
$4,101

**$48–75K**
$8,134

**$75–110K**
$17,763

**$110K+**
$27,292

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$17,354**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Aid covers about 39% of the published cost for the average aid recipient at University of Wisconsin-Madison. That average masks a wide range: the lowest income band (under $30,000) averages $4,200, while the highest band (over $110,000) averages $27,292.

The spread between the two ends is $23,092, a pattern of lower average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s at lower incomes. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that first-year aid recipients with need had an average of 91% of their need met in the 2025-26 academic year.

The average need-based grant was $34,869, and the average need-based package was $36,138. Of the 3,379 first-year students determined to have need, 2,600 had their need fully met.

The published cost of attendance is $28,679. Azimuth ranks University of Wisconsin-Madison #478 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $4,200 for families earning under $30,000, $8,134 for families earning $48,001 to $75,000, and $27,292 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $23,092.

Aid covers about 39% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $17,354, which is $1,720 above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $20,484 in federal student loans. That is $408 above the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions.

84.2% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $28,364 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans.

If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 a month.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Borrowers who complete a degree at University of Wisconsin-Madison owe a median of $20,484 in federal student loans. Across all undergraduates, 84.2% of federal aid recipients take out federal loans.

Versus the $20,076 median at comparable institutions (same type and size), that debt level stands above by $408. Parent borrowers represent a separate population; their median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loan is $28,364.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 33% of 7,810 bachelor's graduates borrowed from any source, averaging $28,927 per borrower. This included 31% with federal loans averaging $17,456 and 9% with private loans averaging $42,804.

At University of Wisconsin-Madison, the investment picture is shaped by earnings that run well above the peer median and a debt load that sits close to it. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $78,974.

Azimuth places that figure in the 87th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,892 less than the model expects for similar students.

That puts the gap at the 44th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $56,127 in a downside case to $111,303 in an upside case, with $78,974 as the typical outcome.

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $20,484 in federal loans, a level that is $408 above the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 a month.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $28,364. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $233.

[Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$28,364

**Estimated parent payment**
$360/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Income | Risk level |
| --- | --- |
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | Caution |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $200,000 | Safe |

The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## Student and parent loans: the monthly payments

Financial GPS

### What does repayment look like?

**Institution median student debt**
$20,484

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$28,364

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$233/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$360/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$593/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

#### Student payment as a share of available income

At median graduate earnings of $78,974, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**5.0%** of income above the allowance · Excellent

1.  Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
2.  Good 8–under 12%
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  High risk Over 20%

How this estimate works

These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $22,590, uses the published framework’s 2024 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=university-of-wisconsin-madison#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).

**Net price and borrowing.** The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. [College Scorecard data and documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.