Solid graduate outcomes with earnings above the peer average.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
Earnings at University of Wisconsin-Madison demonstrate steady progression from early to mid-career periods. Graduates earn $61,275 six years after enrollment, increasing to $69,868 at eight years and reaching $73,792 at ten years, representing 20.4% growth from the six-year baseline.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduate earnings exceed the peer average, indicating above-typical outcomes for this institution type.
Financial justification for the investment.
Excellent affordability. Median debt of $20,484 is well under annual earnings, enabling comfortable repayment.
University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates carry moderate debt loads that support sustainable repayment. Median debt reaches $20,484, roughly equivalent to the peer median of $20,000, indicating typical borrowing patterns for selective public research universities.
University of Wisconsin-Madison performs well above average for return on investment, ranking at the 88.8th percentile nationally with strong tier performance. However, graduates earn $7,204 less than expected when adjusted for student demographics and program composition, placing the institution at the 25th percentile for earnings beyond expectations.
Approximately 23.9% of University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates continue to graduate or professional school, estimated with high confidence based on ...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Program-level earnings demonstrate the importance of field selection at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Real Estate leads with $100,995 median earnings and perfect value scores, followed by Artificial Intelligence at $97,595 serving the largest high-earning cohort of 628 graduates.
Banking and Financial Support Services ($86,244) and Mechanical Engineering ($86,231) also exceed $85,000 in median earnings. Business and technology programs dominate the highest earnings ranges, while liberal arts programs like Communication and Media Studies ($50,226) and Adult Development and Aging ($46,149) serve different career preparation purposes.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
The earnings distribution at University of Wisconsin-Madison shows meaningful variation in career outcomes, spanning from $52,171 at the 25th percentile to $108,161 at the 75th percentile. This 2.1:1 ratio reflects different program choices and career trajectories available to graduates.
