WI · Large public institution · Overall rank #214 nationally
Data snapshot · Updated
Azimuth ranks University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee #214 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions.
Who it’s a good fit for
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is a public university in Milwaukee where the degree mix is led by Business and Health Professions, and mobility is well above average. Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them.
The model attributes part of that to the factors it measures, which adds, and part to what it cannot explain, which subtracts. The typical graduate earns below the median at comparable schools, so the raw and adjusted pictures diverge.
Pell students complete within a few points of the overall rate, and access is well above average. The lowest income band pays well below the published cost, while the highest pays closer to it.
The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. Return is above average, while mobility is well above average.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee enrolls 16,758 undergraduates as a public university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its standing sits in the upper sixth among nonprofit four-year institutions (85th percentile).
Most applicants receive an offer: 90.7% are admitted, set against a peer median of 78.1% for comparable institutions. Of the first-time, full-time cohort, 73.0% continue into the second year, while the peer median is 83.1%.
The six-year graduation rate stands at 49.3%, against 65.0% at similar schools. An estimated 25.9% of undergraduates arrive at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as transfers or part-time students, so that six-year figure describes only those who began as full-time freshmen.
The four sit at some distance from one another. Mobility is the strongest, at the 90th percentile, and return is the weakest, at the 60th percentile.
Access and affordability fall in between, at the 79th and 72nd percentiles, so the overall shape tilts toward access and mobility rather than return.
Azimuth ranks University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on four pillars among nonprofit four-year institutions, and the profile here is led by mobility, which sits at the 90th percentile. Access follows at the 79th percentile, and affordability is at the 72nd percentile.
Return is the weakest of the four, at the 60th percentile, so the spread between the strongest and weakest pillars is wide.
The middle 50% of submitted ACT scores at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee fell between 18 and 25. 32.8% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants.
Azimuth ranks the university #309 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients complete at 46.6%, 2.7 percentage points below the overall six-year graduation rate (49.3%).
Azimuth ranks the university #153 for mobility. Graduates earn about $2,019 more than the model expects for similar students.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee publishes a cost of attendance of $22,756, with in-state tuition and fees of $10,398 and room and board at $11,684. Out-of-state students face tuition and fees of $22,398.
For aid recipients, the average net price—what they pay after grants and scholarships—is $15,014, which is $620 below the $15,634 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Financial aid reduces the published cost by an average of $7,742, meaning aid covers about 34% of the sticker price for the average aid recipient.
Azimuth ranks the university #393 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a public university in Milwaukee, publishes a cost of attendance of $22,756, with in-state tuition and fees of $10,398 and room and board at $11,684. After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $10,329.
For the middle band, families earning $48,001–$75,000, it is $12,344, and for the highest band, families earning over $110,000, it is $21,477. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,148, a difference of averages across income groups.
Azimuth ranks the university #393 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 34% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an average savings of $7,742 against the sticker price.
The across all aid recipients is $15,014, which sits below the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $620. Out-of-state students face a higher published tuition of $22,398 before aid.
Graduates who borrow federal loans leave with a median federal student debt of $23,000, and about 88.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. That median is above the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions by $2,924.
For a graduate at the median four-year earnings of $62,480, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $261 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow through Parent PLUS carry a separate median of $16,149.
Your family income
Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.
Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$12,344
After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.
Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.
Borrowing and repayment at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Federal borrowing is widespread at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where 88.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $23,000.
The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $20,076, placing the university's median $2,924 above it. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $261 a month if repaid over ten years.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $16,149 in Parent PLUS loans.
The median federal debt for borrowers who finish at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is $23,000, which is $2,924 above the median at comparable institutions (same type and size). That balance corresponds to an estimated payment of $261 a month if repaid over ten years.
Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn $62,480. Comparable institutions (same type and size) show a median of $65,610, leaving this figure $3,130 below.
That median is in the 58th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,019 more than the model expects for similar students.
That places the gap at the 62nd percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, span from $47,558 on the downside to $81,401 on the upside, with $62,480 as the typical outcome.
Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $16,149. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $261.
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
Estimated student payment · monthly
$261/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$205/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
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.
Graduates of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee earn about $2,019 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $12,185.
The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $10,166. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,135.
Four years after completion, completers earn a median of $62,480, which places the return pillar in the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median is below the peer median of $65,610 among comparable institutions (same type and size) by $3,130.
The earnings-beyond-expectations figure and the peer gap pull in opposite directions: graduates do better than the model predicts for similar students, but the raw median still trails the peer group.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee reports a median of $62,480 for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled four years after completion. That earnings level sits at the 58th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The measured cohort includes 5,684 completers. That median is $3,130 below the $65,610 figure for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Graduates earn about $2,019 more than the model expects for similar students. That result is at the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix span from $47,558 on the downside to $81,401 on the upside. Typical earnings are $62,480.
An estimated 27.6% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.
Federally aided completers at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee earn $62,480 four years after completion, $3,130 below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That median lands at the 58th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Azimuth ranks the university #593 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,019 more than the model expects for similar students.
Earnings beyond expectations measure the gap between what graduates actually earn and what the model expects for similar students. That places the university at the 62nd percentile for among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $12,185. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $10,166.
The STEM component adds $1,135 within the measured factors. Business and health professions represent the largest clusters of bachelor's degrees awarded, while engineering and other STEM fields make up a smaller but notable portion of the program mix.
Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from $47,558 on the downside to $81,401 on the upside. Based on the program mix, an estimated 27.6% of graduates continue on to graduate study.
The university shows a wide modeled earnings range: the downside scenario is $47,558 while the upside scenario reaches $81,401, both modeled from the program mix rather than observed groups. At the higher end, Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $95,849 four years after completion, from 13 degrees awarded a year.
Computer Science follows at $92,342 with 109 degrees awarded. Electrical Engineering graduates earn $91,955 from 43 degrees awarded.
Graduates earn about $2,019 more than the model expects for similar students. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $15,014 at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
That average sits $620 below the $15,634 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who complete leave with a median of $23,000 in federal student loans.
That amount is $2,924 above the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions, which is $20,076. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $261 a month.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $16,149 in Parent PLUS loans. Net price sits below the peer median, yet median debt sits above it.
What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$12,185
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$10,166
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$2,019
These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee admits 90.7% of applicants, a rate that sits above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size).
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's program mix spans 55 fields with published four-year earnings, and Azimuth ranks 40 of them nationally. The highest-earning among the ranked programs is Nursing, which awards 244 degrees and shows a median of $81,067 four years after completion, earning an Azimuth national rank of #222.
Marketing, the largest program by degrees awarded at 299, reports a median of $64,173 and an Azimuth national rank of #106. Psychology follows with 278 degrees awarded, a median of $52,328, and a national rank of #144.
The spread between Nursing and the two largest programs shows different early-career earnings levels at the university.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee awards degrees across a wide range of fields, with Business accounting for 21.8% of bachelor's degrees, Health Professions for 13.2%, and Engineering for 7.4%. Azimuth ranks 40 of its programs nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions, and earnings data is available for 55 fields.
The best nationally ranked program is Educational Administration and Supervision, which Azimuth places #2 in its field and #1 in Wisconsin. The highest-earning program is a much smaller one: Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $95,849 four years after completion, from 13 degrees awarded a year.
The largest single program is Marketing, at 299 degrees awarded and median earnings of $64,173, which Azimuth ranks #106 nationally. Nursing, the third-largest program, awards 244 degrees and posts median earnings of $81,067, well above the university's overall median.
The degree mix at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is led by Business, which accounts for 21.8% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Health Professions at 13.2% and Engineering at 7.4%. Across all fields, 16.9% of degrees are in STEM.
The university has 40 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 55 with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Marketing, at 299 degrees awarded, with Psychology close behind at 278 and Nursing at 244.
The strongest programs by national rank are not the largest ones. Educational Administration and Supervision awards 44 degrees, with median earnings of $46,822 four years after completion, and Azimuth ranks it #1 in Wisconsin within its field.
Education ranks #12 nationally and #1 in Wisconsin within its field. The program awards 162 degrees a year, and completers earn a median of $49,228.
The highest-earning programs are in engineering. Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $95,849, though the program awards only 13 degrees a year.
Computer Science is larger, at 109 degrees awarded, and its completers earn a median of $92,342. The pattern is a broad-access public university where strength is spread across professional and technical fields rather than concentrated in one area.
The largest programs in business and health professions post solid earnings, and each of the five highest-earning programs awards fewer degrees than Marketing. Four-year earnings in some fields understate later trajectories for graduates who continue to graduate study.
Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Marketing 299 degrees awarded
$64,173
Psychology, General 278 degrees awarded
$52,328
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 244 degrees awarded
$81,067
Finance and Financial Management Services 223 degrees awarded
$69,673
Communication and Media Studies 213 degrees awarded
$55,697
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions 173 degrees awarded
$73,346
Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.
Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.
A shortlist for different decisions
Choose a row to compare the figures with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Admissions peerNational Louis University95.1% admitted+
Comparison with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Measure
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
National Louis University
Peer earnings · 4 years
$62,480
$63,065+$585 vs University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Average annual net price
$15,014
$12,641-$2,373 vs University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee · lower cost
Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.
Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.
Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.
Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.
Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.
Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.
Source fields: ADM_RATE
Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.
Source fields: C150_4
Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.
Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR
Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.
Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN
National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.
Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.
Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV
Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.
Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.
Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.
SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.
First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.
Source fields: RET_FT4
Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.
Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.
Source fields: PCTPELL
Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.
Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF
Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.
Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR