University Of Wisconsin-Platteville

UW-Platteville's published cost of attendance is $20,049 per year, consisting of $8,315 in-state tuition ($17,274 out-of-state), $8,174 for room and board, and $220 for books and supplies. However, the average student pays $14,754 after financial aid, representing savings of $5,295 from the sticker price.

This net price of $14,754 compares favorably to the peer median of $14,093, positioning the university as reasonably priced relative to similar public institutions. The modest difference of $661 above peer median reflects UW-Platteville's solid value proposition in technical education.

Financial aid effectively reduces costs for most students, with the largest reductions benefiting lower-income families. The cost structure reflects typical public university pricing, with significant in-state tuition advantages and moderate room and board costs.

Students should budget for the full cost of attendance initially, recognizing that financial aid will likely reduce the actual amount paid. The relatively low books and supplies cost of $220 indicates that program-specific fees and materials costs are modest, which helps control overall educational expenses.

UW-Platteville graduates demonstrate steady earnings growth over their early careers, with median earnings rising from $54,825 six years after enrollment to $58,001 at eight years and $61,760 at ten years, representing 12.6% growth from the six-year mark. These outcomes are based on robust cohort sizes of 2,513 graduates at six years, 2,655 at eight years, and 2,626 at ten years, providing high confidence in the reported figures.

Graduates earn $5,116 beyond expectations compared to similar students nationally, placing UW-Platteville in the 74.2nd percentile for value-added performance. Low-income graduates earn $45,900, demonstrating the institution's ability to support economic advancement for students from lower-income backgrounds.

Earnings span from $43,703 at the 25th percentile to $83,326 at the 75th percentile, with the highest-earning quartile earning 1.9 times more than the lowest quartile. This distribution reflects differences in program choice, with engineering graduates significantly outearning liberal arts graduates.

Approximately 22.4% of graduates continue to graduate or professional study with high confidence, indicating balanced preparation for both workforce entry and advanced education pathways.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville maintains an open-access admission policy, accepting 87.3% of applicants. This means roughly 7 in 8 applicants receive admission offers, making UW-Platteville significantly more accessible than typical four-year institutions.

The peer median admission rate of 84.6% shows that UW-Platteville is slightly more accessible than similar public institutions, though the difference is modest. The university's open-access approach reflects its mission to serve Wisconsin residents and students seeking technical education opportunities.

This high acceptance rate means that students with solid academic preparation have strong likelihood of admission, though competitive programs like engineering may have additional requirements. Students should focus on demonstrating genuine interest in their chosen field of study and meeting basic academic preparedness standards rather than worrying about highly competitive admission statistics.

For students building college lists, UW-Platteville serves as a strong safety school option while still delivering solid post-graduation outcomes, particularly in technical fields. Prospective applicants should view the open-access admission as an opportunity to access quality engineering and technical programs without the stress of highly competitive admission processes found at selective institutions.

UW-Platteville offers 20 bachelor's degree programs with federal earnings data for evaluation. Chemical Engineering Technology stands out as the flagship program, ranking #1 nationally and graduating 168 students with median earnings of $76,919 and a perfect 100.0 value score, making it the top major at the school.

Mechanical Engineering ranks #145 nationally and #2 in Wisconsin, producing 190 graduates annually with median earnings of $77,244 and representing the largest technical program. Business Administration and Management enrolls 169 students with median earnings of $56,399, ranking #165 nationally but #5 in Wisconsin.

Criminal justice programs show strong performance, with Corrections Administration ranking #38 nationally and #1 in Wisconsin, graduating 121 students with earnings of $52,082. Engineering programs consistently rank among the top programs at the school, with Electrical Engineering (#115 nationally), Civil Engineering (#93 nationally), and Industrial Engineering (#53 nationally) all demonstrating strong career outcomes and significant enrollment numbers.