Thousands of courses are offered each semester at UW–Madison in fields spanning the alphabet, from accounting to zoology. So which are the most in demand?

The five highest-enrollment courses — more than just credits to check off a list of prerequisites — lay the foundation for a rich university learning experience. And although undergraduates may not realize it when they add them to their schedules, each of these intro courses does double-duty: not only teaching content, but also building the intangible skills and connections that can help make a college career a success.

We asked instructors about these popular building blocks, which, all together, appeared on student schedules 14,623 times in 2024-25 (fall and spring terms). Each of these courses will be offered again in spring 2026 and experienced by thousands more Badgers.

No. 5: ‘Writing that is rewarding’ — English 100

The university’s fifth-most-popular course by enrollment is English 100, experienced by 2,436 students from fall 2024 to spring 2025. Most of those were freshmen, who generally take the course to fulfill their Communications A general education requirement.

“In English 100, students practice valuable writing and communication skills that they can use in future classes and other contexts,” says Assistant Teaching Professor Sara Kelm, director of English 100. But the course, formally named Introduction to College Composition, can also be key to helping them establish their identity as part of the UW community.

Students come to English 100 from across campus and across disciplines. “This diversity makes for a dynamic and exciting classroom,” Kelm says. “Because our classes are small, we really get to know our students through their writing and our conversations, both in class and through one-on-one meetings. Students often use their writing projects to explore potential careers, quirky interests or past experiences they want to understand better, which often results in writing that is rewarding for us to read and work on with them.”

By being in contact with those first-year students, “we get to experience the excitement — and challenges — of coming to UW–Madison over and over again,” she adds. “English 100 serves as an informal ‘introduction to college,’ inviting students to start learning what success in college looks like for them. Many of our classes also invite students to explore campus and write about their experiences, so students have the opportunity to learn more about what UW has to offer and what the Wisconsin Idea means for them.”

No. 4: ‘How we live our lives’ — Psychology 202

In 2024-25, 2,625 Badgers enrolled in Introduction to Psychology, also known as Psych 202. The course gets students to think about the human experience — an important life topic, indeed.

“Introduction to Psychology allows students to better understand both themselves and others — and that’s core to so many different career and life paths,” says C. Shawn Green, chair and the Mark and Ilene Laufman Family Professor in the Department of Psychology.

“For instance, we’re constantly faced with decisions in our daily life. Knowing the ways that our decision-making can be effective and the ways that it tends to go astray can make us better businesspeople, better doctors, better coaches, and so on,” he adds. “Other big topics covered in Psych 202 include how can we best convince people to take our point of view? In what ways are our memories accurate or inaccurate? How do we learn effectively? How does stress impact us? All of these are not just cold scientific facts. They matter for how we live our lives.”

Psychology 202 touches on an “endless variety” of subjects, making it interesting for not only students but also the instructors who teach it, Green says.

“Obviously the human experience is broad, and it’s fun to teach a course that hits upon learning, and perception, and attention, and memory, and intelligence, and decision-making, and group interactions, and persuasion, and forming impressions about people, and personality, and sexuality, and stress, and mental health.”

No. 3: ‘Broadly applicable’ — Economics 101

Economics 101 was on the 2024-25 class schedule for 2,654 students at UW–Madison. The class is a requirement for two popular majors on campus, economics and business, and also satisfies one of the general requirements for Quantitative Reasoning.

“But beyond that, I like to think that students recognize the value of knowing the basics of economic analysis, even if they intend to pursue other majors and careers,” says Alan Sorensen, professor and the John and Tashia Morgridge Distinguished Chair in the Department of Economics.

“Fundamental concepts like opportunity cost, supply and demand, and externalities are broadly applicable, whether you’re studying economics or ecology or political science,” he adds. “Also, it’s useful to have a framework for understanding some of the key policy debates of the day, such as tariffs.”

Many of the key concepts in Econ 101 can be taught through interactive games, Sorensen says. “For example, I let students trade extra credit points as a way to understand the notion of a market-clearing price, and auction off home-baked cookies in class to highlight the pros and cons of different selling mechanisms.”

But while instructors and students can have some fun in class, he says, “the best thing about teaching an introductory course is to see students learn new concepts that I know will be helpful to them in their lives.”

No. 2: ‘Navigating the transition’ — Chemistry 103

Like Economics 101, Chemistry 103 is designed to provide students with a solid entry to future coursework. A total of 3,046 students enrolled in 2024-25.

“Chemistry 103 is usually taken by freshman STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) majors in their first semester at UW–Madison,” then followed in the spring by Chemistry 104, explains Paul Hooker, senior lecturer in the Department of Chemistry.

“A student who is successful in Chem 103 will gain much more than an understanding of basic chemistry principles,” he says. “The students are navigating the transition from high school science classes to more rigorous classes at UW. They learn how to organize their time effectively, balance priorities with other classes and outside activities, be accountable for deadlines without constant reminders, take responsibility for their learning, and seek assistance when needed.”

Witnessing that student growth is rewarding to Hooker, who enjoys interacting with the many students who are “enthusiastic and eager to learn.”

“Every semester I meet students who are very self-aware, reflective and focused, and so far ahead of where I was when 18 years old,” he says. “They will be going on to do amazing things, and it is a privilege to help them on their individual journeys.”

No. 1: ‘A treat for everyone in the room’ — Music 113

The highest-enrollment course on campus, with 3,862 students from fall 2024 to spring 2025, is Music in Performance, a one-credit course that helps fulfill a Humanities credit.

But while some students jokingly call it “clap for credit,” Music 113 presents an enriching survey of musical styles and behind-the-scenes knowledge to help students understand, better listen to, and get more out of the music that is all around them in their daily lives.

In Music 113, the students experience a wide range of genres performed live, according to Marc Vallon, professor emeritus of music at the Mead Witter School of Music. These include jazz, music by Mozart and Chopin, Korean drum ensembles, and avant-garde and contemporary percussion music.

“Students also hear performers and composers talk about how they prepare for a show, how they deal with nerves before a performance, and other music-making related topics,” Vallon says.

When Vallon has taught the course, the favorite session for many students has been the last one of the semester, called “MIP Showtime,” when a couple of selected students from the class are invited on stage to share their own musical skills. Those moments provide “lots of good and interesting surprises,” he says.

“Even if students often enroll in the class without definite expectations, it is rewarding to note through evaluations, conversations with students and email communication that a good number of them are pleasantly surprised by their experience.”

And there’s another bonus for instructors, Vallon says: “The School of Music hosts some world-class artists — and hearing some of their performances during the class is a treat for everyone in the room.”