Regents approve tuition increase for 2025-26 

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents on Thursday approved a 5% tuition increase to undergraduate students at most Universities of Wisconsin schools, including UW–Madison, for the 2025-26 academic year.

At UW–Madison, Wisconsin resident undergraduate tuition will increase by $500 to $10,506 annually beginning with the fall 2025 semester.

Tuition for non-resident UW–Madison undergraduates will increase by $2,025 to $42,531.

Graduate student tuition will remain unchanged at $10,728 for Wisconsin resident students and $24,054 for non-residents. The Regents also approved an increase in the tuition differential charge for undergraduate students in the School of Engineering. More information can be found in the Board of Regents materials.

Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman recommended a 4% increase across all UW campuses for the upcoming academic year, with the option to request an additional 1% tuition increase to cover rising operational expenses.

While UW–Madison has seen enrollment growth, university leaders requested the additional 1% tuition increase to support campus operations due to uncertainties surrounding federal research funding, inflationary pressures and potential impacts to international student enrollment.

For the 2024-25 academic year, UW–Madison ranked 13th among the Big Ten Conference’s 16 public universities for in-state resident undergraduate tuition and fees. For nonresident undergraduate students, UW–Madison tuition and fees are sixth among Big Ten public universities.

In addition, 66.3% of UW–Madison’s 2024 graduating seniors did not take out student loans for their degree, the ninth straight year the figure has been over 50%.

UW-Madison students continue to be eligible for a number of scholarships and grants that help lower the cost of attendance.

UW–Madison is committed to making tuition affordable for students in need through programs like Bucky’s Pell Pathway, which provides Pell-eligible UW–Madison students a roadmap to meet their full financial needs, including tuition and fees, housing and meals, books and other expected expenses.