UW-Madison Acceptance Rate: Class of 2030 (Latest)

The UW-Madison acceptance rate sits at 45.2% for the Class of 2028, reflecting a steep decline from 60.3% for the Class of 2025. Although Class of 2030 figures are not out yet, the applicant pool continues to grow and reached 65,933 for the Class of 2028. This application surge has made gaining admission noticeably more difficult over the past several cycles.

UW-Madison Acceptance Rate: Class of 2028

Official Class of 2030 figures are not public yet. The most recent cycle with Common Data Set numbers is the Class of 2028, when UW-Madison admitted 29,784 of 65,933 applicants, an acceptance rate of 45.2%.[1] This page is updated as soon as the Class of 2030 figures are published.

UW-Madison Acceptance Rate by Year

Across the 7 cycles with official figures, the acceptance rate has fallen from 51.7% (Class of 2022) to 45.2% (Class of 2028).[1]

Class	Applied	Admitted	Acceptance rate
2028	65,933	29,784	45.2%
2027	63,537	27,527	43.3%
2026	60,260	29,546	49.0%
2025	53,829	32,466	60.3%
2024	45,941	26,289	57.2%
2023	43,921	23,287	53.0%
2022	42,741	22,099	51.7%

UW-Madison Waitlist Statistics

For the Class of 2028, UW-Madison offered a waitlist place to 12,584 applicants, of whom 7,644 accepted it, and 493 were ultimately admitted.[1] That is a 6.4% admit rate among students who stayed on the list.

Class	Offered a place	Accepted a place	Admitted off the waitlist
2028	12,584	7,644	493
2027	13,364	7,221	4,436
2026	6,449	4,006	11
2025	8,128	4,335	14
2024	8,913	5,085	2,861

Admitted Student Test Scores (Class of 2028)

The middle 50% of enrolled students scored:[1]

• SAT (combined mid-50%): 1350–1510 (EBRW 660–730, Math 690–780)
• ACT composite (mid-50%): 29–33

The combined SAT range is the sum of the two section ranges, not a true composite percentile.

UW-Madison Yield Rate

Of the 29,784 students admitted to the Class of 2028, 8,514 enrolled, a yield rate of 28.6%.[1] Yield is what the university is really managing when it sets an admit rate, so it moves the acceptance rate more than application volume does.

Class	Admitted	Enrolled	Yield
2028	29,784	8,514	28.6%
2027	27,527	7,966	28.9%
2026	29,546	8,628	29.2%
2025	32,466	8,465	26.1%
2024	26,289	7,306	27.8%
2023	23,287	7,550	32.4%
2022	22,099	6,862	31.1%

What to Expect for the Class of 2030

Over the three most recent official classes (2026–2028) the acceptance rate at UW-Madison has sat between 43.3%–49.0%.

That band is what the school has actually done recently, not a prediction. A single cycle can break it: a change to testing policy, a new direct-admission program, or a jump in application volume moves the rate more than any trend would.

What This Means for Your Application

• Prepare for intense competition: Only 29,784 applicants secured admission for the Class of 2028 out of a massive pool of 65,933.
• Target high ACT scores: Aim for the upper end of the composite ACT range of 29 to 33 to remain competitive.
• Focus on math preparation: Successful applicants scored between 690 and 780 on the Math section of the SAT.
• Expect rising application volumes: The applicant pool grew dramatically from 42,741 for the Class of 2022 to 65,933 for the Class of 2028.