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Wisconsin is a state known for great cheese and great universities. Their University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) is no exception. The medium sized campus is where 9,400 undergraduate and around 1,000 graduate students pursue the degrees that will propel them to great success. UW-La Crosse offers over 130 degree programs in the arts, social sciences and humanities, science/health, business, and education. UW-La Crosse also offers two online bachelor's degrees and nine online graduate degree programs.


Overview of University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL)


Students at UW-La Crosse do more than study, however. Undergraduate students can obtain a well-rounded education by exploiting the copious campus resources. After a rigorous intellectual workout in class, students love to engage their bodies. The campus provides fitness classes, outdoor recreation opportunities, a climbing wall, and personal training. Fitness classes include yoga, Pilates, cycling, ZUMBA, and kettlebell conditioning. The climbing wall can be found in the Recreational Eagle Center and has an auto-belay system for safety, on top of free climbing gear. Students who are eager to compete can join a competitive, intermediate, or recreational intramural league. For those who are eager to compete against other colleges in the area, there are club teams that compete in sports including boxing, archery, soccer, ultimate frisbee, and baseball, to name a few options.

General Information


School Type Public
Campus Setting City: Small
Campus Housing Yes
Student Faculty Ratio 18 : 1
Graduation Rate 69%
Year Founded 1909

Student Enrollment


Total Students10,623

Undergraduate
9,668
Graduate
955

Undergraduate Student

Male 4,254
4,254
Female 5,414
5,414

Graduate Student

Male 420
420
Female 535
535

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UWL Acceptance Rate and Admissions


APPLICATIONS6,529

Male 2,683
Female 3,846

ACCEPTANCE4,766

Male 1,851
Female 2,923

Acceptance Rate73%

Male 69%
Female 76%

Enrollment 2,192

Male 892
Female 1,300
Admissions
Application Fee $25
High School GPA Required
High School Rank Required
High School Transcripts Required
College Prep Courses Required
Recommendations Recommended
Formal demonstration of competencies Recommended
SAT/ACT Required
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Required
Application Deadline N/A
Common Application Accepted No

UWL Tuition Cost & Financial Aid


Since UW-La Crosse is a publicly funded institution of higher learning, Wisconsin residents can attend for a reduced rate compared to their out-of-state peers. In fact, state residents pay nearly half of the out-of-state rate with gross academic costs staying under $10,000. Non-residents pay just under $19,000.

Naturally, students need a place to live, food, and other items. When these living costs are added to the tally, Wisconsin residents see their gross costs rising to $18,000. Non-residents see their gross price tag rise to $27,000. Though this might be considered a reasonable cost for such a high-quality education, the UW-La Crosse financial aid office is able to bring costs down even further.

Once they apply all the grants and scholarships they can, the average total net cost of a year at UW-La Crosse falls to a mere $13,000. For lower-earning students, the net price falls under $8,000. The top earning households, with an income that exceeds $110,000, see a net cost of $17,000. Thus, UW-La Crosse is a terrific value in higher education.

Average net price 2018-2019
Net Price $12,167
Average Total Aid $3,332
Students Receiving Financial Aid 78%
Room & Board $6,465

Sticker Price


  • Tuition In-State - $9,127
  • Tuition Out-of-State - $17,946
  • Books and Supplies - $120
  • Room & Board - $6,465
  • Other - $1,972

Popular Academic Programs at UWL


The University system in Wisconsin has a strong academic reputation. University of Wisconsin – La Crosse is no exception. However, our research team sought out the academic statistics that support UW-La Crosse with solid, objective data. In particular, they looked at the retention rate, graduation rate, and other data points.

The retention rate is a metric that reflects how many first-time, full-time students return to campus for a second year. A high rate indicates that students and their families are pleased with the school's curriculum, faculty, and campus resources, among other elements of a college experience. Indeed, UW-La Crosse reports an impressive 84% retention rate, well above the national average of 68% and indicating a very high level of satisfaction, particularly for a publicly funded institution.

It's common for schools to experience a certain level of attrition between the first year and graduation. However, UW-La Crosse maintains a strong graduation rate of 73%. Thus, students in their first year are likely to see their first-year friends at their final ceremony. Though the school doesn't report its transfer rate, it's likely that any transfers were to other schools in the UW system.

This strong showing in the academic statistics may be due to any number of factors, but researchers point out the student-to-faculty ratio. This figure shows that UW-La Crosse has an average class size of 19 students. While there are schools with smaller average classes, this is still a comfortable level for students. They can still receive the individual attention they deserve while enjoying a larger, diverse class population.

Student Population Total


Student Population 10,623

Undergraduate
9,668
Graduate
955
Evening Classes : No
Online Learning : Yes

Most Popular Programs & Majors

(# of Diplomas Awarded by Subject)


Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services 452 Total Graduates / 22%
Finance, General 143 Graduates
Marketing/Marketing Management, General 115 Graduates
Business Administration and Management, General 93 Graduates
Accounting 76 Graduates
Biological and Biomedical Sciences 288 Total Graduates / 14%
Biology/Biological Sciences, General 249 Graduates
Microbiology, General 26 Graduates
Biochemistry 13 Graduates
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology 212 Total Graduates / 10%
Exercise Science and Kinesiology 182 Graduates
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General 30 Graduates
Psychology 196 Total Graduates / 10%
Psychology, General 196 Graduates
Health Professions and Related Programs 189 Total Graduates / 9%
Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy 56 Graduates
Community Health and Preventive Medicine 54 Graduates
Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist 22 Graduates
Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist 22 Graduates
All Other Diplomas 35%

Outcome & Salary


UW-La Crosse students work hard to master their fields and then land a top-paying entry-level position with their dream firm. They are thus interested in projecting their future earnings and thus their expected return on investment. While there are no guarantees, our researchers took a look at how well past graduates fared in their first years after graduation.

Given the sizzling-hot status of the tech sector, it's no wonder that those with a computer and information sciences degree fared the best, reporting a median salary of $85,000. Interestingly, UW-La Crosse's physics students make the top-five earners list at the #2 position with median earnings of $70,000. Meanwhile, the fifth best earners were from the accounting department, who reported median salaries of $68,000. Note that these figures don't account for bonuses or other non-salary forms of compensation.

Graduates Salary
College Grads Early Career Salary $50,700
College Grads Average Salary $62,522
College Grads Mid Career Salary $89,700
Return on Investment (ROI)
10 Year Salary Earnings Potential $625,220
20 Year Salary Earnings Potential $1,522,220
Cost of Education (Net Price) 4 Year $48,668
10 Year Projected ROI $576,552
20 Year Projected ROI $1,473,552
No College Education Salary Comparison
National Average Salary $38,792
10 Year Projected Income $387,920
20 Year Projected Income $775,840

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