University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Admission to the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee is broadly accessible, though turning offers into enrollments remains a challenge. In the 2027 U.S. News rankings, the university stood at 288th, recovering ground after falling to 332nd in 2024. The school admits the vast majority of those who apply, recording an acceptance rate of 90.7% in 2025, which is higher than 63% of 30 peer public universities with similar rankings. Both men and women experience high acceptance rates across academic divisions. However, the university encounters difficulty locking in admitted applicants, as evidenced by an undergraduate yield rate of 23.8% in 2025. This low enrollment conversion shows that while many students apply and gain admission, fewer than a quarter actually choose to enroll, reflecting that applicants frequently hold multiple offers from other institutions. For prospective students, these metrics mean that admission hurdles are modest, making the university a dependable option where academic admission is rarely in doubt for standard qualifying candidates.

Prospective applicants to the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee encounter accessible academic expectations, making standard high school preparation sufficient for admission. For the entering class of 2025, the middle 50% of enrolled students who submitted scores recorded ACT composite scores between 18 and 25. ACT submission has become less prevalent over time, with 66% of freshmen submitting test results in 2025. The middle range for individual test sections mirrored this overall distribution, with mid-range scores in English and math spanning from the upper teens to the mid-twenties. Applicants scoring at 25 or above place in the top quarter of incoming students, while those near 18 fall into the lower quartile. Because admission is broadly available, high school students who demonstrate steady performance in core academic coursework and maintain scores around this middle threshold can approach the application process with confidence. Stronger grades and test performances place applicants well ahead of typical institutional admission thresholds.

The university provides wide academic options where bachelor's degrees are moderately dispersed, while graduate specialties achieve the strongest national visibility. The top three undergraduate majors—psychology, nursing, and marketing—accounted for 19.9% of all bachelor's degrees awarded in 2025, showing that undergraduate degrees are not excessively concentrated in a handful of programs. While the largest undergraduate majors do not hold high national rankings, specialized graduate tracks perform well, highlighted by the School of Information Studies ranking 13th for library and information studies in the 2025 U.S. News rankings. In terms of compensation, 2023 earnings data show technical and clinical fields delivering the strongest early career pay. Bachelor's graduates in registered nursing led all fields with median first-year earnings of $79,733, followed closely by electrical engineering at $78,701. Prospective students should recognize that while popular general majors attract the largest classes, technical and professional tracks yield the highest starting compensation.

The student body at the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee is predominantly domestic at the undergraduate level, while international scholars have a much stronger presence in graduate programs. In 2025, the first-year undergraduate class included 249 Asian students, who comprised 7.2% of incoming freshmen. International students accounted for a smaller slice of the entry class, with 53 students representing 1.5% of first-year peers. In contrast, the graduate division shows higher international representation, where 970 international students make up 23.3% of all enrolled graduate students. Across continuing undergraduate cohorts, Asian students maintain a steady presence, while undergraduate international representation remains modest. For prospective applicants, these figures mean that incoming undergraduate students will study within a demographic environment largely composed of domestic peers, whereas graduate degree seekers will encounter a substantially more international academic setting.

Undergraduate education centers almost entirely on traditional-age college students, whereas the graduate student body is broader and older. In 2025, students aged 18 to 19 made up 31.4% of all undergraduates, while those aged 20 to 21 represented 29.6%. Together with students aged 22 to 24, these traditional cohorts define the daytime campus environment. Conversely, graduate programs cater to working-age adults: students aged 25 to 29 formed the largest graduate group at 30.6%, followed by those aged 22 to 24 at 28.6%. This distinct separation creates a clear division between a youth-centered undergraduate scene and a professional graduate community.

International representation at the university follows two opposing trajectories depending on academic level. At the undergraduate level, international presence has steadily declined, with international students making up 2.1% of undergraduates in 2025. That undergraduate proportion is nevertheless higher than 63% of 30 peer public universities with similar rankings. In sharp contrast, international graduate enrollment has expanded significantly, reaching 23.3% of the graduate student population in 2025. At graduation, foreign students earned only 2.4% of bachelor's degrees, compared to 30.6% of master's degrees. International master's students concentrate overwhelmingly in technical fields: 95.8% of graduates in information technology and 89.4% in computer science were international. Undergraduate programs such as psychology, nursing, and architecture remain dominated by domestic students, meaning international candidates will find substantial global peer cohorts primarily in graduate-level STEM disciplines.

Applicants considering the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee have several alternative institutions in the surrounding region. Just 3.5 kilometers away in the same city sits Marquette University, a private institution ranked 90th among National Universities in 2027. Located 12.3 kilometers away is Concordia University-Wisconsin, ranked 299th among National Universities. For those interested in liberal arts colleges, Lake Forest College is situated 57.2 kilometers south and ranked 62nd among National Liberal Arts Colleges in 2027. Further south along the lake in Illinois, Northwestern University is located 71.7 kilometers away and holds the 9th position among National Universities.

Campus safety records at the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee reflect an overall environment characterized primarily by substance-related disciplinary violations rather than violent crime. In 2025, the campus recorded a crime rate per 1,000 students of 4.0, continuing a downward trajectory over the past decade. For the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, non-violent substance offenses accounted for the vast majority of official reports. Disciplinary referrals for liquor violations totaled 519, while drug-related disciplinary referrals reached 185 across those years. Serious property crimes and violent offenses occurred with considerably lower frequency, including small counts of motor vehicle thefts and reported sexual offenses. Campus security and administrative actions concentrate mainly on residential conduct enforcement and alcohol policy violations. For prospective students and their families, these reports suggest that personal safety concerns are largely manageable, though incoming students should remain conscious of campus substance regulations and basic urban situational awareness.