by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many UW - Madison first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore UW - Madison retention rates, graduation rates, drop out rates and more.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 95% students making it past their freshmen year, UW - Madison has freshmen retention rates above the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Wisconsin, the average is 74.47%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| UW - Madison | 95% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Wisconsin | 74.47% |
How many of the estimated 6,491 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?
Four years after beginning their degree, 60% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 86% of the students had graduated and after eight years 87% of this class completed their degree.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a student is considered to have graduated on time if they complete their degree within six years, making the official UW - Madison graduation rate 86%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at UW - Madison? The standard length of time for most students is 4.32 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 4,800 | 63% |
| Six Years | 6,491 | 86% |
| Eight Years | 73 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 996 | 13% |
Approximately 996 students or 13% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 996 students who did not complete their degree?
19 are still enrolled.
701 transferred to another institution.
UW - Madison lost contact with the remaining 273 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 19 | 1.9% |
| Transferred | 701 | 70.4% |
| Dropped Out | 273 | 27.4% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 60% |
| Asian | 89% |
| Black / African-American | 80% |
| Hawaiian | 88% |
| Hispanic | 82% |
| International | 92% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 89% |
| Unknown | 75% |
| White | 89% |
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years. Some schools cater to mostly traditional students while others cater to 'non-traditional' students. So called 'non-traditional' students include part-time students or those who may be returning after an absense. It is common for part-time and/or adult students to take longer to graduate.
Traditional Students:
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25.
Non-Traditional Students:
Any student that is not first-time, full-time, and under the age of 25.
The majority of students at UW - Madison are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
Examining the graduation rates of the specific cohorts shown below may be more revealing than looking at the overall graduaton rates.
First-time / full-time students at University of Wisconsin - Madison represent 77% of the students in the class of 2015, and 78.63% of UW - Madison bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 60%, first-time students in the UW - Madison class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the UW - Madison graduation rate was 87%, and by the eight year mark, 88% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.
| First-Time / Full-Time Completions | UW - Madison | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 60% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 87% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 88% | 47.82% |
691 first-time / full-time students or 12% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
19 are still enrolled.
492 transferred to another institution.
UW - Madison lost contact with the remaining 182 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 19 | 2.75% |
| Transferred | 492 | 71.20% |
| Dropped Out | 182 | 26.34% |
First-time / part-time students at University of Wisconsin - Madison represent 0.19% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 50%, first-time, part-time students in the UW - Madison class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 64%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, 23.72% after eight years.
| First-Time / Part-Time Completions | UW - Madison | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 29% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 50% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 64% | 23.72% |
5 first-time / part-time students or 36% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
2 transferred to another institution.
UW - Madison lost contact with the remaining 3 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 2 | 40.00% |
| Dropped Out | 3 | 60.00% |
1577 UW - Madison students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 20.86% of the students in the class of 2015.
Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense.
With a six year graduation rate of 83%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average for students in this category.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 84%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Returning / Full-Time Completions | UW - Madison | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 83% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 84% | 55.07% |
256 non first-time / part-time students or 16% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
181 transferred to another institution.
UW - Madison lost contact with the remaining 71 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 1.56% |
| Transferred | 181 | 70.70% |
| Dropped Out | 71 | 27.73% |
112 UW - Madison students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 1.48% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 61%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 61%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.03% after six years, 36.03% after eight years.
| Returning / Part-Time Completions | UW - Madison | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 61% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 61% | 37.80% |
44 non first-time / part-time students or 39% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
26 transferred to another institution.
UW - Madison lost contact with the remaining 17 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 2.27% |
| Transferred | 26 | 59.09% |
| Dropped Out | 17 | 38.64% |
